The She Series is a series of portraits that artist Karen Hallion has drawn celebrating strong women who inspire us. Each portrait is drawn in profile, with an action word along side. The first portrait was fictional: Princess Leia, with the word Rebel. Since then, her works have expanded to include non-fictional and male portraits.
The series has become very popular among her fanbase, with her followers on social media recommending people to be added. Hallion also asks for verb suggestions as she works on new sketches, making the project a collaboration with her fans.
In 2021, Hallion ran a Kickstarter to publish a book of some of the non-fictional women portraits, accompanied by essays written by Hallion and 58 other writers. This became The She Series: 120 Portraits & Essays Celebrating Inspiring Icons Whose Actions Changed the World.
Each essay is about 500 words, a nice quick read for when you’re looking for some motivation or just to learn about how women have impacted and influenced history.
In Karen Hallion’s own words:
My hope for this book is to show how important taking action is; that seemingly simple actions can be profound. In addition to this book being an informational biography about strong women, I hope it will also inspire people of all ages to take action in their own lives, even when they are afraid or told they shouldn’t do something. It’s just as brave and important to raise your hand in a classroom or speak up in front of friends as it is to dissent if you disagree with the other members of the Supreme Court.
