“One day I opened up my laptop and I opened up Canva, and My Mom’s a Hippie just came out— it just came out.”
Although she had questions on how the book would blossom, Kayla Dene Slusher understood her intention. She prayed her persistence would push through and in her words, “it finally aligned.” Slusher always aspired to be a motivational speaker from childhood and tried to write several books.
“I just did it and it was so magical.”
A lover of reading, the 26 year-old author enjoys the quieting of one’s mind and focusing on unraveling thoughts. Kayla knew that whatever book she penned would be based around self-love and living life.
“Cause what is life? What are we doing here? At the end of the day we’re here and how can we experience this in a way that can provide rest on your mind, rest on your body, and ease and joy for your soul – cause this sh*t is weird.”
After overcoming an abusive relationship, the young author is committed to creation, a creative “through and through.” She is always making or doing something to fulfill her passion. By way of creating, Kayla finds healing and communicates that therapy through connections. “When you look at my piece, I wonder if that speaks to you on your journey of healing if it speaks to you at all,” she wonders.
“It’s an exchange of perspective.”
Not only is Slusher an orator and writer, she is also a curator of the arts and believes everyone is a contributor.
“There is something inside each one of us that the world needs that can come to life. That’s what art is: you’re stepping into your soul, listening to what wants to come out, and letting yourself flow with that. No matter what anyone thinks around you – it is so true to you. I think that is the experience with anything that we do.
”Sweet Soul Affirm” Looking in the mirror, we use our voice to speak life:
I am safe,
I am protected,
I trust myself,
I have everything I need inside of me,
I listen to my body,
I am divine,
I am enough,
and I belong.
– Excerpt from My Mom’s a Hippie
My Mom’s a Hippie is a children’s book that introduces rituals for mom and baby to practice that surround peace, the moon, and self-care. For example, practices like baths, nature walks, and lighting candles all are recipes for rituals. Kayla shares her own views on such principles are to honor the seasons, duality, and fluidity of life. She believes in grace and imperfection while navigating and achieving peace.
“There’s no perfect way. There’s an intuitive way; there’s a way that I learned from experience to really just allow myself to live, not on edge, but to breathe and go through it all with myself and figure it out as I go and as each new moment presents itself.”
Connecting to others is important to Slusher; she enjoys learning various points of view and appreciates when it is reciprocated. Her overall mission in her ventures is to: 1) encourage the world, 2) live life to its fullest, 3) love ourselves and 4) live our passion. Sharing one another’s experiences through individual healing journeys is paramount to the art of creating.
My Mom’s a Hippie is available for purchase here.
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Photo Credit: A. Marie Photography