A note from Annie: Karen Klein was one of my Inkswiggler clients and I found her Inner Shaman story and experience fascinating. I worked with Karen on developmental edits and exploring publishing options for her story. In the end, Karen decided to self-publish, which gave her complete creative control over this very personal account of her spiritual journey that features her writing and images. (The last two images in this post are from the book.)
To find out more or to purchase a copy of Journey to My Self, visit Karen online: http://www.karenklein-author.com
Annie Wilder: Tell us a bit about yourself. (Where you’re from, where you live now, what you do for work/fun…)
Karen Klein: I’m living in Sarasota, Florida now. I moved here from Minneapolis three years ago. Originally I’m from Columbia, Illinois. I’m a photographer/painter/author/seeker and manager of the Unity of Sarasota bookstore.
AW: You’re a visual artist ~ what inspired you to write this book?
KK: An Inner Shaman guide appeared to me during my meditation sessions, starting in the fall of 2011. He led me into a realm that was complex and dynamic. I found the events and imagery so compelling that I wrote down the details just so I would have a record of them. Being a visual artist, I assumed I’d eventually make something creative from the experiences I recorded. But they never evolved the way I thought they would. After I moved to Sarasota and discovered all the new age energy here, I became aware of the vortex, the light workers, the healers, the readers, the quartz sand at Siesta Beach…it was a very new and different environment, and I loved it! I made new friends, many who had moved here not sure why they chose Sarasota, but once here, they felt the same shift I did. The church I frequently attended offered a Spiritual Memoir writing class. Not having any idea what to expect, or why exactly I thought that was a good idea, I showed up and the first assignment gave me an opportunity to put my Inner Shaman visits to words. I had never thought about writing it, but obviously felt guided to do so. Once I accepted that “medium” for my adventure, I never looked back!
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AW: Who or what is the Inner Shaman? Does everyone have one?
KK: Well, I didn’t know I had one so I certainly can’t say everyone has one, but perhaps if they allow themselves to let their imagination and intuition free flow, they would discover their own guide. I knew I wanted to access my great-grandfather, and apparently he was willing to be available for me in the form of my Inner Shaman.
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AW: In Journey to My Self, you take the reader along into a fantastical realm of helpers, guides, and occasionally, shadows and danger. Can you provide a short summary of this realm and what it offered you in your search for spiritual empowerment?
KK: It felt like a Spielberg movie. It was very surreal and very beautiful. I had no preconceived idea of what I would encounter, ever. Everything was new to me, even though things there were familiar — like the wood at the entrance door that immediately reminded me of the wood from the barn on the farm where I was raised. Inside the light was a beautiful warm golden color, except on a few occasions when I felt really low energy. Then it was like someone turned the lights off and it was flat, grey. However, there were no lights — there was no roof or ceiling. It just opened to the universe. Every visit was a gift from my Inner Shaman — either a new archetype, a new experience; and they all became cumulative.
AW: From which guide or archetypal energy in this realm did you learn the most? Which lesson was the most difficult? Did you have a favorite guide or archetype?
KK: I learned from all of them. They responded according to needs that I usually didn’t know I had. Because I had always been taken by the stories I heard about my great-grandfather, Karl Otto, I was beyond happy to have him appear as my Inner Shaman. When Clarity appeared, it was a very significant and scary occasion. I was sooooo happy to see my beloved Grandma Klein. And the experience with Shadow was also very powerful and eventually humorous. Difficult lessons that I kept repeating were the fear and anxiety that I kept trying to get rid of. The experience of unwinding the barbed wire of fear from me was very powerful, a terrific visual. And, I adored Polly the Pig.
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AW: What was the correlation between your physical world life and the realm of the Inner Shaman? Did your life change as a result of these experiences? If so, how?
KK: It changed in that I became aware of the power of my inner resources and how cut off/removed from my Self that I have always been. I relied on my Inner Shaman visits to help me understand and navigate my physical-world life. I felt I occupied my Self more completely.
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AW: What would you recommend to those searching for a deeper sense of self or for an active and empowering spiritual life?
KK: For me it was helpful to be in an environment that supported my search. I am sure it is a unique experience for anyone who awakens. There are many books and teachers available; many opportunities to explore, which is what I had done. Eventually I carved out my own personal path but only after I searched and searched, knowing that my hunger had not been satisfied. For me the magic, the surreal environment, the trust in my great-grandfather, the powerful visuals made it all compelling.
AW: Anything else you’d like to add?
KK: Gratitude. Everyday I pause in gratitude. And, in a recent visit I took my Journey to My Self book to each and every totem and archetype/symbol/spirit/energy in my Inner Shaman’s world, and I gave them all a book in gratitude for becoming part of me.
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