Even in the midst of her turbulent childhood, artist Stephanie Hirsch felt that she had a higher purpose. She was drawn to the writings of noted spiritual philosophers and repeated affirmations to work through difficult situations.
As Hirsch’s journey continued, she fought against internal and external demons, a process which ultimately guided her on her path to enlightenment and art. From the beginning, her creations were a means of self-expression, an emotional and spiritual outlet. But those personal pieces resonated with others and soon she was selected for group and solo exhibitions from New York to San Francisco.
Here, the artist asserts the importance of taking ownership over one’s own life:
Live The Process: Have you always been a spiritual person?
Stephanie Hirsch: I had a rather chaotic upbringing and was always searching for more from life. I was attracted to spirituality and had an innate thirst to understand why we are here. I knew from a very young age that there was a higher calling for me. At 10 years old, I had my first spiritual breakthrough when a higher power came down and spoke to me. The power told me to search for the truth. This led me to read books by Richard Bach, Hermann Hesse, Paulo Coelho and Deepak Chopra, among others. From then on, I always used mantras and sayings to keep me on the path, but I kept creating tons of chaos and blockages in my life.
In 2008, I had a situation that completely broke me as a person. They say we must crack in order for the light to get in. In my darkest moment, the brightest light shone upon me and only then did I realize that everything was done to me to show me the way. From there on, I decided to take ownership over my life. I took the limits off my life and became dedicated to the path. This lead on my internal journey—my spiritual awakening.
LTP: What inspired you to begin creating art about hope and enlightenment?
SH: Art came to me; I did not go to it. I am a highly visual person and see words as pictures. In order for my mind to stop racing and for me to feel calm, I need to keep reading and rereading the words that settle my soul. In my dark time, the only thing that set me free and guided me to live my truth were mantras of hope, truth and enlightenment. I started to bead and embroider these canvases just for myself, so that I could make myself accountable and live a life of limitlessness, abundance, peace, love and joy.
LTP: What impact do you hope your work has on your audience?
SH: I honestly never thought about how it would affect others. My quest was for me to live a more honest, authentic life based on the eternal truths. I do nothing to get a reaction, but I am humbled that my internal journey has affected so many and has struck a cord for others to live in the light.
LTP: What advice would you offer for cultivating a more positive outlook?
SH: One must first and foremost take ownership over his or her life. Words are powerful and they can heal or harm. There is a saying: you reap what you sow—this is very true. If you want abundance, love, peace and joy, you must speak those words into existence. One must actually turn the negative noise off in his or her brain. If you can control your mind, you can control your life. When I find myself going to the darker places in my mind, I repeat the very powerful affirmation by the great Florence Scovel Shinn: "health, wealth, love and perfect self-expression are my divine rights." I repeat and repeat again until the negative noise of lack, doubt, fear and limits disappears. If we want to shift the vibration of the universe from one of fear to love, we must first start with ourselves. “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
LTP: What does happiness look like to you?
SH: Peace in my soul.
LTP: What does it mean to you to "Live The Process" and how do you do that every day?
SH: By meditating every morning, practicing being mindful, having fearless faith, showing gratitude and trusting in the divine perfection of the Universe's perfect timing. Find out more about Stephanie Hirsch’s work here.
Editor's Note: other interviews you might enjoy include A Moment With Jenna Hipp and A Moment With How You Glow.