We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zelda Stanfield. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zelda below.

Zelda, appreciate you joining us today. Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

For most of my life, I didn’t realize that the very thing I used to set aside was actually my greatest gift.

As a shy little girl, I often felt more comfortable writing on paper than I did in conversation. While others found their voices out loud, I found mine in quiet moments, writing stories that blended imagination with pieces of real life. Those pages became my safe space, a place where I could express feelings I didn’t yet have the confidence to speak.

As I grew older, that quiet refuge became a passion. I fell in love with English, with storytelling, with the power of words to connect, heal, and express what sometimes feels impossible to say. Writing showed up in every corner of my life—through short stories, heartfelt letters to my high school sweetheart, and even helping my friends find the words to express their own emotions.

But there was one moment that would stay with me, one I didn’t fully understand until years later.

During my freshman year of college, I was assigned to interview a family member and write an essay about their life. I chose my grandfather, my mother’s father. Sitting with him, listening to his stories, and capturing his journey was more than just an assignment it was deeply personal. It opened my eyes to the power of storytelling, not just as creativity, but as connection, legacy, and truth.

When I received my paper back, marked with an A+, the professor asked me to stay after class. I remember feeling a mix of pride and nervousness, unsure of what she might say. She looked at me and said, “This was beautifully written. What is your major?” I answered confidently, “Business Administration, with a concentration in Information Systems. I want to work with computers.” She paused, then asked, “Have you ever considered Journalism?” Without hesitation, I said, “absolutely not.” She calmly responded, “I encourage you to reconsider. You have a gift.”

At the time, I didn’t receive it. I didn’t pause long enough to truly hear her or understand what she saw in me. I dismissed it and continued on the path I had already planned. But her words stayed with me.

Years later, after building a successful career in administration and supporting executives in the C-suite (no, I did not become a computer guru), I found myself returning again and again to writing. It never left me. In fact, it became the very thing that helped me navigate life’s hardest seasons.

Through writing and journaling, I found a way to process emotions I had buried, to release what was weighing me down, and to make sense of moments of challenge, loss, perseverance, and growth. Writing became more than something I loved it became something I needed.

And in that rediscovery, I finally understood the lesson my professor tried to teach me all those years ago: our gifts are not accidental, and ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear, it only delays their purpose.

Today, I’ve made the decision to no longer abandon my gift. Instead, I’m embracing it fully, not just for myself, but for others. Because I’ve come to realize that so many people are holding in their stories. They are stuck in their past, silenced by fear, or unsure how to make meaning of what they’ve been through. I want to use my gift of writing to help give voice to those stories to help others process their experiences, embrace their journeys, and see that their challenges are not setbacks, but stepping stones toward purpose.

My writing is no longer just a personal outlet it is a calling. It is how I hope to impact, inspire, and remind others that their story matters and that within it lies the power to move forward, to heal, and to become.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I often say that I’m a “student of life,” and looking back, it feels true. My journey has been deeply shaped by caring for both of my parents during their separate battles with cancer, navigating the heartbreak of losing my mother suddenly, and figuring out how to stand on my own two feet through singleness. In the midst of all this, I found comfort and healing by turning outward—motivating, encouraging, and serving others became a lifeline for me.

That drive to help others led me to pursue a certification in Christian Life Coaching. Through that process, I picked up invaluable tools that allow me to walk alongside people as they face life’s toughest moments, helping them find their way forward when things feel overwhelming.

Being a family caregiver gave me a window into what it really feels like: the isolation, the exhaustion—both mental and physical—and the sense that your own needs sometimes get lost in the shuffle. That experience sparked something in me. I wanted to support women caregivers, not by simply focusing on what’s hard, but by building a community where it’s okay to acknowledge their own needs and to be cared for, too. That’s why I founded My Healing Places, a nonprofit that creates a safe space for caregivers.

Journaling was a tool I leaned on during my hardest days. It helped me make sense of things and offered moments of self-care. Wanting to share that gift, I published a 21-day journal for caregivers—a simple, practical way to manage stress and carve out small moments for themselves, even on busy days.

At my core, my mission is to help women who are caregiving rediscover their God-given identity and see that their purpose is so much bigger than the roles they play. It’s about reclaiming themselves and their dreams, even in the midst of caring for others.

If you were to work with me, you’d find yourself reconnecting with who you are beyond your responsibilities—gaining confidence to step into what’s next, without regret or abandoning your own needs. My hope is that you walk away feeling empowered and deeply grounded, ready to embrace the future with clarity and self-compassion.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Freedom of expression. Being a creative, allows me the opportunity to “color outside the lines” so to speak. You can take an idea or concept, develop it and portray it in a unique and powerful way – that’s the power of creativity. It is story telling with words, colors, visual effects, photos, and the lists goes on.

Creativity for me is something that fuels and energizes me. I have heard it said that passion lies in something that you love to do so much, that you would do it even when you don’t get paid for it. When I am in a creative zone, I get lost in time and will do it for absolutely no pay! I find joy in creativity.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Utilizing my God given gift and talents for positive impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zeldastanfield.com
• Instagram: @zmariewrites and @myhealingplaces
• Facebook: Zelda Stanfield and The Caregiver Sisterhood

Image Credits

The book cover for the Breathe and Believe journal, I personally created in Canva.