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

Martha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I developed a Heal with your Art program: Masterpiece to Master PEACE for survivors of grief and trauma.

My mission statement: *I inspire women who have been silenced by stigma, feel isolated from grief and loss to restore their voice, regain a vision to see their true worth, fully express themselves through creativity so they can experience a journey of joy with peace, possibility, and purpose. ~ Masterpiece to Master PEACE

The Story:
My life looked quite different several years ago when I hid behind a bush 3 blocks from my home and business.

My kind considerate, thoughtful, generous, safety conscious father had recently died. It was an early Spring evening when the person I trusted with my heart, head, body and household bank account proclaimed that I hadn’t done anything for him since the wedding day. Cruel comments were spewed at me randomly over the years. Evil outbursts became daily occurrences.

For over 20 years, I inspired students and clients with a community conscious arts organization where everyone felt safe to explore and develop to their full potential. In the background was the then spouse (different last name) whose clever plan to have my company (me) pay rent and a loan to the household – successfully disguised his CON – as care.

A month earlier, I said to myself “This will NEVER end!” I broke silence when I told employees what transpired. I informed my elderly, hearing impaired mother about attempted false imprisonment in one of the rooms in the house. “That’s classic abuse,” she announced. I didn’t want to, but I had to return home. Why? It was my workplace, my source of income – my career. I was teacher, manager, owner … entrepreneur extraordinaire.

Since age 12, I planned and prepared to be a teacher paralleled with my entrepreneurial ventures. I studied, practiced, and created an amazing community-conscious arts organization. I had to decide between my long-standing cherished career – or my LIFE.

I ran out the back door with an employee one step ahead. There was NO going back. My prolonged priority became keeping mother, family, students, employees, and customers safe. * What I overlooked – what I missed – was my OWN safety AND financial security.

A decade since I evacuated, I celebrate Freedom and Revel in my Resilience!

*Domestic violence authorities claim it takes seven times till victims decide to leave an abuser. When they make the decision – their life is at risk – the highest level of danger!

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

Since age nine, my identity was defined through art and music and known as music “mARTi.” For over 20 years, I inspired students and clients through a community conscious arts organization in a small town in PA.

Unfortunately, a former spouse (different last name) had a calculated plan for my company (me) to pay rent and a loan to the household which successfully disguised his CON – as care.   My long-standing career was destroyed because of domestic abuse.

Within a few years, TransformToTriumph.com was developed to create a portal for the healing with art program: “Masterpiece to Master PEACE” which guides participants through grief, reduce overwhelm, manage mindset, and develop skills to prosper.

A year after moving to Ohio for a “roof over my head,” an emergency craniotomy was needed to remove a tumor that had been pulling on the retina of my right eye. Fortunately, the brain tumor was benign, and I was able to overcome that challenge.

After I moved to Ohio, I decided to start a home bakery — Bake House: Ohio Baked! and chose to operate during evening hours for people with moonlight munchies or a starlight sweet tooth.   The biggest challenge and roadblock to maneuver, has been “starting from scratch” in a new location where my unique ability, skill, and reputation is unfamiliar to residents.

Since I re-invented a former successful baking business venture, I can now celebrate my own healing journey and revel in my resilience!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

If creativity is so accessible, what’s holding us back? When a group of people are asked, “Please raise your hand if you consider yourself to be creative,” why do only a few hands go up? Why are corporate leaders, government officials, politicians, crime fighters, teachers, and parents all starving for innovative ideas? Why are art, music, and literature in the hands of a tiny fraction of the population–while the rest are mere spectators?

Creativity training and innovation programs work by asking people to deliberately break the normal rules of planning, behavior, decision-making, to change current patterns. By overturning the predictable, new possibilities will emerge, including the absurd, the inappropriate, even the dangerous.

Sometimes, out of a little irreverence and rule-breaking comes original and innovative thinking, even for those who are convinced they aren’t creative.

It may be that you simply need to have some additional innovative tools to spark creative thinking and get people outside those proscribed ‘boxes’ even if those boxes have proved excellent in the past.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Sweet Shape Sale:

Many of my one-of-a-kind, brilliant business sales ideas came from a flash of spontaneous fun.

My favorite was the “Sweet Shape Sale” which boosted baked goods in my former coffeehouse.

After customers entered the coffeehouse and placed their favorite drink order, I announced our BOGO special (buy one, get another one for $1.00 . A circle, triangle, rectangle pastry was regular price and they’d get a second item for $1.00

PLUS, they could receive a bonus if they wore plaid, could use a yoyo, draw an icon, answer a trivia question, or even whistle a happy tune.

Best of all: Our pricing/numbers were created to be even (NO change — except quarters)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marthapineno.com/
• Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/OhioBaked
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhioBaked/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthapineno/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OHbaked
• Other: https://soundbakingpodcast.com https://mindthemusepodcast.com