Stephanie's Studio

This morning I mentioned to my husband, what a wonderful thing it would be if internet fairies existed. I know various types of social media consultants and advisers are out there but this person would be more like a financial adviser. You would go to her once or twice a year, hopefully under the cover of trees, and learn more about tailored opportunities online for you, perhaps a nudge to change your passwords, check in on your privacy settings, see what policies have changed on sites you use, and either update or delete parts of your web presence no longer the way you want it. Perhaps such fairies exist but I've not heard of them. Over the past few months, after my email account was broken into and then spoofed, I decided to become much more mindful of my activities online. I also began doing some monitoring of my accounts and putting up fire walls. I consider all this a digital spring cleaning. We all need to delete, add, change, revise, rethink and depending on your purpos

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Kathryn Davis on PRN in New York on the Heart of Mind Radio Show. I quickly learned that she is an engaging conversationalist, truly interested in the subjects she features on her show. She has been called "a seeker of truth and beauty through the exploration of life, love, energy and cosmic consciousness." She is known as a vibrational healer, artist and mystic, among other things such as being a Reiki healer and doula. The two of us have a lot in common and really hit it off, as you'll hear. PRN stands for Progressive Radio Network and many of the shows, which are archived as podcasts on the internet, center around mind, body, spirit, healing and self-help. There is also support for inspirational topics, art and politics. PRN is known as the "thinking person's radio station" and it is noncommercial. I thought it was very cool to be featured on there. As artists and authors, where we choose to sha

Lately my head has been very full--full to the brim to be more descriptive. There is the new book deal for my novel, "No Barren Life,"  which I shared about a few posts ago. That is exciting but with an abundance of excitement I tend to get over-stimulated. There is so much to do, from the editing and revisions to marketing and then planning a book launch. Then there was the nonfiction book deal that I had to walk away from. With that, my mind goes back and forth. Mostly I know I did the right thing but then other opportunities have come over the horizon that lead to further questions. I had a second contract in hand last week but then that deal fizzled. Our ideas for the book and vision for it just didn't match up. Now, several new possibilities have presented themselves. Still, the future of "Mama Nature's Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss," remains uncertain. Then too, I have a critique of my second novel, "Out of the Blue," coming up in Jul

I blog and write about herbs a lot as an author. Writing about nature and its gifts is pleasurable, however, sharing about them in person is even more exciting. A while back I blogged about my invitation to go to New York to present a workshop on African American Herbalism at New York Open Center. Now, there is less than a month before the all day workshop and I want to invite you to come join me. Together we will make several different teas, a luxurious whipped body butter, incense, a floor wash and a love draw sachet. During the hands-on workshop we will work in a communal atmosphere to encourage the herbs to yield their medicinal qualities. I haven't been to the East Coast in ages and do not come often. This is a wonderful opportunity for those of you that live nearby or in the tri-state area, to learn in person what I have shared in my books, in an inspired creative environment. At this workshop you can ask questions, learn through doing, and have fun crafting with herb

It has been a long, exceedingly cold, long winter. If I never hear the words polar vortex it will be too soon. The spring in this area was nothing to write home about either. I haven't completely packed away my winter sweaters because they still come in handy from time to time. But alas, Litha has ushered in summer with the longest day of the year, our wonderful solstice yesterday. Today, I celebrated Litha inspired by these: Thinking I was an awesome athlete: I set out in the morning, doing what I've done to celebrate the arrival of summer since my earliest memories...I returned to the water, and it was awesome! Meditative and quiet, I was left feeling connected to nature around me and to my innermost self. My soul felt contented and complete. Summer comes on swiftly with heat and testy storms in the Midwest. With its warmth there also comes the opportunity to delight and to retreat in pure unadulterated joy and the sweet memories this season invokes. Though i

Did my last installment from "No Barren Life", on the post called "Sharing No Barren Life"  leave you wondering what happens next? My bad. Here is another little excerpt from the next chapter of my novel that I am trying to get published independently with the help of  Pubslush . Without further delay, here is the excerpt...enjoy it, and if you have it in your heart, contribute  to this meaningful project today. It is a short walk. First we passed by the turquoise Arafura and Timor Sea. We then headed inland, cutting through ghost gum trees and low growing ancient cycads. I took off my shoes to fit in and walked my tender feet through the underbrush. “This is part of your dreaming. The ancestor beings residing here know and love you.  They’ve been watching and listening.” Nana tells me.  I step into the billabong, letting the cool water caress my sore feet and aching calves.             Betsy, one of the women in the group, strips off all of my c