SHAMEBOOTH is the brainchild of artist and interventionist, Paula Williams. What started as an idea to outfit a phone booth with a classic phone and invite people to record the things they are ashamed of has developed into a movement, with a booth that travels, a podcast, a website and more.
A graduate from The Art Institute of Chicago, Paula believes secrecy and judgment are what make shame thrive. She created the Shamebooth to bring people’s shame stories out into the open, meet them with empathy, and banish shame for good.
The project has developed beyond all expectations, with the booth moving from location to location, Pride to Sunday Streets, and people sharing their stories and emerging from the booth freer. With the light spirit of Paula and the Shame Dames, SHAMEBOOTH is both deep and irreverent, powerful and playful.
Paula’s desire to help others evolved as the result of years of self medicating with booze and pills, and a history of mental health issues, which has led Paula to recovery. This experience has radically shifted her perspective towards others who are suffering and are full of shame, terrified to ask for help. Today, she is grateful to be in a position to give back.
Paula is working with SF-based SOUND MADE PUBLIC to bring the project to life and gives special thanks to her dream coach Rhetta Rowland.