Hello, and welcome to the podcast.
I'm so excited to have you here today.
How are you doing?
I'm great.
How are you?
I'm good.
I'm good.
So to get started, just to let people know,
let the audience know who you are,
could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
And then maybe how you got to where you are today
with what you're sharing with us today.
OK.
My name is Stania Merck.
I'm an architect, an artist, and now an author.
And I've had an incredible journey.
I've got been through 40 years in the construction, architectural
construction industry, which has been my prime occupation.
And I've always been interested in and doing art.
But when my husband passed over in March of '24, just two
years ago, things really changed for me.
He had a project.
Ghostflower was his third book that he had written.
And it was pretty much done on his part.
And then it really became a gift to me to finish that book
with the editing process and then provide the artwork for the cover
and the interior of the book as well.
And because I was inspired by that.
And the whole process with finishing the book with the editor,
I decided to author the companion journal that
goes with the Ghostflower book that includes the sketches,
just organized differently, but ties to the chapters
in the book about philosophical and spiritual questions.
So that, to me, was an important piece
to complement the set, the book and the journal together.
And that project has been a huge gift to me
to help me to continue on after Bill's passing.
And so I have a renewed interest in a lot of things
and sharing this story, how he has really
collaborated with me since his passing.
We're in this together.
And to me, it's really saved me in the project
has been a gift.
So that's really my story.
My purpose now, I feel that this is my purpose
to tell this story, but to also continue with writing
and to help people with explaining
what I've been through on this journey.
So that's where I met.
That's what's beautiful.
And I'm very sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
I think it's beautiful that you were
able to support yourself and at the same time,
share a big piece of him with the world.
And I think that's probably been an amazingly healing
process for you.
Tell me, how has it been?
How has the creative part of the process been healing to you?
I feel like any time we move into creation and expression
that really can help us heal.
But I'm not sure.
Was that what you felt when you were doing that?
Well, absolutely.
The art became moments where I know I was definitely
connecting with Bill.
And so that was a wonderful--
just a great experience.
And reinforce that connection, that sole connection
that I have with Bill.
So that's one aspect of why the art was really a great experience.
But for me, it's thinking about the art, doing the small sketch,
then translating it, and really taking the time
and experimenting and having the freedom
to experiment with different things
really has a different focus as opposed
to other tasks in my daily career.
So that was really healing to just be doing something
completely different, but having the freedom
to allowing myself to take the time,
to experiment with some things, and really enjoy those moments.
So it's the thinking, but it's also
the feeling of the interaction with the art,
and all of that contributes to the healing.
So you have the thinking, the creating,
the connection with Bill for me, and all of that together
has been a very, very good thing.
Yeah, that's beautiful.
I feel like your experience is an architecture, right?
Mostly.
Yes.
So I feel like that could be very connected to art.
And did you find yourself using a lot of your experience
from architecture when you were doing the art for the book,
or was it completely different?
Well, the architecture that I'm involved in,
my background is architecture, but for the majority
of my career, I have managed other designers and contractors
in construction programs.
And so there's not that there aren't the moments for me
and those in that role to be hands on with the art like I am now.
And so I would say that my architecture career really
is very, very structured, and I work in a very structured environment.
So what's so great is that when I'm doing art,
I'm not staying within the lines.
Yeah.
I'm going outside the lines.
And there's a freedom in that.
And I think it's the right side of the brain,
the left side of the brain, back and forth,
and that has gotten me to a better place.
Yeah.
I agree.
I feel like art not only can be really healing,
but also it's very relieves a lot of stress, relieves anxiety,
and it just puts you-- I don't know about you--
but when I'm doing any type of creation or art,
it puts me in a state of flow that just feels--
that just feels really good.
So tell us a little bit about the book and the process.
So was it that your husband wrote the book?
And then all you really had to finish was the editing
and then creating the art.
Was that all that was left or was it more than--
Yes.
So he wrote Ghostflower.
This was his third book.
And the story is about saving humanity in the future.
And this team from the future needs
to do time travel to 1585, the time of Shakespeare,
to find and plant clues about this mysterious Ghostflower
that was actually brought to the Earth by alien thousands
of years prior to.
So there's history, there's travel,
there's adventure, action, romance, philosophy,
soul ties, soul connection.
So the story is chock full of all of these different themes.
And so my part was we had planned all along
that I would paint the cover and build
and sketched out different things that he wanted.
And I couldn't find the sketch, so I
started drawing different components.
But the way that cover came together,
I really know that he was with me here
as I was doing these paintings.
And I was sizing them up and down and making collages
of how I would create the cover.
And he was just with me every step of the way.
And then that continued with drawing these sketches
for the interior of the book that started out as simple line
sketches and then they got more involved.
They got more involved.
So I had to go back to some earlier ones and redo them
so that they would flow in a consistent style throughout the book.
And so then because I was drawing these sketches
for certain chapters, I started weaving in clues into the sketches.
But the reader may not really put that together when they
read the book.
So I did the journal so that the sketches could
be organized with those linkages that
would present in the book.
And then some blurbs, some little summary of what inspired
me to do the sketch and then tying it back to the chapters
where the sketch appears and including either quotes
or spiritual or philosophical questions for the reader
to further answer and develop their way
of thinking about some of these aspects that are in the book.
I love that.
That's very cool.
And that definitely sounds like the kind of book I would read.
I love reading books like that.
So I'll have to check it out.
It sounds like a lot of fun to read.
For somebody who is experiencing grief or going through something,
but you had the book to get you started or connect you with Bill.
For someone who doesn't have that but wants to use creativity
or art as an outlet, what do you think
would be a good place for them to start?
How do you think they could use that?
Well, I think there are several ways.
I mean, for me, it was me one on one.
I wanted to really be alone and have that focus,
but someone could take an art class and be in a group setting.
And that's where you can speak to the person next to you
about what they just did, what you're feeling from that.
And art is a great way to express yourself.
And you can have fast strokes and you could have angry strokes
and you could have happy strokes.
And this is where when you finish a piece, then you look at it
and you get back some kind of emotion too, I think.
And so it, to me, is just interesting in creating the art
and then viewing the art and really looking at other artworks.
And does that piece spark an emotion?
And because I think that's what art does.
If you're drawn to a piece or at interest you, or there's
some aspect that you create an emotion, a feeling,
I just think it's just really--
it's how people connect with the art.
So a class would certainly be a way to do that,
doing art projects on your own.
But it could be landscaping because we've done that here, too.
That's a creative avenue that creates beauty
that you can observe and appreciate the nature.
And Bill and I always loved being in nature and love it.
Just love-- that's how ID compresses.
I just have to sit and look at nature and then I absorb it.
And that's how I impart recharge.
So I think there's several ways you can get engaged in art.
Yeah, I agree with you, 100%.
I could see how the act of even just creating a garden.
I remember when my mom passed, this was a while ago,
she was very into gardening.
And so we created a garden for her.
And that's why we sprinkled her ashes.
And so it was something that the whole family took part in.
And it was-- I feel like it was just such a beautiful experience.
And over the years since she's been gone,
we continuously add to it and take care of it and nurture it.
And it's just a place to go to like kind of honor her.
And I think that that's definitely another way to do that.
And I feel like music and writing a song,
writing poetry or any type of writing, can do the same thing.
And I feel like I don't feel like art is used enough to help with healing.
And I wish it was more normalized for people
to be able to turn to that almost as a matter of faculty.
Like, oh, yeah, of course I would turn to something like that in order to heal.
Because I think that it's such a beautiful practice.
Yeah.
So tell me more about the journal.
I'm curious about what kind of questions are in the journal.
And what somebody can experience?
Is it related completely related to the book
or does it go in a whole other direction?
Well, it really focuses on, I think, the core questions
and the themes that are in the book.
And but it emphasizes those themes and questions.
And so that's why it's important to me.
I see the journal is complimenting the book.
It's not a departure.
It really compliments.
So they really work as a set together.
And one question in the book is, would you do time travel to save humanity
knowing that you couldn't come back?
Would you do that?
That's one of the questions in the book.
And--
Is a good question.
That starts to really dive into a lot of different issues there.
I've asked that question.
And one person said, well, I'm really
going to have to think about that because I have kids.
And then another person said, well, I have kids,
but it might be a possibility.
And so it just depends on where that person is at and how
they view that question and that circumstance.
So that's an example.
There are other questions in the book about soul connections and soul ties.
And would you do time travel to meet your twin flame?
Questions like that.
And then there's other quotes from the book
about leadership and about women in leadership.
Bill was a great advocate of promoting so many different people and mentoring.
And so those themes are all woven into the book.
And so I tried to highlight some of those aspects
with the questions that are in the journal.
So I know somebody is probably thinking this in the back of their head
if they are an avid reader, because I've
thought this a couple of times during our conversation.
Is this the type of book he-- because you said he wrote other books as well.
Does he write a lot of books on the similar topics?
Is it like a series kind of a thing?
Or this isn't a series, but I think it could have been,
and probably still could be, the start of a series.
But his first book was on leadership.
So you want to be a leader, secrets of a lifetime of success.
And that book that I've just finished the audio on
has great bits of wisdom about what not to do as a leader.
So that was his first book.
His second book was "Bred Crums, Finding a Philosophy of Life."
And in that book he told over 100 stories about growing up in South Georgia
in the 1940s and '50s, and all of the influences on him,
and but how he really navigated that and found his own path,
and continued to evolve his philosophy of life.
And so I'm recording that book now.
And again, there are so many great--
I love doing this because I'm hearing his voice as I'm doing this,
and I just love it.
It's because he has so many great words of wisdom.
And that are timeless.
What he says in these books are timeless.
So to me, that's why they're so magical.
But he woven those themes about leadership,
about mentoring, promoting people, being a statesman, all of that.
He woven that into the ghost flower with the character development.
And then he pulled in different things from the breadcrumbs
with finding a philosophy of life.
He woven that into the ghost flower too.
So he really used a lot in the themes and the character development
in this book, Ghost Flower.
So I just love this project.
Yeah, I actually love that for you because it sounds
like you're having a really good time.
And also at the same time, you're probably
learning more about him than you ever really would have
known because you're diving so deep into his work,
whereas if he was still here with you,
you might not have ever really dove that deep into his work.
So I feel like it's a very special connection
that you're forming with him right now.
And I think it's absolutely beautiful.
And I think you're very lucky to be able to have that piece of him
with you and be able to continue the work.
I think that's just such a wonderful cause.
Is there anything else that you see yourself doing
on this similar topic in the future,
something that you want to bring into the world and create?
Yes.
So all of this has--
I use the words sparked me to think about my path.
And so I really have evolved so much during this time of grieving,
but also is a time of evolution.
And it's like a--
I'm in a reset of my life right now.
And so I'm almost going through--
not almost, I really am going through a mini-life review.
And so I've been journaling.
I'm writing about a series of different topics
that hear soon.
I'm going to start trying to see how
that's going to shape up into another work from Merc to Press.
So I'm here to continue on with all of this.
That sounds very interesting.
I'm curious, would you be willing to share any of the topics?
Or it's just not ready yet?
Well, there's so many topics involving the grief journey.
And for me, it started a long time ago,
a long time ago with early on in my life,
my parents had my brother and I later in life.
And so at an early age, I figured out
that how old my dad was.
And it really scared me.
It really scared me because other parents weren't as old as mine were.
And then I figured out, oh, there's somehow
this business of what's going to happen when they die.
And that just really scared me.
And the idea of my dad dying at an early age,
that just really scared me.
And so I really had a lot of avoidance about death.
And even though I've always been a very intuitive person,
and interested in the spirit world,
this whole concept of death was just really,
especially for people close to me, was really just off the charts.
Well, I've had to deal with it.
Big.
So there was my dad, and then my mom lived with Bill and I for 14 years.
And she passed it when she was 102.
Wow.
That was crushing because I was her prime caregiver.
And then to not even a year and a half later,
the shock of having Bill pass over.
So I've had to deal with this front and center.
And I think because I have such a strong connection
with my parents and with Bill, that I believe they've really
helped me over these last two years.
And this project has been a gift for me.
So I'm writing about all of that and that journey.
And just this experience is just talking about it
and writing about it is healing too.
And I hope that I can help other people with this.
Yeah, exactly.
And I think that--
I think you're right about that.
I think that after my mom passed,
I went into a deep journey, just try to figure out
what that means when someone passes and deal with my grief.
And just looking for different ways to define it almost.
And when I started reading about--
I think I'm trying to remember the name of the doctor,
Dr. Robert Weiss, I think it was--
that wrote books about past lives.
I don't know if you know who I'm talking about.
I'm just trying to find out how many masters.
Many lives, many masters.
Yeah, that was the first book I read.
And that really-- I don't know.
It just helped me heal.
Just it made sense to me that that's what happens.
That we still have this connection because I'm very spiritual,
but I also am very logical at the same time.
So just knowing in the back of my head,
well, energy never dies, but where does it go?
And I was with my mom when she passed,
and I felt her energy, like leave her body and move through me.
And I was like, where did it go?
And so that was my quest for a long time.
And it gave me incredible, incredible comfort reading
some of those books.
And then creating this belief system within myself
that was positive and healing.
And it also made it so that death wasn't very scary for me anymore.
It wasn't like this big, scary thing that
was just like hovering over me my entire life
that someday I'm going to be dead kind of a thing.
And so I'm very grateful for that journey that I took.
And I think that that might not be for everybody, you know?
But I think it's very important to kind of discover
what really helps you heal and what supports you.
And I think that your journey is so beautiful.
And I think it's really, really cool
that you're able to do all of this work and continue it on.
And I can't wait to read Ghostflower.
I love anything that's like a little bit of sci-fi in it.
I absolutely love it.
My mom also was a huge, huge sci-fi.
That's wonderful.
Yeah, my daughter, all my kids.
So I'm definitely going to read it.
But could you tell us how people can connect with you?
And also, I'm assuming wherever they can connect with you
is someplace where they can find, also, find the book.
Yes.
So the best places are website, merc2press.com.
It's Merc, emmrck.
iipress.pres.s.com.
And so you'll find information there about the books
and the new things that are in development
that we're going to be coming out from Merc2press.
And we're to purchase these materials.
And we are working on a lot of other items.
So it's an exciting time.
Very exciting.
OK, all that information will be in the show notes
so that everyone can connect with you and find the books.
And thank you for sharing your story.
And for the work that you're doing in the world,
I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Tina, I appreciate you too.
And I'm glad to connect with you.
And hopefully we can continue to connect.
Yes.
Absolutely.
I agree.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
