Suzanne Shaffer

When Patty Van Dyke and I teamed up to write a book several years ago about creating a meaningful retirement, how little did we know that within that same year, our own retirement dreams would be devastated by the loss of both of our husbands, regrouping as we grieved and struggled to find balance, a cross country move, COVID, new grand babies and beginnings. And yet we survived, found inner resources we weren't sure we had, and found that at the foundation of all these transitions was our own innate creative spirit: for problem-solving, visioning a future that is satisfying and finding joy in everyday life.

The idea for the 8 keys sprouted from a conversation I had with my elderly aunt and her big bag of keys kept in an old ice cream bag on her dining room table. The more Patty and I thought about the relationship between keys that are essential to our lives and keys that don't fit anything anymore, we knew we had the foundation for an important book on personal growth and creativity. Everyone has creativity built in to their being- you just need to nudge it the right way!

For short, weekly posts about creativity and how it can work for you in your life, please join us! just copy this web address into your browser (sorry, Amazon does not allow us to directly link to a blog): www.8keysconsciouscreativeliving.com/blog/

Suzanne Shaffer and Patty Van Dyke are both retired Registered Art Therapists and active watercolor painters and teachers. Curiosity and exploration are part of their daily lives, and they are excited to share their professional and practical insights with you- creativity is not just for artists! Start your journey today, using your own innate creativity to navigate life transitions and design your future with intention, purpose and fulfillment.