Rowan Blanchard On Being A Warrior #WrinkleInTimeEvent

(*Disclosure-I was invited to an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles, courtesy of Disney, to attend the #WrinkleInTimeEvent #ABCTVEvent in exchange for my coverage. No other compensation was provided. All views shared are completely my own.)

Rowan Blanchard is best known for her in Disney’s “Girl Meets World” I have to say I grew up watching “Boy Meets World” and so when they did the new remake. I was a bit worried it would not live up to expectations, however with Rowan playing “Riley” in the series I felt it brought a fresh approach. We had the opportunity to interview Rowan during our A Wrinkle In Time Press Junket last month.

One of the things I really love about Rowan is the fact that even though she is only 16 years old, which by the way when you meet her you would think she is in her twenties. Is the fact that she is passionate about human rights; she is a public advocate for women and gun violence. She has spoken at the UN Women and US National Committee’s annual conference as part of #TeamHeForShe, a feminist campaign.

She also recently published her first book “Still Here” is an unedited look at Rowan’s inner life–representation of teen life in general. Alongside Rowan’s own raw diary entries, poems, and personal photos are taped in letters, photos, and poems from her friends who inspire her, like the poet rupi kaur, photographer Gia Coppola, and writer Jenny Zhang, among others. The result is an intimate portrayal of modern girlhood and a thoughtful reflection on what it means to be a teenager in today’s world.

We asked Rowan several questions during our interview but one of the questions that was asked was “You’re so young and so accomplished already.  Was there a time in your life where you felt like you actually give yourself permission to be a warrior?  Or were you always that person that was just yelling and fearless in pursuit of your goals?” Rowan’s response “I have to give myself permission to be a warrior on the daily.  It’s not something that is a very conscious thing where I feel totally empowered and fearless every day.  There are some areas that I feel more confident and then others.  Going off on that piano with Oprah, Reese and Mindy, I felt like the odd one out.  I will tell you guys the truth.  But like, that’s a second where I have to be like, I deserve to be here and like, I’m here, a part of something bigger than myself.  So, so, yeah, I don’t know, I guess that’s another–, there are just so many moments on the daily where I have to remind myself that it’s okay that I am in the room.” When you get to hear a response like that from a young person who is successful, but is yet humbled I feel good knowing the next generation still has moral and values.

A Wrinkle In Time target age is kids 8-12 in the movie Rowan plays “Veronica Kiley” a teenager that is going through a lot of emotions, and issues herself. We asked Rowan about her advice to kids this age that are going to similar situations now. Rowan said “I think one thing that I realized actually just through making the book that I made was that adults are so shocked when teenagers say that they’re sad, which is really interesting.  And especially that age like 11, 12, I remember that was the time where I was most confused because those are right before you’re a teenager and you know that when you’re a teenage girl, there are certain things that you are expected to do.  But those years right before our where you’re not a baby but you’re not like a teenage girl.  And they’re really developmental I think really scary years. So, there’s something really nice that this movie is coming out and that storm sort of represents this 12, 13 age where you’re still realizing so much about yourself and you’re not fully–, you’re not yet really that far from your childhood.”

I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of Rowan Blanchard; she is what this generation needs along with Storm Reid to make a difference for teenagers their age. It is nice to see a rising tide of young women standing up for what they believe in!

For more information on Rowan’s book “Still Here” visit http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2018/02/book-review-still-here-by-rowan-blanchard/

A Wrinkle In Time is playing in theaters everywhere!

#WrinkleInTime #WrinkleInTimeEvent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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