An Inspired Chat with Shanie Ecole of Old Town Spring

Shanie Ecole shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Shanie, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Oh wow, I completely lose track of time when I paint. It’s like entering a meditative state, where the focus on colors and movements makes everything else disappear, and time feels like it stands still. There’s this incredible sense of peace that surrounds me, bringing me back to balance. It’s like having a deep conversation with your favorite Hue-Man. I remember working on a piece called “The Lighthouse,” and before I realized it, over eight hours had passed—it was 6 in the morning.
Talk about losing yourself and find you again lol. Painting definitely does that for me.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Shanie Ecole—an author, artist, spoken word poet, designer, and mental health advocate. Known as “The Original Sunshine Princess of Poetry” or simply Shanie The Poet, my journey began with poetry, my first love. It helped me find my voice and opened doors to platforms where I get to inspire, uplift, and serve others through Sunshine’s Divine Light. This year has been incredible—I released new music (New Stages, Hue-Man, and I’m So Dope), now streaming on all platforms. I also offer courses called The Healing Granted Journey as well as create beautiful wire wrapped crystal jewelry. I have have the pleasure of collaborating on some of these projects with two of my favorite producers… Mr. ICONIX and Sincere529, as well as collaborating with my amazing daughters which has brought me so much joy.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I would have to say my dad and my Mom-Mom (grandmother). My nickname Sunshine was given to me by her. I can still see her smiling at me, making me feel like I was the light of the world. She always reminded me of my light and how my smile could brighten a room. We shared so much laughter—lol. She used to tease me about sounding like a Georgia peach, even though I was born and raised in the North. I loved spending summers with my family at her house. Some of my fondest childhood memories come to mind. Now my dad I can say was definitely one of my biggest supporters! He taught me about resilience and the art of getting back up when life knocks the wind out of your sails. He showed me the importance of being of service and supporting family. They both planted seeds of love, watered me with care, and sat me in the sun and watched me grow and I blossomed into someone they were proud of. I couldn’t be more grateful.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I would have to say the transition/death! My brother’s was rough on the family. It’s hard to believe it’s been over 20 years.
I still miss him like crazy.It took time to adjust to life without him. While both my dad and Mom-mom transitioned back to back, eight months apart. I’ve struggled pretty hard with that. Though I gained some ancestors, which means they are supporting me in the spiritual realm. I miss them very much. I miss the conversations, the laughter we shared, but especially the hugs. They were magic, I felt like their hugs would put me back together when I was falling apart or going through a rough time. My Mom-mom would sing to me, and my dad would talk smack lol. They were both fiesty. What a combination. One minute they were here and then they were gone. Healing… is a journey and not a destination. It comes in different forms… lots of tears, meditation, and sharing memories. Keeping their memory alive is important. Telling the beautiful stories that made you laugh and the ones you could only laugh about later. So I talk about them often and remember the joy they brought in my life, then and now. The process of living without them… well I am definately still riding the ebb and flow of it.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Depends on who you ask, just kidding, but I’d say quality time and my spiritual connection because it ties it all together, my amazing daughters, family, friendships, love, the arts, even healing. I believe how you show up makes a difference. You need to be the light and the change you want to see in the world. Those connections help shift who you are and the time you dedicate will definitely reflect how your garden grows and in the words of Shanie The Poet “Her show game be EVERYTHANG “

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I am near the water and when I am creating. Being by the water helps me reset , unblocking trapped energy and allows me to release to make room to create…. create safe space for others in their healing process, create art, jewelry, and poetry. Sometimes peace comes from spending time with someone that recharges you because you’ve created a moment with love. There is a peace that comes from all of that…the experience is a gift.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shaniethepoet.com
• Instagram: @shaniethepoet
• Twitter: @shaniethepoet
• Facebook: @shanieecole
• Other: https://linktr.ee/shanieecole?fbclid=PAb21jcAOE-LZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAafvYq2sBbJaHqjZbJ_pd0-73FlGy8jmBkG8Bdm9Vi4csRtNWYlSRnHtBhb7hQ_aem_PC2Pu428ZharZ28anChPrA