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Magazine and Newspaper Articles Whether you need just a few
lines or a 2,000-word feature, I'm a seasoned magazine writer who can
capture your voice, deliver your content, and connect with your
audience. Read a sample below: THE ART OF STORYTELLING: By Laurel Hostetler Starting a new business at midlife can be scary. Just ask Sheryl Entwistle. When Entwistle launched her biographical art company Living Celebrations in 2004, she knew exactly what she wanted to do—she wanted to turn people’s stories into handcrafted life tributes—but had no idea how to begin. In fact, heading the creative enterprise was the polar opposite of the work she had done for over twenty-five years. So where did the entrepreneur get the courage to start something completely new? The answer, she says, has been a lifetime in the making. As a young girl, Entwistle learned what it meant to be a woman in the business world by observing her grandmother. “She wasn’t particularly affectionate or someone who baked cookies,” Entwistle says. “But when it came to her career, she was a powerhouse.” Entwistle watched and learned as her grandmother rose in the ranks as a civil servant, tirelessly volunteered for a number of causes, and was elected president of the Rebeccas (a Masonic organization for women). But it wasn’t until she entered the workforce herself, that Entwistle discovered just how much influence her grandmother’s no-nonsense manner had had on her. She found herself gravitating toward analytical, traditionally masculine professions and over the years worked as a technical writer, a stock broker, a corporate trainer, and even ran her own business specializing in quality assurance. “Back then I thought feminine traits such as compassion, empathy, and caring made you weak, especially in terms of your career,” Entwistle says. “And I think that’s true of many women, even today. We’re still trying to reconcile how we can be strong and feminine at the same time.” A Defining Moment Then around the time of her fiftieth birthday, Entwistle experienced a defining moment. Her budding interest in personal development led her to an Anthony Robbins workshop where she participated in his infamous fire walk. Walking over hot coals is meant to prove Robbins’ belief that people can turn their fear into empowerment by doing things that seem impossible. Entwistle was terrified at the thought of physical pain, but made the ten-foot walk anyway. “I could feel the blast of heat coming off the rocks,” she says, “so you can imagine my amazement when there was no pain at all.” The experience led to an epiphany, and a new business venture. “I realized I didn’t want to be analytical anymore. I wanted to be soft, warm, feminine, and affectionate, and surround myself with people who felt the same way,” Entwistle says. “Not long after, I woke up with the idea for Living Celebrations fully formed in my head. It was as if the idea had been given to me. Nothing like it had ever happened to me before. It was remarkable, to say the least.” Entwistle’s business venture was a major shift, career-wise. In contrast to the logical, left-brain professions she had known, this new enterprise was a creative one. She wanted to help people celebrate their lives by preserving their life stories as legacies for future generations. And in 2004, Entwistle launched Living Celebrations. The company’s first commission was a life tribute for a stay-at-home mom named Shirley, which was to be a birthday gift from her adult children. Entwistle conducted numerous hours of interviews with the woman and assembled a creative team of artists to brainstorm ways to capture her personality visually. One thing, in particular, stood out to the team. Shirley loved Christmas. And they ran with it. They created a collection of twenty-eight handcrafted and embellished Christmas ornaments, to tell the story of her life. Among them were five porcelain dolls representing each of the woman’s children, a miniature model of her childhood home, and even a replicas of a pony and a blue green bicycle she had had growing up. To house the ornaments, a custom chest of drawers was made. And a special compartment inside the top of the chest held a professionally written, hand-lettered, hand-illustrated and hand-bound book that explained each ornament in the context of her life. “That’s what really sets Living Celebrations apart—the old world artistry of our pieces. We don’t just tell people’s life stories; we create customized, three-dimensional pieces of art that visually communicate the celebrant’s personality, tastes, and interests.” Entwistle assembles a specialized creative team of artists for every project, which may include calligraphers, bookbinders, letterpress printers, model makers, illustrators, and the like. Since that first commission, Living Celebrations has done a number of others, with each new project taking a completely different form than the last. For a retiring executive, the company created a custom flag book, bound accordion-style. When the reader stretches the book to its full extension, the flags ripple in unison—a kinetic representation of the man’s active life. To celebrate a father’s eightieth birthday, they employed a cinematic theme, creating a full size movie poster, a 132-page screenplay, and nine illustrated storyboards. While many of these life story tributes have been given as gifts, Entwistle says it’s also important for women to tell their own stories. “I think it is imperative for women to record their own personal histories. We tend to discount our experiences as if they don’t matter, but truth is, we stand on each others’ shoulders. Whenever a woman succeeds in business or in life, it gives others the courage to believe they can succeed as well.” It is a piece of advice Entwistle takes seriously. Her own Living Celebrations Masterpiece not only tells the story of her life, but even covers what she calls “the icky parts.” She says, “I wanted to tell my story, not for the benefit of the people who are alive today, but for my future descendents who I will never meet. With that in mind, I chose not to gloss over the unpleasant things that have happened to me. I am here today in spite of those painful experiences and I have a fabulous life. I want them to know that is possible.” The company’s creations start at $1,500 for their smallest life tribute, the Salute. Other offerings include their mid-range Legacy Pieces priced around $5,000, and high-end life tribute Masterpieces that cost $25,000 and up. Starting the biographical art company turned out to be quite an undertaking for the businesswoman. She had to learn everything from the ground up, an experience she describes as being like a “newborn baby, having to feel my way along.” But it has been a rewarding one as well. “My advice to fledgling entrepreneurs is not only to follow your passion, but also to commit to it for the long haul. When I started out I thought I would be up and running in a couple of years. I’ve since learned that building a business is a long process; you reap the rewards only when you’re willing to stick with it, come what may.” What does Entwistle think of her career path these days? “What I do is joyous work,” she says. “It’s a labor of love.” To learn more about Sheryl Entwistle and her company Living Celebrations, check out the company’s website at www.LivingCelebrations.com.
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