We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Blamires recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I have worked on several meaningful projects over the past few years, but I have to say that the most impactful for me has been the initial design of my website and blog. The idea for this blog had been on my mind for several years, but the demands of life as a full-time teacher competed for my attention. Like many teachers, it is hard to make it towards retirement as a single person, so I have been cultivating possible income streams to develop now and into the future. Like others I met along the way, I went through phases of discouragement. As a blogger in my mid- and now late-50s, I sometimes doubted myself. I talked to other bloggers who paid professionals to design their websites to help them realize their vision, but in my heart, it was important for me to learn how to manage the process myself and write my own content, at least for the initial launch. I had something to prove to myself, that I could still learn and enter an arena that carried some fear for me.

I continue to learn more about the process and the platforms every time I write a post and am currently taking a Blogger Boot Camp course so that I can continue to learn and grow. I now understand how important it is for me to learn from the professionals! My next website upgrade is currently underway, and I am so excited to post it and begin the next phase of following my dreams and working on pieces that match my threefold mission. In addition to my hirable services, my blog is divided into three sections:

Cottage: Spaces for Creatives
Chalk: Inspiration for Teachers
Wonder: The Power of Words

Stephanie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

have been a classroom teacher and administrator for more than 25 years. Throughout that time, I honed my craft as a reading and writing specialist. Writing, and teaching writing, are my twin passions in life. I consider the weight and intention of each spoken and written word carefully. Words have the ability to capture life’s emotions and convey what is felt in the heart and mind directly to others. This idea, partnered with a love for beautiful spaces, has led me down a few diverse pathways as I cultivate future opportunities.

Chalk: Inspiration for Teachers

As I began to diversify my income-earning potential, the first and easiest aspect was to tutor students in these prized subjects of reading and writing. From there, I started working on grantwriting for charter schools and small schools. More recently, I began pursuing my true passions as they relate to writing. After relocating to Georgia, I purchased a home with property where a shed could be converted into a writing studio. Last year, I hosted my inaugural year of Pink Owl Press Writing Camp at Dream Cottage. I continue to work on diversifying that effort and plan to expand it to include virtual participants in the future.

Wonder: The Power of Words

One of the platforms that is nearest to my heart is domestic violence. I have written a book for which I am seeking publication, and plan to use my blog to release some parts of the book. Some of my pro bono work has been to assist other women escaping abusive situations by upgrading resumes, matching them with people who can help with wardrobe redesign, and in some cases, help find temporary housing.

Cottage: Spaces for Creatives

At the heart of all of my passions is this love of words, and the power of words to lift myself and others towards safety, love, and fulfillment. Another way I do this is through home renovation ideas that are inexpensive and labor-creative, aimed in part towards others who are rebuilding their lives with limited funds. I love sharing my remodel projects, and have recently also used my remodeled cottage to host events like a good friend’s wedding and as a site for senior portraits.

The thread that ties my passions together is the idea that I love creating beauty in whatever spaces I have to work with, and this includes the words that are spoken and written in that space. I believe in surrounding ourselves with whatever it is we find beautiful. Some people have a hard time figuring that out for themselves. I believe it is one of my best gifts…sensing the beauty of a soul and helping that person or group find their purpose.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Yes, I have been greatly impacted by several creative thinkers and their work.

The first is Carlos Ruis Zafon and his amazing work, The Shadow of the Wind. In my mind, it is the most beautifully written and original book of the current era. It begins with the sentence, “I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten books for the first time.” This is the book that solidified in my mind the unmatchable power of words, and encouraged me to continue writing.

The second from Stephen King’s memoir On Writing: I believe large numbers of people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that those talents can be strengthened and sharpened.” Again, these words reminded me that there are many with talent, and I love to develop that in others, as well as myself. If a writer of the magnitude of Stephen King believes this statement, I am going to take it to heart.

Mindset by Carol Dweck has helped me craft many professional development lessons for teachers, and also shaped me as an individual. I particularly enjoyed a comment from Twyla Tharp, noted for a book she wrote called The Creative Habit. She argued that creativity is not a magical act of inspiration, but rather hard work and dedication. I think it is some of both!

A current favorite is The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar. It begins with the idea that everything begins with a story. This fuels my desire to write powerful stories about my own life, and teach others how to do the same.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After 25 years of marriage, I went through a difficult divorce. It was something that needed to happen for many years, but as an optimistic person, I continued to hope for change and healing that didn’t arrive. I was married at 21 years of age, so my whole adult life had been spent with this one person, and it was hard to imagine the life that I could live on my own. However, as I pushed on and began to recover, I realized that I had many aspirations that had been on hold for many years. I think many people can relate to this, and it is one of the ideas that binds me to others…that it is never too late to pursue these long-held dreams.

One of my dreams had always been to buy a distressed house and restore it to a state of loveliness. As my son graduated from college, I felt that I was free to return to the South of my roots and create a new sort of life for myself. I had a very tight budget to work within in the Atlanta area and looked at many properties before a chance drive-by revealed exactly what I wanted. I believe in serendipity, and the fact that the realtor had barely placed the sign along the roadside when my realtor and I drove by seemed a tangible sign. Despite the fact that it had been owned by a talented artist with a hoarding problem and years of neglect or absence of maintenance, I could see immediately how it fit into my dreams for the future and was undeterred and even a bit blinded to all of the problems that would need my attention to make the home a safe and lovely respite from the world. Situated on nearly an acre, the bonus surprise was the shed in the backyard, a completely empty shell inside, that I envisioned as my one-day writing studio. Five years and many obstacles later, the house and cottage are exactly what I imagined, and the gardens are also now growing to create an even more magical space. I think this story shows that I have faced setbacks, as we all do. I have learned that I have patience, am imaginative, and can create my dream spaces that inspire me to write and pursue other goals that are evolving with time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinkowlpress.com
• Instagram: pink.owl.press
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1456784264
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-blamires-4940aa60/
• Youtube: @dreamcottage

Image Credits
Summer Writing Camp photo credit to Sarah Jones