  About
the Author
Melinda Lewis
has spent twenty years working in and around the health sciences
as an information manager and educator. For the past five years,
she has enjoyed researching and exploring story centered approaches
with young children through the therapeutic use of storytelling.
As an idealist, her passion for helping others maximize their
true potential makes her exceptional.
Melinda set up STORYspeaks, an independent
publishing house to produce My Magical Story Journal. She attracted
the attention of The Bay Road Gallery, who, with the Wannabee
Foundation, host Children’s Festivals in her local area.
During 2004 she also joined a Sydney based network KidzAlive
to share simple ways to support kids well being.
She promotes story making and story telling for a positive difference
in others and our world. This is evident in her use of stories
to ease childhood fears and phobias and other challenging situations
with children. Her enthusiasm, warmth, humour and passion for
life is infectious. Melinda will challenge your spirit and your
mind to become more aware, wise and re-connected to the storyteller
archetype in you.
As a child I experienced crippling fears and
phobias and was ridiculed rather than healed. As a mother with
children experiencing similar ‘preschool fears and phobias’
I desperately needed to try an approach that would work “in
action”, “on the spot”, “just at that
time” when the child was experiencing the fearful situation
and immediately after. From somewhere deep inside (or perhaps
a gift from above) the story came out and the child was eased.
As an educator who likes to mix, merge and
re-weave ancient and modern philosophies, this book provides
opportunities for growth and development in an engaging, entertaining
and challenging way. It also enables me to empower my children
with the best abilities to enjoy and master the magic and nuances
of words and to speak or read their stories aloud with conviction.
I love to spend time thinking and discussing topics and ideas
with everyone. Then something special happens, something that
brings all our thoughts together – the magic of a story.
About the Illustrator
 Lee
Sturgess is an award-winning artist with the Castle
Hill Art Society who has opened her studio to the public for
the last two years. With a background in art teaching and the
art materials industry, she works mainly on commission and is
renowned for her house and garden montages. "They are a
collection of special aspects of a person's property combined
in a balanced composition which could include people, animals,
antiques, special spots in the garden or favourite plants,"
Lee explained.
These personal interpretations of people's lives and properties
are usually undertaken in watercolour on heavy rag paper. A
lover of animals and horses in particular, Lee enjoys undertaking
commissions of animal portraits. "I need lots of photos
with plenty of light and shade - I like to look at the light
on the animal's face so you paint the veins in the horse's face
and I love doing the eyes - there's always lots of character
in the eyes."
Lee, who is proficient in many mediums, has recently had her
illustrations published in a book and her paintings hang in
corporate collections in Sydney. See Lee at her studio during
the Arcadian Artist weekend.
Lee Sturgess Art
02 9653 1436
sunnyridgeart@aol.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I think you have completed a wonderful resource I
do hope parents/ teachers find it worthwhile as well. I can
see you all had a great time composing and creating.
Best wishes with it."
Margaret Foott, Principal, Arcadia Public School
Original artworks for this website were scanned from illustrations
in My Magical Story Journal.
They express the imaginative powers and talent of local artist,
Lee Sturgess.
Website designed by Wildtribe
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