We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joe Castillo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joe, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

Twenty Two years ago in the Spring of 2021, I began writing a book for the two young women in my life; my two daughters. My intent was to write a story containing wisdom and encouragement from Psalm 119 a significant portion of the Hebrew Scriptures. In what I consider a divine alignment, at the very same time all those years ago, a woman named Mary Frances Bowley was laying the groundwork for a ministry to transform the lives of those at risk or victimized by sexual exploitation.
It took me a long time to write and perfect my book ‘Love Letters’. My daughters had grown up and had daughters of their own. So, the allegorical novel I was writing for young women became a labor of love for my three grand daughters and an inspiration to any young woman with a broken past.
It was last year I began to hear of WellSpring Living, founded all those years ago by Mary Francis Bowley. Or the how the work had grown to include rescuing young girls ensnares in the trafficking web. I determined to donate all the proceeds from the book to the work of WellSpring Living.

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

I love a good story!

I write, share, paint, and create stories in sand for live audiences.
Mexico City was where I was born, grew up and learned to love art and stories.
The schools I almost flunked out of, were Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida Bible College and Asbury Seminary.
Many of the hats I have worn include: advertiser, publisher, pastor, entrepreneur, writer, artist and storyteller. I now wear a beret, and I wrote this story for you.
My “storytelling artwork” was born out of my struggle to forgive which I wrote about in my first book, The Face of Christ.
SandsStory has been my greatest adventure in Storytelling. I use sand, light and music to engage and inspire audiences all over the world.
These stories have been performed in over twenty countries for churches, conferences, Fortune 500 companies, world leaders, CBS, NBC, the BBC and reached the finals on America’s Got Talent.
I am married to my “Glad Girl”, Cindy, have four kids, eight grandkids and love living just south of Atlanta, Georgia in a new town for creatives called Trilith.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

A number of various careers checkered my past. After graduating from ArtSchool I opened my own Advertising Agency which flourished for 18 years. At the death of my first wife after 26 years I returned to school, attended Seminary and with the help of a new wife, planted a new church in Richmond Kentucky. During my years as a pastor my experiences and interest in Art compelled me to include visuals in my sermons. About every fifth Sunday I would create some type of illustration that would help my congregation remember the truths I was trying to convey from the scriptures. It was there I developed a new art form I called SandStory. When my wife and I stepped down from the church the performances of SandStory exploded. For the next seventeen years we traveled to 45 states and over 27 foreign countries telling stories in sand for churches, conferences, product launches, and corporate events. When America’s Got Talent called I tried out and made it all the way to the finals. We were performing between 150 to 250 days on the road, in life events of up to a million people. Then COVID-19 hit.
All public events shut down. In trying figure out what to do next my wife Cindy suggested I attend a writers workshop run by best selling author, Bob Goff. (His books include; ‘Love Does,’ ‘Everybody, Always,’ and ‘Think Big.’) She reminded me of a writing project I had started twenty two years earlier. My career again transitioned. I had gone from Artist, to Storyteller, to Author.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I wrote the book ‘Love Letters’ with no interest in acclaim or income.

Why?

All I heard on the phone, was my best friends voice saying,
“my Daughter just attempted suicide.”

Why? Intelligent, beautiful, vibrant, this teenage girl, with so much to live for,
attempted to take her own life.

I have three teenage granddaughters.

Here are some horrifying statistics.

Depression in young women 12-24. is at an all time high. Suicide attempts in 2020 spiked.
Over six thousand succeeded. Multiple reasons and solutions are given
for this alarming increase.

One thing I know works.

Whether you are a spiritual person, have a religious affiliation or consider yourself agnostic a ‘non,’ or an atheist, one thing is undeniable. The stories, parables and profound wisdom recorded in the most widely read, memorized, copied, printed, written about and best selling book in all of human history are the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. Documented studies and 4000 years of personal stories prove
reading The Words of God, make a difference.

My father died when I was 15. God’s words sustained me. My troubled teen years, almost derailed me. A group of Bible reading friends kept me on track. Mary, my wife of twenty six years was taken from my two children and I by breast cancer. Reading from The Book gave us hope.

Sixty years, of personal experience as a pastor, counselor and spiritual mentor confirms that words and wisdom from these ancient but eternally timely writings will rescue and change lives..

The longest chapter in The Scriptures, Psalm 119, mentions the power of The Words of God
in every single verse; 176 times.

Could I get my granddaughters, and other young women to read Ps. 119?
Could I offer them a lifeline, by reading and understanding the power in God’s Word?

That is why I wrote “Love Letters.”

Contact Info:

• Website: SandStory.com, WellSpringLiving.org
• Instagram: Instagram.com/JoeSCastillo
• Facebook: Facebook.com/SandStory
• Linkedin: JoeSCastillo
• Twitter: Twitter.com/JoeSCastillo

Image Credits
Photos and Stills by Joe Castillo