From coveted lingerie model to popular television host to fitness guru, Brooke Burke has lived many lives in her fifty-one years on this planet and her more than two decades in the entertainment industry. She is living proof that you can grow wiser and more self-assured while remaining healthy, vibrant and youthful through total body wellness, both inside and out.
During my conversation with Brooke, she muses about the hard-earned lessons she’s gained from two divorces, one of which she laments was from “the love of my life,” her journey in healing from thyroid cancer, her sharp rise in television and then sudden dismissal from ABC/Disney primetime juggernaut Dancing with the Stars, and some humbling moments that ultimately led to reflection and re-invention.
Now at midlife and definitely not looking worse for wear, Brooke has once again found what she calls “a healthy love” with longtime partner Scott Rigsby. She’s applying her mind, body, and spirit-based wisdom toward helping other women through her mobile and steaming fitness platform Brooke Burke Body and her superfood blends, Brooke Burke Longevity. When pressed about women and body image, Brooke insists that her platform is about engaging women on a holistic level to help them feel healthy, strong and confident no matter their body type or previous level of fitness.
Allison Kugel: What are three pivotal events that have made you the person you are today?
Brooke Burke: Motherhood is the obvious one, but it really did instantly change my whole life. It’s my greatest learning opportunity. They’re my best teachers and it’s the greatest and hardest part of my life. I’m just keeping it real. Another one that is funny but true is winning Dancing with The Stars, which was a huge accomplishment and the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve never worked harder at anything else in my life. It was thrilling, and even though it’s a silly mirror ball trophy, like big deal; it was three months, seven days a week of blood, sweat, pain and tears, and everything in between.
Allison Kugel: Did you think you had any shot of winning at the time?
Brooke Burke: No. I actually wanted to stick around for a couple weeks (laughs). And then halfway through, you kind of want to get out of it because it’s so difficult. So that was amazing, and that segued me into hosting the show, which was also fantastic. Another pivotal event in life was divorce, because that really changes you, and changed my expectations and the way I approached life. It taught me how to surrender and taught me about self-love, acceptance, and the power of change. It started me on my journey of transformation. I think after 19 years of marriage, having those moments by myself was really telling and eye opening. It’s an amazing opportunity to be by myself as a woman, which you really don’t get if you’re married and you’re with children.
Allison Kugel: Did divorce make you feel like that whole starry-eyed expectation of finding “the one” and living happily ever after got shattered?
Brooke Burke: I don’t still want that or need that. I had that in one marriage when I was intoxicated by love, and I didn’t [have that] in the other, when I was trying to be responsible. One was the love of my life and my soulmate, and one wasn’t. I really am passionate about a healthy love right now with boundaries; a love that has purpose and that’s fulfilling. I’m so blessed to be in my new relationship with Scott (Brooke’s current partner). He’s an incredible human being, but it is the healthiest time of my life and maybe it’s because I’ve defined my own boundaries as a woman now in my 50s. Maybe it’s because I brought everything that I didn’t quite get right with me to the table. I bring a better version of myself to this relationship, but it’s different now.
Allison Kugel: You started as a Fredericks of Hollywood model way back in the day and you successfully made the leap to television with your first show, E!’s Wild On!? I’m sure a lot of models would love an opportunity like that. How did it happen?
Brooke Burke: I think it’s a painful story for some people to hear, because it wasn’t like I pounded the pavement and went on every audition. I actually was doing commercial advertising and studying business advertising in school. I was doing some modeling and I went on an audition a friend of mine sent me on for the Wild On! gig. It was just taking advantage of the right opportunity. I accepted the gig and learned on the road and got all of my entertainment experience within my first contract on E!. It was an amazing show to do. We covered 40 countries in a short period of time, and more than 100 countries around the world. I actually brought my daughter Neriah on the road with me as a baby for the first few years of her life. Then that segued into other things. I love being in the wellness space right now. I never thought I would be in this business and start my own company (Brooke Burke Body). I knew I would start my own business, and I’m really passionate about it. I love this space it’s so fulfilling and it’s the greatest way that I know how to connect with women around the world. I’m doing something that feels good and that really matters to me.
Allison Kugel: Was fitness always a huge part of your life, or did your 2012 diagnoses with thyroid cancer jumpstart your fitness journey?
Brooke Burke: Fitness was always a big part of my life. I think I have a much better and much clearer understanding of my body today than I did back then. Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer segued me into being an advocate for women’s health, and it was really because of the process of being diagnosed during a yearly physical. It gave me an understanding of the value of medical knowledge and kind of fighting for that and telling my story to inspire and to help many other people. It was about understanding the value of being a great patient and understanding the medical possibilities that we have today. I really do believe that it’s the mind, body and spirit. It’s the union of all these things. I can show people how to get in shape all day long. It’s not just how we care for ourselves, it’s also how we speak to ourselves, how we meet ourselves, how we fuel our bodies. How we get our inner strength is really important to me. The messaging of Brooke Burke Body is really about mindful fitness, mindful movement, and incorporating mantras. It’s knowing how to slow down and listen, valuing yourself and changing our inner dialogue.
Allison Kugel: What do you believe created the cancer?
Brooke Burke: I think that our body weeps the tears that we don’t cry. I love that saying. I think there are toxic energies and feelings that we compartmentalize that affect our body, with cancer in particular. I’m not sure I could blame it on the environment, but who the hell knows. Are emotional traumas toxic? Sure, they are. How it rocked me was that it showed me there’s something a little bit larger than wellness philosophies that could really change my body, and that was really scary. People often ask me did it make me take better care of myself? No, because I was doing that already. What it taught me was how diligent we need to be in our self-care and having those markers, gaining that knowledge and paying attention to the science. There’s usually an event that happens that shifts us or makes us change. We don’t just decide, “I’m going to find this healthy lifestyle.”
Allison Kugel: With your brand, Brooke Burke Body, people can download the app on just about every platform to learn and apply your fitness tools and routines, and your Longevity brand is comprised of super food blends for smoothies, and you adhere to these practices daily. What do you think keeps people from being consistent, and what is it that keeps you consistent?
Brooke Burke: I think time is a big issue. There are a million reasons not to work out. There are a million excuses. I always tell people to lean into the other side of it. Be afraid of not working out and not caring for yourself, more than you’re afraid of trying something new. I think there is fear, insecurities and people get stuck in a rut and don’t know where to begin. My app is really designed for everyone. It is a digital gym. It’s about creating a space in a room; your hotel room, and your living room. I have workouts we can do in the kitchen and in the office, in bed, on the sofa, inside and outside. It’s something for everyone of all ages, and it’s really about creating energy. Make a personal commitment, hold yourself accountable, know that you’re worthy, change your narrative. I think we need that at all stages of our life. Get an accountability partner to do it with you. We’re doing a five-week program this December where you can digitally come over to my kitchen, and we’re doing the kitchen bar burn. It’s super fun live content. I also teach Zoom classes on Fridays for everyone that wants to sign up.
Allison Kugel: What are your thoughts on the body positivity movement?
Brooke Burke: I love body confidence and it’s super important when raising children. With my daughters, I’m so careful with my words. I’m a size two, so take that off the table and who cares what size we are and how much we weigh. I think it’s about finding your feel-good and feeling beautiful at different stages of your life, and with every size. I don’t like to use numbers and sizes, and what you weigh on a scale anymore. We’re talking about strength, body confidence and I want women to tap into their self-love space and their own inner dialogue, and to find their own self-confidence. If you don’t feel good about your body, then you need to make some changes. If you do feel good about your body, I am celebrating it all the way. You either change something in your life or you change the way you feel about it, and we’re celebrating healthy women. I think we’re celebrating voluptuous women right now. I personally love that, and I think it’s beautiful. Do I think it’s healthy? It depends on what your ratio is, what your index of body fat is, and where you’re storing that. There may be a size 14 plus size woman who has more energy and mobility than a size 6 woman. One of the things that I have women say out loud in class is, “I am worthy, I am strong. I am capable. I am beautiful.” There are a lot of women struggling with that, and if you can’t say “I’m beautiful,” you need to keep saying it until you start to believe it, because we all deserve that. We are all looking outward right now on social media. We look to everyone else to make us feel good, and I think that’s a really dangerous place to be. We have to bring it back to center, go inward and celebrate ourselves.
Allison Kugel: What’s the hardest lesson you’ve ever had to learn, and how does it now serve you?
Brooke Burke: What comes to the top of mind would be when I had to surrender in my fantasy of forever. I felt love lasted forever. I would have sworn that I would have been married forever. That was the intention, that goal that was sort of the fairytale. That was a big turning point and a big surrender for me, to not equate divorce with failure, and to realize that there was a need for change. I had to redesign my idea of what family was supposed to look like. That really changed me, and it was a very hard lesson to share with my children. I really thought I was making love last forever, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in it today. I just surrendered to what was, and I didn’t give up. I really fought the fight until it was time to change, and I think that’s an important concept. But sometimes change is necessary, so that was a deep learning lesson for me.
Allison Kugel: How has that now made you a better partner?
Brooke Burke: I think I bring all that experience to the table as a woman. Scott and I both do. We bring all of those lessons to our relationship. This relationship is more precious to me because I know how fragile it could be. I don’t take love for granted. I think a lot of people do, and I think that’s dangerous.
Allison Kugel: How do you know when you’re in love?
Brooke Burke: It has changed so much through the years. I know I’m in love when I have a feeling of fulfillment, and when it feels good. Love has a beautiful flow to it. There’s not a resistance. It’s not a struggle. Love is complicated, especially with a blended family, but there’s an ease and contentment and a sense of fulfillment that I have all the time now with Scott. It’s such a relief, it’s so joyful, and it feels safe. I think love should feel safe.
Allison Kugel: What do you think you came into this world as Brooke Burke to learn, and what do you think you came here to teach?
Brooke Burke: I think I came here to teach women how to connect with themselves, and it’s also been one of the greatest lessons in my life, for me and my children. I think I’m learning now in my late 40s and 50s the value of stillness of space; personal space as a mother, a businesswoman and entrepreneur, and raising four children. There’s very little time for self, and I take that very seriously now and I create those moments. I’m working on a body of work right now called a “Soul Contract.” It’s about the commitment to self and defining those boundaries, and the promises that we make, and how we value those and keep them.
Allison Kugel: You’re a Jewish woman. I’m a Jewish woman. What are your thoughts on all of the recent anti-Semitism that has been in the news? Do you get angry and pissed off or do you try to lead with love?
Brooke Burke: I don’t really meet racism with love on any level to anyone. I take that very seriously. I don’t take things personally in the media, whether it’s a headline that was incorrect about me or something I said that was misinterpreted. I don’t really internalize a lot of that, even on social media when it comes to criticism and the world we’re living in right now. There are so many moments to feel bad about. Unapologetically, I’m who I am and I’m really proud of my culture. I’m proud of my religion. My children are proud of whothey are. It’s all very confusing and it opens up the need for deeper dialogue. It’s interesting that there’s so much talk about Judaism right now and there’s so much negativity in the world on all levels, with so many misunderstandings. Yes, we have that dialogue with my children at home, about knowing who they are and being proud of it. It’s such a fragile time right now on so many levels. It’s hard to speak openly and to speak up or to have an opinion. We can hardly say anything these days. [Antisemitism] is sad to me, but it’s also reckless,and I think social media allows people a platform while not always holding them accountable for what they say. And now it’s become very impersonal. I struggle with do you try to rise above? Do you correct ignorance? Do you speak out, and if so, how do you speak out? Will your words be twisted? And then you think about the history of it. And I mean working for a network you really can’t say much of anything. We all know how that goes. But I don’t feel the need to correct anyone. I parent my children I correct them when I need to. Then there is a kind of surrender with everybody else, because it’s not my role. It’s just not my place nor would it serve me. I just think it’s sad. There’s a lot of ignorance, and it’s a lack of education.
Allison Kugel: Your 2014 dismissal from Dancing with The Stars was somewhat disrespectful. You were blindsided when you were suddenly let go. How do you handle rejection?
Brooke Burke: It’s hard. It’s an amazing conversation to have, because how do we process rejection and what did that moment really mean for me? I was hired on what I thought was the greatest show during that time, and I was then let go of that show. If I didn’t have other meaningful things in my life, if I wasn’t grounded, and if I didn’t have a foundation that was built on purpose and a loving family, I would imagine that I would have been quite lost. The entertainment business is so unpredictable and so out of our hands and can be so inconsiderate at times. I always tell people to make sure you have meaning in your life, and you do things that really matter that go far beyond that. I have been so blessed. I love working in the entertainment business, but I have a lot of other things that really feed my soul. That moment, being let go from Dancing with The Stars, it was a really shitty departure and unexpected and shocking, and not handled in a gentlemanly way, but that’s showbiz. So, that wasn’t the surprise. The surprise was those moments where you expect to be treated the way that you treat other people. People don’t really let us down; they break our expectations. That moment allowed me to dig a little deeper and say, “Okay. What’s next?” It inspired me to get more creative and find the next opportunity to start Brooke Burke Body.
Allison Kugel: How can people find your Brooke Burke Body and Longevity brands?
Brooke Burke: Brook Burke Body is everywhere. It’s on every Smart TV. It’s in the App Store. I guess the easiest way to find me is at BrookeBurke.com. It’s a portal for all things longevity: recipes, blogs, community inspiration and all of the fitness work that I do.
With a name that literally means “good,” Tova Ricardo–aka Tova the Poet–is using her vibrant voice to speak to her unique experience as a young Black Jewish woman at a time when our country has never been more divided.
While we struggle with drawing the line between hate speech and freedom of speech, Tova the Poet simply refuses to be silenced.
Tova found her voice while growing up in Oakland, California, where she was named the city’s 2015 Youth Poet Laureate during her senior year of high school. The self-proclaimed religiously observant unapologetic Zionist has embraced social media as a way to share her message of intercultural acceptance to as many people as possible.
The destigmatization of Black and Jewish cultures and their intersectionality is at the forefront of her incredibly important work. “I have the right to be upset with the state of the world and with the way people conflate Jewish womanhood and Black womanhood with unwarranted anger and irrationality,” Tova wrote in February 2022.
“I don’t want people to simply label me as unreasonably upset and pretend that is all I am…I refuse to choose between being a ‘good woman’ or a woman who will not be intimidated, belittled, or silenced,” she continues. I am woman enough because I say I am. I am woman enough because being nurturing also means sticking up for those I care about.”
Tova also uses her voice to discredit the systemic racist, sexist, and misogynistic tropes of the “Angry Black Woman” as well as the “Neurotic Jewish Woman” portrayed in films and on TV shows as “too loud” or “too much.”
Reading her poetry is a visceral a stark reminder to check ourselves for the microagressions we’re still not aware of as white Jews, a lesson to be better allies to those within our communities as well as those in the communities we weren’t born into.
But it is in her performances where Tova the Poet’s innate truth to power can not only be heard, but truly seen and felt. The pride in her unique multicultural heritage emanates through her words as she fully embraces all of the cultures that have come together to make her a unique representation of what it means to be Black, to be Jewish, to be Woman, without being called “too much.”
“I want to use my social media platform and my writing to educate people about Torah,” Tova says. “Historical trauma, assimilation, Black and Jewish traditions, and combating hatred, without draining myself.”
“I shouldn’t have to explain myself all the time,” Tova wrote in an Instagram video caption. “When I say that I am Jewish, believe me. The Jewish people have lived in nearly every continent on the planet. We all look different ways, but we are still one people. Yes, it is possible to be Black AND born Jewish.”
Provocative, unexpected, and haunting are just three words to describe the captivating work of artist Toby Gotesman-Schneier. Gotesman-Schneier is a world-renowned artist and has her work displayed in private homes and museums around the world. Her entrance into art came unexpectedly. “I wasn’t an artist; I didn’t go to art school. I didn’t even know how to draw, but one day I just found myself doing these monumental things” says Gotesman-Schneier. Her work and passion are a true gift from G-d.
Much of Gotesman Gotesman-Schneier ‘s work depicts the human suffering that most people don’t want to talk about or think about. Her collections on the homeless, HIV/AIDS, and her Holocaust project have all earned her critical acclaim throughout the art world. While depicting these images may not be in the mainstream, for Gotesman-Schneier, she said, “no one wants to paint human suffering, but it’s a mission.”
The “Colors of HIV” collection was a remarkable series of work that really highlighted the impact and adversity of the HIV/AIDS crisis. “The HIV/AIDS collection serve as a visual representation of the emotional moments experienced by the families whose lives have been affected by the virus” said Gotesman-Schneier These images are real and they truly showed the suffering, anger, and controversy of this epidemic. You could sense the pride Gotesman-Schneier has for this collection as she spoke so fondly about the importance for her to get this collection to the public.
Gotesman-Schneier’s most impactful work to date has been her Holocaust collection. This collection had 110 pieces and currently only a few pieces are still available. The brilliance of the colors used create such a stark contrast to the depravity and hate of this time. Each painting is even more captivating then the next. While these paintings are beautiful and vibrant, the underlying message of sadness, despair, and helplessness still are prevalent. As I looked through these paintings, I felt a profound sadness and felt that the bright colors enhanced the emotion. Gotesman-Schneier work is not for the faint of heart. Her work draws you in immediately and you can’t help but be left with a strong emotional connection to both the artwork itself and the underlying story not told.
Gotesman-Schneier is humble and authentic when she speaks about her passion for her work. “It’s all about our art and our people. Both my parents were Auschwitz survivors. We have to have a cause that is greater than us, and this is mine. It’s not that anyone wants to paint this stuff, but I felt like I had to, I wanted to, I needed to.” In looking at Gotesman-Schneier’s paintings, the images of cages and enclosures are a consistent theme Gotesman-Schneier said, “Jail cells, geometric shapes, and the umbrellas signify being trapped, an enclosure of sorts. There are still times when I don’t even understand what I paint. I will stand back and be like, whoa, I just did that? It comes from above”
Knowing the political and emotional connection of her work, Gotesman-Schneier said she is not afraid to tell the story of suffering through her artwork. “My dream is to have a Holocaust exhibition in Berlin, Called, In Your Face, Berlin. I know how dangerous this would be, but I’m going to do it” said Gotesman-Schneier. As she explained, it is important to put these images in front of people so that they don’t forget. “I think art has to be dangerous. I can paint the pretty flowers, but there is human suffering and that story is important and needs to be shared” said Gotesman-Schneier.
Gotesman-Schneier was born in Oregon and currently resides in in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She has two adult children, who she loves. She has been active in the Jewish community since she was born. As the daughter of a Rabbi, Gotesman-Schneier took her religion seriously and attended Hebrew school growing up. Throughout her life, she stayed connected to her Jewish roots. Gotesman-Schneier was the co-founder of the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, New York. She has also been active in philanthropy, politics, bringing awareness to humanitarian issues and spreading her message of awareness throughout the world.
Gotesman-Schneier has many exciting projects currently in the pipeline. Her messages of awareness, suffering, and peace will continue to mesmerize audiences throughout the world. While her paintings are provocative and shocking, they portray a haunting beauty that one cannot miss. “I don’t do anything small in life. I tend to patch everything together, because different moments are different and need to be highlighted.” She knows that her work is controversial, but that doesn’t stop her creativity and her story from being shown.
Anyone who has an opportunity to view Gotesman-Schneier’s work will be better for it, as her paintings have a way of being very introspective. As she said, “I see the beauty in these awful, heinous situations and it juxtaposes against how my heart feels, it’s terrible, and I feel terrible for them.” One theme that has remained consistent through all of her work is the use of color. She said that her mantra is, “tragedy happens in color. Well, life actually happens in color.” Even in the darkest moments depicted in her art, the sky is still shining blue. The colors used, while some may say are controversial, provide an extraordinary realism to the actual pain, devastation, and suffering we see in the images depicted. “I’m an expressionist, I take that thing and make it into a feeling, and not just an image” said Gotesman-Schneier.
Gotesman-Schneier has stayed extremely busy over the past few years. Even during Covid shutdowns, she was able to pivot her business to have a strong online presence. With a huge social media following, Gotesman-Scheiner has been able to connect on a deeper level with her base. She makes a point to show the paintings every step of the way to her followers. As she said, “the process is an equal or in some way has more importance than the end result.” Her social media followers almost become part of the process as they get to see the paintings transform into great works. Gotesman-Schneier shared that her paintings are never truly finished, and they can always be changed depending on how she feels that day.
She is excited about her upcoming solo exhibitions. The first Exhibition, “Deep in the Palms” mixed media paintings will be held August 18-November 1st at the Sandhill Crane Golf Clubhouse, 9500 Sandhill Crane Drive, Palm Beach Gardens. The second solo exhibition, “Still Deep in the Palms” mixed media paintings, will be held September 12-November 18th at the Burns Road Community Center, 4404 Burns Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. If you are in the Palm Beach area make time to see these wonderful exhibitions. You can also learn more about Gotesman-Schneier on her website https://www.tobygotesmanschneier.com/.
Be honest. If you were tasked with writing a story about a 22-year-old rising Hollywood star with perfect teeth and a crown of magnificent crimson curls, who comes from a nice Jewish home with a functional observant family she adores, and is currently starring in a successful television show opposite Jason Segal and Harrison Ford, wouldn’t you be sort of hoping not to like her? Enter Rachel Stubington and all your contrived negativity instantly vanishes.
This down-to-earth beauty is charming, open, and funny as hell. You simply can’t help relating to a young woman who went to Hess Kramer Jewish overnight camp, participates in her congregation’s Cantorial training program, and cannot wait to sing at her younger brother’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah. She notes that her brother will keep her in check on his special day. “I’m pretty sure he’ll limit me to L’dor V’dor,” she smiles.
When I ask Rachel what started it all? She laughs, “I think as a kid, I just really wanted attention.” From singing at High Holidays to school talent shows, camp skits, and a theatre degree from UCLA, Rachel knew from a young age that she loved comedy. She credits her comedy focus to the Jewish summer camp experience. “You’re at camp, and there are skits, and talent shows…it’s the place where I realized you can be funny and get attention.”
Asked about her burgeoning success, she says she doesn’t see herself as an overnight sensation. “I’ve been auditioning for 10 or 11 years,” she comments. And being in the spotlight doesn’t keep her from feeling star-struck when she steps on a film set or appears at a movie premier. “You try to play it cool,” she notes. “But you’re standing next to Harrison Ford!”
Her comic influencers include Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling. In fact, she’s sure she didn’t get into Dartmouth because when asked at her interview why she wanted to attend, she said, “Because Mindy Kaling went here.” It was the truth. But, looking back, she thinks that may not have been the best answer.
Her current show on Apple TV is called Shrinking, and she plays Summer, a fun-loving best friend to the main character’s daughter, played by Lukita Maxwell. The show follows Jason Laird, played by Jason Segel, a grieving therapist who tells his patients exactly what he thinks. His brutal honesty, however, has a turbulent effect on both his clients and him.
Rachel can’t say enough good things about everyone on who works on the show. “The crew and cast are some of my favorite people,” She tells me, “I have so much respect and love for everyone. And I think everyone is so talented. She adds, “My favorite thing about Shrinking, aside from it being so funny, is that it brings a lot of light to something that people are really ashamed to talk about, which is mental health.”
“My mom watches every episode,” Rachel beams, “Twice!” With good reviews and a strong buzz, she expects the show to be picked up for a second season. “It’s an incredibly topical show these days.”
I ask her if she’s ever been in therapy herself, and she openly shares “Sure, I used to see a shrink.” She wants to help shatter the stigma around mental health and isn’t shy about sharing her own struggles, “Humor comes from insecurity,” she explains, “Especially in this business. You’re constantly fighting to prove to other people that your worth their time. You know, you’re on a tv show and the pressure is like ‘What’s next?’ And that doesn’t end. You need to keep working to keep proving your worth it.”
And what about her personal life? She’s in a great relationship with a guy she went to Jewish High School with. “We all came home because of the pandemic and a bunch of kids my age ended up dating people from High School.” It’s not surprising that Rachel is currently partnered with a Jewish man whose father happens to be a Rabbi. “Judaism has always been a big part of my life,” she asserts “My nan is really big on doing all of the Jewish holidays at her house. And my mom was adamant that we go to Hebrew School.
While Rachel loves comedy, her recently released Lifetime movie, A Rose for her Grave, where she stars opposite Chrishell Stause and Colin Egglesfield is not exactly a laugh riot. “It’s actually very serious,” she says, “It’s based on a true story where this man named Randy Roth would marry women and then kill them. It’s totally true and no one caught on to him for the longest time. It’s a very cool story. This man preys on insecure women. And at the end of the film, it’s these women that are the ones to put him in jail.”
How does Rachel feel about being in the public eye. “I’m suddenly that person who can really make a statement and it’ll ripple through the world. That’s weird to think about.” She goes on to confess,” I get kind of nervous at these interviews because I worry that I’m going to say something I shouldn’t. Like I used to always tell people that my favorite movie is The Muppet Movie and that I’ve seen it at least 300 times. My publicist suggested I not mention that in every interview.”
I must admit, I feel kind of bad putting it in here given the above statement. But it’s just so cute that I can’t leave it out. Because Rachel Stubington has the energy and joy of all your favorite Muppets combined. She’s charming and glamorous (think Miss Piggy), funny and warm (like Elmo), she has a heart of gold and, like Fozzie Bear, will stop at nothing to get a laugh, and most importantly, she’s comfortable in her own skin, which reminds me a lot of Kermy’s signature “It’s not easy being green” song.
Keep your eye on Rachel Stubington, she’s something to see.
Osnat Tzadok’s “Tree of Life” represents an inner journey through the artist’s creative subconscious that defines all of Tzadok’s work. Osnat was born and raised in Israel and now lives in Canada, where she relocated with her family 22 years ago.
A self-taught artist, Osnat creates abstract art with or without texture and with colorful or minimal color palettes. The ability to play with colors – without giving too much thought to the process – is at the core of her creations.
“I paint without planning ahead, without picking up favorite colors or paints,” she says. “Abstract style allows me to detach myself from the physical world and delve into my inner world where the real celebration is taking place.”
When Osnat first moved to Canada, she didn’t have a work permit to work outside the home, but she kept plenty busy raising two small children and running and managing the family’s home. Then, one day, a friend gave her a copy of the book, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy, telling Osnat that it had changed her life.
Osnat began reading the book and soon found that she couldn’t put it down. The book mentions various mind-focusing techniques for removing obstacles in the subconscious that prevent someone from achieving the success they want. Inspired, Osnat created her own bedtime prayer that she repeated nightly.
“I prayed to find my purpose in life, with the conviction that the answer has already been given to me, and with the sincere feeling that I have already accomplished this goal,” she shares.
Two weeks went by, and another friend came over, asking Osnat if she would like to accompany her to an art supply store. At first, she refused, she needed to make dinner and it was getting late, but her friend insisted, and Osnat is forever grateful that she did.
“The moment I stepped into that store, I felt strange, ignited, exasperated and intrigued,” Osnat remembers. “I was staring at the canvases, brushes and paints with a strong attraction.”
She bought a few basic materials, and when she got back home, she cleared the kitchen table and started to paint. “I felt like I was in a state of flow with my own creation, and it felt awesome,” says Osnat. She filled the house with paintings, and within a month, all her walls were covered with new artwork.
She started to change her nightly prayer and imagined herself making sales and shipping those pieces to new customers. The following month, she started selling her works on eBay.
“At first, I sold them for minimal amounts, but as I started gathering feedback and a reputation, my sales grew stronger,” says Osnat. “ A few months after my first sale, I started reaping the fruits of my effort, as bidders were fighting over my artwork creating bidding wars.”
Creating the art, selling it online and receiving positive feedback was an exciting process that spurred Osnat into creating more art and reinventing herself over and over again. She continues to experiment with different painting techniques, and stays attune to market needs.
“As a spiritual person but especially as an artist – flow is my motto,” shares Osnat. “Flow is the art of letting things happen; it is where the subconscious is leading the conscious, and where the apparent is giving way to the hidden.”
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