Today we’d like to introduce you to SUSAN STONE.
Hi SUSAN, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career has been a journey spanning fifty years already!
I spent the majority of thirty years as a professional gardener, and landscape designer. Sprinkled in throughout the years were other art related jobs (sometimes working 2 or 3 at a time) including teaching fine art at USCB, and award winning kitchen designer for AKD in Bluffton, and also became a Reiki Master healer, starting my private practice in 2000. At the age of fifty-five, I had a massive heatstroke, and my whole world changed.
I couldn’t work in the heat after that and found that retail suited me as well. I opened ZenDen in 2014, which was a metaphysical, crystal, local authors and local art in building 1, Healing arts in building 2. I sold the store to Robyn Baker at the end of 2023. By May of 2024 I had opened a school of arts right down the street.
The Arts Port Royal is offering classes in the fine arts, the mystic arts, and the healing arts. I host Sacred Sundays every week, where we have meditation one week and sound bath on another, mystic teachers, and open minded discussion.
As an initiated shaman, and ordained minister, I am committed to my community. I see my role as a shaman as a responsibility to guide my community through our rites of passage from birth to death. I am ordained to baptize, and to give last rites with all ceremony in between. I have volunteered in Hospice for forty-two years.
I am the author of two books; We Heard You, published in 2012, and The Magical Nature of Humans, published last fall.
I am currently writing my third book, and learning how to record my own audio books.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I smiled at your question, because I have managed to survive the strangest challenges.
Growing up ADHD, and dyslexic before they had a word for it, was very challenging in school. I was a struggling student until college, when my brain learned to compensate in art school. I still have the energy of five people that hyperactivity gives you, but at 67 it comes in handy!
My father was killed in Vietnam in 1969.
Got sober, and my second chance at life in 1997.
In 2010 I was struck by lightning inside of a car, and nearly went blind. It came through the passenger window, and hit me in the right shoulder, then went out both of my eyes. My best friend was driving. After five eye surgeries, lots of Reiki, and a little quantum physics, I can now see 20/20.
The lightning strike turned on my psychic gene, or open up some channels. Ever since, I have been able to hear angels, and guides.
This has taken some getting used to, but the benefit to humanity has been worth the trepidation I feel conveying their messages.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m so happy to be in the studio again! I’ve spent decades working hard, and keeping busy, but there is nothing like turning on your favorite music and painting all afternoon.
When I opened The Arts, I hadn’t painted regularly since art school (1980-84) I had moments, but not long stretches of time to create art.
Being certified in many modalities, I teach drawing, painting, crafts, healing, shamanism, & self awareness.
Today I spend more hours at work than I did when I worked full time. I can’t wait to get to the studio. Anne McCall Wilson has the studio across from mine, and in the middle we partnered and created the Stone-Wilson Gallery. We had our first joint exhibition last fall, featuring only our work. It was my first exhibition. I’ve been in art shows over the years, but never had a collection on display. Painting makes my heart sing, and my soul happy.
On the other side of the business is my private practice. I’ve been seeing clients for their health for twenty-five years. Since the lightning strike in 2010, I’ve been an intuitive healer as well.
I could feel other people’s medical conditions when I was a child, but now I feel their conditions and hear their loved ones. who give encouragement and advice.
I am most proud of the services we provide to our community. We just had our fist Reiki for Kids class, where we attuned kids from age 7 to 15 as Reiki 1. The children will use their love for animals to help with a local Free Animal Reiki Clinic we are planning for June. The kids will have adults assist them for the day.
I started the Free Reiki Clinic for humans at ZenDen in 2017, it is still running today every 2nd Saturday.
Some people come in to our Sunday program looking for answers, other come to share their wisdom. They can count on us to be welcoming to all. Most people just want to been seen and validated. The special programs are interesting and educational.
What sets us apart? I don’t think there is anything like The Arts in the region!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We have a lot of changes coming, thank goodness! People are getting more savvy about what they eat, and wear, and what they buy.
There are plenty of people who will always want cheap and fast, but I’m beginning to see that people are figuring out why they’re sick, and broke, and terribly unhappy.
I think we will get greener, and healthier, as truths are revealed and corruption exposed.
People vote with their dollars so, we can definitely make a difference.
This is actually the topic of my new book.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theartsportroyal.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.stone.1829/
- Other: https://susanstone-author.com
