Who does she think she is? Thursday, May 6!

Good old mom. She was always there for you, always cheering you on, always in your corner with a hot meal and a warm hug. Growing up, we don't really consider what goes into the meals, the hugs, the cheerleading, the supporting, the discipline, the love.

What about mom as a person? Did she have her own dreams and aspirations? Who was she before the kids came along? Did she give it all up for the family? Were you worth it?

Who does she think she is? I'll bet your mom wasn't an artist. Many moms are not. My mother, whose 69th birthday would have been today, was a decorative and folk painter. She taught classes in that art form in our basement when I was growing up, so I guess after she left teaching when I was eight (yes, I GASP spent time in daycare as a tot and lived to tell the tale) she became a work at home mom.

She inspired my creativity and I will testify that as a role model, pursuing her art after her health forced her to quit teaching, she had a far greater impact on me than she would have if she had given up her own endeavors to meld her personhood to mine.

Who Does She Think She Is? is new documentary film directed by Academy Award winning producer, Pamela Tanner Boll. The film follows the struggles and joys of five women trying to lead creative lives as artists while keeping up as parents and partners. For these women, art does not have to be "self-centered," and care-taking doesn't have to be "selfless," and it is in fact the mix that gives them their vitality.

But it's not easy. We see them go through hardship, self-doubt, rejection, and heartbreak. The film also takes a broader look at the shifting status of women artists throughout history, with some shocking realizations about what women artists are up against today. Ultimately, the film helps us imagine a world where a more fulfilled balance of life, art, work and family is worth the risk. These women are living examples.

Here are some of the awards the film has won:

Best Documentary, Savannah Film Festival

Best of Show, Colony Film Festival

Best Documentary, Baltimore Women's Film Festival

Honorable Mention for Best Documentary, Philadelphia Independent Film Festival

Official Selection, Big Sky Film Festival

New Hampshire Film Festival

St. Louis Film Festival

Le Femme Film Festival

Santa Monica Film Festival

THIS Thursday night, 7:30 p.m. at Arts on Grand! Bring your favorite women, artists, film lovers and others. For more about the film, see http://whodoesshethinksheis.net/ and add the movie's Facebook page Who Does She Think She Is? to your Facebook.