Life & Work with Shea Stanfield

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shea Stanfield.

Hi Shea, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, with my dad’s job with the CDC in the summer of 1957. During subsequent years, my foundation in the arts and education formed a solid base for my community action today. Through the years, I realized the value of creative thought and the power of collaborating with others. Yes, my formal education in Arizona’s public schools, Scottsdale Unified School District, and Arizona State University helped me create a foundation for my career as an Art and English teacher, School Counselor, and community activist.

As an adult, the creative space of my studio, community theater involvement, and love of the natural environment led me into the political arena advocating for quality-of-life issues. I experienced the power of creativity in unifying a community and defining culture. Today, sharing the stories of artists and individual inspiration is a celebration of the creative spirit. My inspiration is found in the collective imagination of the intuitive process; therefore, by documenting inspired expression and sharing it with the readers of my blog, Starlight Scribe, we celebrate creative and cultural insights.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a reasonably smooth road?
It has been an evolving road. The journey has guided me to and through unique opportunities. The process requires constant forward motion in the realm of evolving ideas, considering alternative views, accepting new evidence-based research, and incorporating the diversity of ideas contributed by others.

The common denominators are art, education, inclusion, and activism.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have always considered myself an artist. I love to draw and illustrate; the illustrations were the most intricate parts of my school reports. My parents were highly supportive of my creativity. I became active in the visual arts and theater program at Arcadia HS, Scottsdale. My teachers and counselor opened doors for me through opportunities to co-edit and edit our Junior and Senior yearbooks, design sets for the school theater productions, participate in drafting classes and be the go-to logo designer and sign maker for school activities.

Subsequently, I landed at Arizona State University, Tempe, in Graphic Design and Education. My first job out of ASU was with Motorola in drafting and technical typing. It wasn’t long before I landed my dream teaching job in art back home with the Scottsdale Schools.

My career evolved from there. I soon discovered how fragile the arts were in public education. I joined the teachers’ union and advocated for the arts as a vital part of the curriculum in a child’s developmental process. Project Zero at Harvard, run by Howard Gardner, became my foundation for arts advocacy. A research base maintains that there are many different learning styles; one size does not fit all. Ultimately, I returned to ASU and completed my Master’s in Elementary Education with a Reading Specialty.

My career evolved into the realm of special education and the importance of arts in alternative learning environments. During this time, I was completing my International teaching certification with the Association of Montessori International (AMI). The training prepared me to move into the multi-age classroom setting in a pilot school in Scottsdale, Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center, now Echo Canyon. Subsequently, I was invited to open a new school Aztec, a multi-age classroom model. Eventually, I saw the wisdom in gaining a School Counseling Certification and an English as a Second Language endorsement.

The two certifications enabled me to accept an opportunity to open a new middle school in Scottsdale, Desert Canyon, and join the staff as a school counselor. About this time, I became involved in town politics in Cave Creek as an activist, evolving into an appointment to terms with the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Board of Adjustment, and election to two terms on the Cave Creek Town Council. Again, my involvement was around building community and the arts.

I retired from the Scottsdale Schools in 2013 to continue my activism for the arts. I was invited to write a weekly arts column for the Foothills Focus, which continued until 2022, when I decided to get into the social media game to reach a broader audience. Fortunately, with the help of my tech-savvy sons, I launched the blog Starlight Scribe, which is now shared across the US and various countries.

We’ll see where the next turn in the road takes me; it will surely be a new perspective and a grand adventure.

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
“By using our innovative knowledge and diverse talents, we form the best version of an idea.” Stay open, alert, and aware; consider the options even if they look impossible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.starlightscribe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starlightscribe
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starlightscribe