Episode 255 -- Sunny Dillard -- What If Strength Is Simply Not Quitting

Tea can be a beverage, sure. It can also be a doorway back to yourself. I’m joined by Sunny Dillard, a watercolor teacher, poet, and tea curator whose work blends Persian tea culture, slow living, and creative practice into something that feels both grounded and brave.

We talk about how her love of tea began in childhood with a grandmother who used herbal blends as medicine and as a way to offer real attention. From there, Sunny shares the story behind her name, the symbolism of the sun in Persian mythology and Sufi tradition, and why identity can be a living choice rather than a label you inherit. We also get into her definition of strength, shaped by Iranian women and the daily practice of resilience, hope, and kindness even when the world feels chaotic.

A big theme is intuition as “witnessing what you know” a decision-making tool that joins reasoning with the heart. Sunny connects that to creativity as survival: watercolor painting, literature, poetry, journaling, music, and tea rituals as practical tools for mental health, community, and self-expression. If you’ve ever thought art is “only for talented people,” or you’ve felt fear and self-doubt freeze you in place, you’ll love how she teaches students to show up, stay with the discomfort, and leave surprised by what they made.

If you want watercolor classes, tea blending workshops, or a gentler approach to mindfulness and slow living, this conversation will give you a clear starting point. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Transcript

Welcome And Meeting Sunny

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Okay. And I am absolutely thrilled to meet you and to bring you to the audience. And I just welcome you with open arms today as we get to chat a bit.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Oh, thank you so much. It's truly my honor to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me and for showing interest, a genuine interest, and both you and your sweet daughter. And it was just magical meeting you both and magical being here now. And I'm so excited about this journey of chatting with you and um exploring the worlds that you have been exploring with you.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Thank you. Thank you. Well, we met at Gather in Bloom and you a workshop. And um and painting watercolors. And so you have a lot of creative interest. There's so many sides to you, Sunny. So right out of the gate in the conversation, tell us who people know you as both professionally and personally. Wow, that's a great question.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Big question.

SPEAKER_05 2:44

It probably is very big question.

Artist Teacher Poet Tea Curator

Childhood Tea And Grandma Remedies

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Yes. Uh that could be a whole podcast topic by itself, but I would keep it short. I would say that currently I'm really focused on the watercolor teaching and also creating watercolor um works and also acrylics, uh, mostly surreal, abstract. Um but I would say teaching watercolor has been such a beautiful work for me, and maybe I could claim for many others that have been involved in this journey with me and on this journey with me that I would be honored to say that I'm known to be a watercolor teacher and to um get lots of compliments and lots of love and attention and support uh from locals and even from closer cities and sister cities. And um, it's just been amazing. And also it's been a great way to stay connected to um people from all over the world, or it's a universal thing for me. So I would say that part of me might have been seen by so many different people. So they're all aware of it, it's out there, and um, I've been doing it for a long time. And I would say um writing and literature has been another part and side of my life, and I would say, again, if I if I could claim professionally, um, I have been um interested in literature at a very young age. Um, I was 13 when I first started showing uh serious interest, not only in like Persian literature, but also in world literature, and I really wanted to know more about it. And that's where my um journey of discovery um started. And I think I always knew that I will be involved with literature, either it's gonna be poetry or writing or teaching literature or something like that, and so life took me in many different directions, and I um am now very pleased to say that I can be back at my core with the teaching literature and poetry classes and leading those workshops as well. Um, and it's been such a joy. And then the tea curator, which is a part that um has been a new adventure, I would say, more recent adventure uh in terms of a profession or a career, which I never thought. I mean, with most things in my life, it's been like that when I think about it. But then when you have interest or sparks somewhere in your life, um, those sparks are there to design for maybe future um, you know, cultivations and growth and all of that. And if you put your love and attention to it, and I think that's what happened with the tea journey, and it's been amazing, it's been such a blessing, it's been unbelievable the doors that it opened um for me. So I would say that these three areas are the areas that recently or mostly um are the connections with either the people around me, or I would say in a more personal level, I would uh see myself as definitely, you know, a painter, some someone who is um engaged in the world of art and painting and creating images and imagery both for myself and others and expressing myself, uh, both to express myself and to be able to tell people that you can also express yourself. And as a way to help people have courage to put their works out there. That's not that I'm very special or different from anyone else or my artist. I think the only thing is I really want everyone to be like, yeah, you can express yourself too. And hopefully that would just help them do it, even if it's just for doing it for themselves, I'm not showing it to anyone. And so it's just um been amazing to see those aspects of me and you know, my, as you mentioned in the beginning, um, which is really again nice to meet you and know more about you here, your genuine passion for knowing more about people and the attention that you pay to their lives and um their contributions, little or big, in this world, which is, I think, um part of my whole worldview and philosophy, which we all build, you know, together with all these little pieces and all of these stories. And I think, yeah, it's just been a um genuine part of me that I like to connect with people and I like to um create communities with common cords where they can come together and be stronger and support each other. Uh, and I think that's been um something that I know it's in me, but maybe others, I don't know if they know or they don't, or um it's a little selfish of me sometimes. Many times things that I do is like, yeah, I really want to um explore this person's art or this person's world. And sometimes I get this comment that, wow, you know, the fact that you reached out or you see my art is great, and no one has ever said this or that, and that really encouraged me to keep going. And that just gives me so much joy that I just I don't know how to express it. And I think that part of me might have come either by nature or nurture and the conditions or situations I've been in, or I don't know. That's that's definitely a side of me that I um I like to share with others if I can by doing things I can. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

I love that. And you have three very different aspects that you can add. And and and they're all pretty in depth. You could lose yourself in one or the other. So let's kind of jump into them individually. The threat that I do see is the teaching. You are teaching sharing and so these are close to your own other gives you another level, another dimension to F. And you have some feedback that you have uh learned together and mixed, and that is a process and an art. So go there and tell me where when did you first stumble into T and then wanting to share and teach that aspect of yourself?

Persian Tea Culture And Heritage Threads

SPEAKER_00 10:07

Thank you. That's a great question. Thanks for your kind compliments in the beginning. I really appreciate them and I feel very humbled. I think um the interest and love for tea started very early on. I wish I had a photo I can probably send you later. Maybe you can use it at one of your posts. Um, I'm probably four years old or something like that, that I have like at least documents or photos. But I love to make tea, serve tea, uh, drink tea, and that was just such a beautiful thing for me to do. Um, and even like cooking or putting things together, a meal, or uh being able to make my own meal and fix myself a cup of tea and enjoy a cup of tea was uh very joyful. And I think the main reason also was my grandma, she was an herbalist, and um she was very connected to nature and um also herself and others, I would say. Sorry, and so she always had all these amazing tea blends and herbal blends and all of these infusions that um she would bring to you as soon as she would hear something was going wrong, or if you had a problem, or if you had a stomachache or a headache, she would come with a cup of tea, she would tell you about it, she would tell the story, she would tell you why it's good, and then the connection that she would make with me during that um time was very special to me. Um again, like I mentioned it in the beginning of our um session, that the attention that she paid to the problem and the way that she wanted to fix it, uh, and the love that she used in that process with like very natural ingredients. And um, it always worked for me. I don't know if it's placebo or it was true or not, but then she was really in love with tea, and that's a very Persian thing too. I come from a background that sorry, I will mute myself for a second to cough. Okay. With my background, um, most people in Iran or Persia, which is another person out, they love tea. And um which is the culture that was mostly brought to us after, I would say, British um colonizations and all of that, and India and Earl Gray, specifically the black tea. But so many people showed interest from the beginning because other herbal infusions were part of the culture, but tea, in a sense, that earl gray and black tea, we didn't have it locally grown, or it was not something that we had in the country. So it brought a whole different level of tea culture. And then my ancestors, I would say they were basically people who were on the silk road, you know, trading spices, and they're even now doing uh, you know, spices and knots and pistaches and all of those kinds of stuff. And um, on my mom's side, fabrics and all those things that they used to uh trade and take on silk road. So I think all of those together, you know, were was weaving a story for me around the tea and it made it very fascinating. And then when I came to the States, I um kept that culture um as part of my uh class ceremony and class ritual because that's how I was treated back at home with my masters and my teachers. They also always used to serve, you know, some tea sometimes, or at the same time my grandma and how that culture was with the warmth. And I really wanted to share that good part of the culture with um my students. And they early on they showed a lot of interest and they always asked about the recipe and how I make it. And each class I would make a different tea for them. And um I would give them the recipe, they would go, they would come back, and they'll be like, nope, Sunny, this is not the same. And after a few trials and sessions, they were like, Why don't you make this and sell this? I'm like, I think that's a great idea. Let's do it. And I think that passion again and the love to share, something that I could see genuinely people are enjoying and asking for more was not something that I thought about this business, what is trending, how can I do this business? It really was organically born, and that's why I love it so much because um you feel the connections were built before the brand was even born, and that's very special.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Oh, that's fabulous. But what you're talking about is weaving a story. Everything that you're doing is coming from a root of your own story and then creating new. So you have a beautiful blend of old and new. And um, I mean, when we started out before we began recording, we talked about your name. So kind of go down the path. I mean, I'm gonna jump back into the story, but but you mentioned your grandmother. So let's go with why you're even called Sunny, why you have that name as your um the one that you go by now.

Why She Chose The Name Sunny

SPEAKER_00 15:51

That's a great question. So um again, my grandma, who was the source of the interest in tea and so many other beautiful things, animal, nature, love, many, many different, many good passions in me. Um she was um the one who came up with that nickname. She used to call me Sani, which is the short form of my actual name, Sanad, uh, which is a uh Persian Turkish name. Uh, and um it has different meanings, and it's kind of a name that is, you know, often used in the country and people there have it. But at the same time, it was interesting that she wanted to make it more special by making it shorter and calling me Sunny. I don't think at that time she really knew English that much, or she really was trying to um create this nickname that I use now, and I spell it as U N Y. So I don't know if she had an idea about that, but she spelled it the same way or said it the same way and stuck with me the same way. And then the family and everyone knew that name, the sunny nickname, and they used to call me with that nickname. And I felt very special, felt very loved because I was probably the only, not probably, I was the only grandkid that had the nickname, and it was very special for me. And when I came to the States, I realized Sunny is a name that people can use easier and kind of uh pronounce it easier, say it easier. And they always like light up when they hear the name Sunny because it's just good to hear that word and the energy of it is so positive. And I felt I, with everything that I've gone through life, I felt like this is the best way that I can remind myself and others all the time, no matter what is going on, as soon as you hear that adjective, something magical happens because it's not me, the son that you immediately see in your head. And I think the other reason was my love for one of the masters um and um teachers in Sufi tradition. His name is Shams, who established a lot of um of uh one of the most famous poets in the world, Rumi's um ideologies and teachings and poetry. And Shams means in farsi or Persian sun. And so it has a very um interesting, it was a very interesting coincidence for me that um there is also that similarity, and I felt very good about that. Not that I wanted to even compare myself to Godmaster. Um, and the other reason sun has a very special place in the uh Persian mythology, which is a 7,000-year-old mythology, and uh, but the word that is used in Persian is mitra, and later um it was the main uh symbol for Jesus because the Persians and the Zoroastrians and the Magis or Magi, they went to welcome Jesus, and actually they believed that all their life they had Mitra or the sun as the most sacred and as the source of like everything and love that they kind of not worship, they believed in one God, and that was the first monolithic religion. But the fact that they were kind of saying that the sun and the gods had uh brought this message that now his mission is being um delivered to uh Jesus and the Messiah. So, like then in Persian literature, uh sun became a symbol for Jesus as well, which sits in the fourth sky in the literary words and the philosophies in that world. And uh the fourth sky is the house of the sun. Oh wow. And all of those great things about the sun, you know, the life and everything else. I felt like if I could change my name, I would, but I just love this name and I hope that everyone can see something around their names that can bring them joy or they want to share with others, maybe we can discover it.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

Well, I love that because there is such a strength that comes through your story and through your name and through the the gestures of tea and tea making. And so when you look at strength, what would your definition of strong be? Would you look back toward your grandmother and your heritage? There's so much of your heritage that you've not left behind at all.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Wow, that's also a great question, the definition of strength. Um I would say most women in my country, I think um as a whole, they stand um, I don't know, as um as that source for me, as that model as that inspiration for me. You know, the the life they're living daily is just unbelievable sometimes, and the strength they show leaving that life and facing that life with that positive attitude. Um, I know that there is a lot of uh pain and suffering that comes with it and is existing in that culture right now or in that country, in uh Iran right now. But I think um the fact that they always try to turn it into something positive, into something more powerful. To me, that's a strength. Uh, which sometimes I Say it's very similar to resilience to me. I would say these two words, um I definitely consider them in the same way. And that's why I think sometimes people um think that the strength is necessarily doing something magical or extraordinary or crazy. Uh but I think the fact that sometimes you can just survive and stay and be the best version of yourself and stay positive and be loving and be giving and um not to forget that you have a light in you. I mean, I know that it's cliche, but it's true that we all are in this world with a light and we all, you know, have to hold on to it and protect it and share it. And um we shouldn't forget about it. So I think, you know, all of those together uh for me is very special. The resilience is very special. And the strength, then, you know, it's it's something that people can judge you on it, because you know, of course, strength we usually have measurements or yardsticks or how strong you were or how strong you can be. But with resilience, it's just like you can see it in people, and you know, people's faces and eyes and their energy and what they carry around them doesn't slide. And I think I just can see that in some people, and to me it's a very um big value, and I admire it in whoever I see. But I think one of yes, the very early examples for me was definitely my grandmother, my maternal grandmother. And even her name, um, her name is or was Ashraz, um, which is a male name in most of the um in Persia, it's like most guys are named Ashraf. Uh, it's rarely used for female, and it's a and it was an avant-garde thing to do it. And I think she always carried that um aura with her. And I always was fascinated by the story of her name and how she was always like a man to me and very, very, if you want to say strong. Um, and I think her kind, firm, straightforward, authentic uh personality was um the definition of strong for me. And after that, I saw many others for short.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

I love that. Yeah, name carry so much meaning. And I think your main name and your middle name is 155. Where do you follow that? You have so many paths and knowledge and historical knowledge. Where do you find yourself making decisions? Your head, your heart, or your diet? That's a really good question to you ask.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Great question.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

Thank you. Um love talking to people.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

Yeah, thank you. I would use the word intuition. I would say maybe I'm more of an intuitive person. So um it's a combination of reasoning and listening to my head and my heart, I would say. So it's basically uh the definition of intuition that I go by and has become my worldview or the way I handle things, as you add, um, is a combination of these two uh words. So basically, witnessing what you know is uh what I call intuition. And by witnessing what you know, and this is a very short, there's so many books, and there are so many books, and so many hours that I personally was looking for these answers. And uh finally this answer felt satisfying, which I was catching it through different, you know, things that I came up with, and it became my own personal answer. And I'm sure that everyone can do that for themselves. And it became a core value and a core thing for me to keep me going whenever storms come, especially, uh, or tough decisions need to be made. And I think um the intuition is basically you have the wisdom, you have experience, you have knowledge about things, uh, but there's also what we call your gut or your heart, um, which is kind of like there is sometimes a disconnect between these two, or there is a way that we want to choose one over another. And I would say that's where my philosophy of love and um um the whole research or the whole dedication to the notion of love and the religion of love or the path of love, it brought it to me that with understanding love and through love, that intuition is basically enabled. So you can witness what you know in a way that um, you know, you witness it with your heart, that knowledge is being witnessed by your heart. So I think when that happens, first you can't really make mistakes, but if you want to even call it a mistake in the future, it's becoming, as you mentioned, part of who you are and your identity. Uh, not only what you learned, but also the fact that you learned and you trusted yourself. I trusted myself. I listened to my head and my heart and my intuition. I let my intuition let me lead me. And here you go. These are, you know, results without any judgment.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's I like what you say. Uh it's it's a witness as to what you know. But uh you are very uh red and very um open to ideas. What age were you when you came to this country? So you have a pretty good recollection of where you were and then where you are now.

Strength As Resilience In Women

SPEAKER_00 28:47

That's right. So I was thir I celebrated my 30th birthday. I arrived here four days before my 30th birthday, January 2014. Um, and I was um, you know, becoming 30 years, and I haven't gone back since then and have been calling here specifically with Sai Kong. Um but I was um, you know, engaged um in the world of Persian culture and literature, especially, I would say that's my fascination. Art and history was always fascinating to me. And sometimes with everything that is happening right now, with the I hate to use the word curse, it feels like that country, our country, Iran, or the that land, it feels sometimes I say it's like cursed and so much darkness is shade uh casting over it. And I think that was something that we all had to always close our eyes on and always stay connected to who we really were and who uh you know what our roots were and stay connected to our roots and uh don't let anyone get that from us. And I think I learned so much of that um through literature, through history, through philosophy, and um I think the restrictions in the environment, in that culture, the suppression, especially for women, started to create a monster out of me in a sense that I started to question everything because there was always so many uh limitations, and there was so much that it felt like it's being hidden from you or buried from you, and you always had to dig in so deep to find some answers for yourself because they were not out there. And so, with all of that at a very young age, I remember I was um nine years old when I was in um um um religious studies class, which they teach um Quran in those classes to you. And I was actually very young and nine years old, and that's the age they want you to kind of you have all of your religious duties for girls and all of that, which is very uh interesting. But it's it was just I had just lots of questions in my head that I don't want to install any religion, but I want to choose this religion for myself, and I want to have the opportunity to choose it. But in those classrooms, it felt like you had no other option. I mean, your birth certificate, you're born as a you know, a Muslim. They put it in there for you. And so I became really curious, you know. This curiosity was born out of the options I didn't have. And I started to think, you know, is this the only person I can be? Is this like, am I doomed to be like a Shi Muslim in this neighborhood, in this area, on this land with so many limitations? Or or what is life and what can I do with my life, or what am I here for? And I think the first time in that religious class, religious studies class in that um, I asked my teacher, I stood up and I asked her, I said, you know, last session you told us that God is a non-personified um, you know, thing. It's like it's not a person, it doesn't have a gender, it's not a man, it's not a woman. And I remember all of this that we are studying our, you know, religious studies and stuff. And uh, but you we have to wear hijab or we have to wear a scarf and cover our heads when we are saying our prayers, even if you are not in the mass prayers, even if you're in your own bedroom and saying your prayers, you still have to wear that hijab as part of the requirement for um your prayers. And so I was genuinely curious like, is God going to like have a, you know, the kind of a quality, a physical quality human can have? So I have to hide my hair from him because he can commit a sin like a normal, crazy guy would. So like I just had that question, and you know, she immediately asked me to get out of the class and took me to the disciple's office. And that's when I was like, wow, you know, this is not good. And you know, my parents got a letter and they were informed and they were like, you know, she can't ask this question, to the extent that it became so challenging to me that we had to change our, change my school and my neighborhood and everything, because that school was a great school, and we have that maybe sometimes in America, like some good Christian schools, you know, and it was the same, the quality of education was great in that school. However, they had very strict uh religious standards. So I felt like very um, very restricted, and from there I felt like, okay, I need to find the answer to these questions. And then that journey just started, and at the age of 13, I um got to meet someone, my mentor, my teacher, um, who I still am in touch with and is an amazing, been an amazing influence on my life and my spiritual father, I would say. Um, and I learned so much more about all the religions, about all the you know, spiritual paths and about all different worldviews and philosophical views. And I felt like, okay, now I can be who I want to be because it's not the society or your family, or you know, and it was always fascinating to me when I was going to come to this state to see that, you know, how does it work when you're born with that right and you're granted with that right? And um I I just really was genuinely curious about how people feel and how they move it.

Intuition As Head Plus Heart

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Wow, that that's I mean you talk about training. That's trained to maintain. I'm thinking the art that you produce and the way that you express yourself, there's a lot of freedom in that too.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Yeah, my parents, I would say, um, you know, I think there were some limitations there, of course, because I could have find some of my answers, of course, from them either. My parents were not religious and uh they were open-minded and they were um kind and supportive, but they were not really um my background and I'm writing my memoir through the long journey. It's been a project since 2018, but for so many reasons, it's been on pause, and mostly a lot of um problems with the traumas as they came up, and I had to take pauses and all of that, which is a whole different conversation. Uh, but I was a very on my own type of kid, you know, and I um grew up as a I don't know, like I will be fine, I'm gonna survive. I'm I was the only child, which is very uh, you know, ironic and interesting for so many people, and they think I should be really spoiled, or you know, helicopter parents or money, you know, controlling parents and all of that. But uh, due to the dynamics of their relationship and everything else that was going on, you know, in their life, I think um so much of the things that they could probably provide or do uh would get lost, you know, there was no time or no place for it. And we know that can be true for so many of us or so many times. But I'm always asking that question even from myself, and I think uh that was also a result of looking around and uh looking at people around me. I found my grandfather, which was also my um mom's dad, very inspiring in the sense that he was um, I would say, avant-garde, but at the same time, also when we talked about the strength, of course, because he was a guy, I didn't bring him up because we know that's a stereotypical like honor that usually guys get. But I think he was also a symbol of resilience and uh strength for me. And I think looking at him and his values and his life uh started to make me become very curious. Um that I have to open his story a little bit because he came from a background where there was like the feudal system uh in the country at that time, in Persia or Iran, uh around 1900 or something like that. And his dad was the chief of the state, uh, you know, as a part of that feudal system. And so he was actually the only inheritant of his dad to become like a Han, they called it at that time. And um, like his last name even carried that Han, Tariq Khani. And so, but at the age of 11, he decides he doesn't like the way his dad is treating the peasants in the way that he's being cruel and mean and selfish, and um, it's just ugly how people are living there in that village and how his life is, and he has always um, he told me his story that he always, you know, every morning he would wake up with his fancy velvet clothes and costumes and everything, and everything was so good for them, but people were dying from sickness or lack of, you know. Uh, so he travels all the way to Tehran, the capital, um, to, you know, um be missing. And so he starts working at these um hookah houses and tea houses at that time. And that's the only job he could get. And he said that I had to change my clothes and get some clothes from others so they don't suspicious, you know, suspect who I am, where I come from. And I got the job and I saved up, and I he opened his own business or his own shop, which was a fruit shop, which is also very interesting to me in his decision, what he wanted to share with others and uh with his kind soul. And I think he was working so hard every day, never had anyone to help him, carrying all those boxes to the truck back and forth, still with that story in his head that he didn't want people to labor for him or work for him. And the fact that he had, you know, kind of shifted his life like that always was fascinating to me. That how could you at that age, and I think maybe that story had to do something with my subconscious, and maybe I really admired him for that too much that um without knowing it, it's been just recently that I can connect these two together and put my finger on it. But I think I was always fascinated by his courage to do that and the life he made for himself and all of that.

Restrictions Curiosity And Spiritual Search

SPEAKER_01 41:06

Yeah, it's it's the courage to change. And so that's but you know what's interesting to me as we we are talking about. Everything that you're doing is a result of your data. So everything is just kind of working together. But it's the teaching, it's deleting, it's not just supporting it for yourself. So, where does that come for you? Of like making sure that you give back out.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Oh, that's also a great question. I think um being on my own many times as a kid, I I was always um trying to figure things out on my own. And sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was hard, it was painful. Um, and honestly, it was sad sometimes to not have someone there to help you figure things out or to just be there for you. Um and I think that really um was just also the inspiration from my grandparents and everything around me. I was always hoping that I can be probably that person. I can be that person who um, you know, cares. And there is this uh society we are living in that people are so concerned and consumed with their, you know, problems or desires or tasks or admins and all of that, that sometimes we barely get to pay attention to ourselves, let alone others. And I felt like that's not something that I can fully dedicate myself to like a full-time, but that became like a worldview or a philosophy for me. And then when I started walking on the spiritual path at the age of 13, everything that I would take from all these different traditions and philosophies and worldviews that I would hear and read about, they would all have this uh element of love in common. Like everything that the one thing that would attract my attention in all of these teachings was love that was common in all of them. And I felt this is very powerful uh because. It's through that lens that I started to learn more about philosophers, like for instance, the Spinoza. I mean, he was teaching the notion of love in a very different way in philosophy by telling us that in this universe, sometimes everything has been, you know, divided between us so randomly. Some of us have the highest IQs, some of us have low IQs, some have physical disabilities, some don't. We didn't choose, you know, in the beginning of the session we mentioned where I'm born, you know, or who I'm um, who is my parent, or who is my mom or dad, or what kind of family I'm born into. So why aren't we kinder to each other? Because like the fact that we couldn't choose those things and someone has a higher IQ and someone has a lower IQ. What if the person who has higher IQ spends like an hour a week to help the person who had a lower IQ in class to kind of you know boost their knowledge just a little bit, not even to their level, but at least a little bit more balanced in this universe? And I think when I learned about that theory, it just was striking to me. It was it was that magical power that I felt like that magical recipe or prescription that is lost, and everyone is looking for answers, everyone is looking for meaning of love and this and that, but like it's as simple as that when you see others in suffering and when they are for any reason not in a better place than you are. Let's let's uh pay our share and let's pay our part because um they didn't choose sometimes to win this situation. And I think that that worldview was very appealing to me, and I I just adopted that in um everything else I was doing, as you mentioned, like the tea. It's very enjoyable for me when I can bring someone a cup of tea, or when I see the joy in their eyes, or when I hope that it can be a moment for them that they can ponder on what they're drinking, or um they can think about the flavors and nature, and at least I would try to set that vibe and that environment to kind of unplug and disconnect from that rush, fast life and um craziness out there. And I think all of these helped with the, and as you mentioned, the teaching part and the art um definitely also helps with the expressions of um being your authentic self, be free. And for me, that wall didn't open till a later age to be able to publicly share my art because I was punished for my art too. I have lots of art punishment stories too. And so for a long time I was not really painting, and I was um very um, I had a very difficult time understanding what happened and why I uh disconnected from that world a lot of southern and just like refused all the way to the world of literature and writing and totally disconnected from painting for a while. And I realized that a couple of those traumas could have definitely or punishment, so that definitely had something to do with it.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

Wow. And here I was thinking while we were talking that so much as our society we can go, okay, all of this is luxury. It's luxury to have a cup of tea. It's luxury to have the literature available. It's luxury to paint, when I'm talking to you and when I'm connecting to you, that's the right word. So what's what's your take on that? I mean, there's there's a lot that you say that I'm going, wow, man, that's just not fair.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

It's a great question. I think for me, luxury, I mean, yeah, definitely not. It's been a necessity, as you mentioned, because that's how I survived, I feel like. Because if I didn't have art, if I didn't have uh the tea world and that kind of world that connected me to many others and um, you know, created lots of beautiful bombs and connections and became my emotional support, my um, you know, a support that I probably had lost, especially after, you know, moving and coming here. It really helped with building a community and creating a community where love and community and slow living is actually a focus on the necessity. It's like you want to remind people of that, that actually this is not a luxury. And the fact that we think it's a luxury is very scary because it really scares me when people don't spend time to read poems or um listen to good music or make them fill a good cup of tea. And the concerns and the worries and the priorities when you do it, you know, it's just um I think it's just a reminder that you can definitely do it at any given time during the day. And I always encourage all my students to do that, to create them um a little bit of an area for themselves, a creative note where they can go jump under and just paint or write or journal or express themselves for a few minutes. If they can go with a cup of tea, great. You know, that would be even better. The time they can spend with themselves. I think the crisis, different crises that I went through in my life uh directed me to these places because I would have totally been, I don't know, where right now. Definitely not here talking to you.

SPEAKER_05 50:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

If I didn't have this um these tools that I realized that I can use these tools to survive and to leave a life that I think is worth living.

Grandfather Courage And A Life Shift

SPEAKER_01 50:50

It's interesting that you call them tools because you know who who thinks of items in our day as tools? And and yet they are. Um and and I also have thought my mother was an added reader reader, and good reading top stories of like two four librarians, this librarian, so they were supposed to be 15 days of the old. So when she couldn't leave her apartment and in COVID, she didn't get to go out so she could read, and my sisters had taught her how to access the library on her iPad. And so she always had books. And she said, I can go anywhere, I can I can do anything. And it was all through reading, through literature. So um so it's interesting to me that you had a very different life than, say, my mom, but yet there's a throat.

SPEAKER_00 53:01

It's very true. And I think when I did my um first English literature class, that's what I chose to do in college. Um my teacher first class asks us if we know why we are studying literature, why are we here and why literature? And we were all like clueless. You know, we had all these different artists, and sorry, poets and authors, and great texts and everything in our head that we're excited about to read and learn about and everything. But deep inside me, I asked myself, yeah, but why? Well, why do you want to do it? And I think that was kind of the first time I got the answer, which was she mentioned that it's because we share experience and we can relate to those experiences. And those are like um, you know, doors that we can open into our own world and kind of see our own world into those worlds. And so it's just like a great way to connect words and to relate to um those pieces. And I think um that was probably one of the main things, which is also like by the sharing that we are saying. That's like the nature of literature, the sharing nature, the expressing, the sharing, the storytelling. And I think um the fact that each story matters, you know, with literature, there are so many different genres, so many different types of work, so many different artists, and there's place for all of them and for all sorts of readers or the writers.

SPEAKER_01 54:42

Oh, that's great. And I truly believe that you just have to keep looking. So what's the scariest thing you have ever done? You know, the other week when I was in your class, and we were we were there at Gather and Bloom, and it was making your floral arrangement, and then it was watercoloring that arrangement or a version of that arrangement. There was a lady at my table who was terrified, terrified of what we were doing. And yet you walk her through, you you and and of course she leaves with a version of a wonderful painting. And and at the same time, the the just all of the things that she came out with.

SPEAKER_00 55:39

But um, thanks for noticing that. That really is amazing that you remember that. It was one of the things that I took from that workshop with a lot of, you know, it's with me.

SPEAKER_01 55:53

So so in doing that, you're taking something and using it again. Go back to the word you used a tool. You have this tool. So, what's your goal in in having such a tool in that you're teaching, not just that you're using personally, but in your teaching methods?

Creativity As A Daily Necessity

SPEAKER_00 56:15

So by that, I just want to clarify, I understand your question. So you mean how I'm using this tool in the world of teaching and why I'm using it, and how I'm using it for the fear, it was also like, right? And how I um kind of use this tool to overcome fear and maybe also show people how to do it. Is that right? Absolutely, yes. So a lot of fearful situations I've been in for sure. So I think that's um the big answer from again childhood being on my own. I have been in situations where I was almost kidnapped, and a couple times I had that experience, and I have different kinds, like being born and raised during the um eight years of war between Iran and Iraq. It was during my childhood, and um I was four years old or something. Um, so there there are some uh memories, fearful memories from the sound and the sirens and all the whole experience, um homelessness moving from one city to another. And I think those things were I don't know, it's just so hard to be in those situations, and after that, you know, losing family members or um having your life totally shifted, the shape of your life totally shifted by, you know, others, and the whole control of your whole life is being, you know, taken away from you, and you're in this ocean of chaos. And um I that's how I saw myself that you know I'm I feel I'm I've fallen in a chaotic ocean, an ocean of chaos, that I don't know if I can get out of it, but I want to get out of it. And I think that's just all of those experiences that I don't know to say I was fortunate to have them or not, because um there's been a lot of pain, definitely caused a lot of suffering, a lot of physical um, you know, uh pain sometimes with my disease and other things that I can deal with physically, and how I use those tools also to um sustain my health and keep my sanity as well, both mentally and physically. And I think the fearful situation, most of them had one thing in common that this shot this will pass, you know, this this hard situation will not last forever. So that was the first thing that I kept telling myself, that life is so unstable and everything keeps changing all the time, so randomly. Things that you have been counting on can totally go away, and things that you haven't been counting on can show up at your door. And so I learned that randomness or those gifts that you are given or sometimes taken, those gifts are taken from you. You have no control over them so many times. It feels very deterministic. And in my philosophical researches, I became very interested in the topic of determinism and you know free will for that same reason. And I think if I hadn't have haven't had a difficult life, maybe sometimes I think maybe I wouldn't read that much about determinism and free will and why and how it's important, why does it matter? Why should I read hours and hours to learn about this topic? And I think eventually what I learned from the overall, you know, reading was this worldview again or the tool again, that it's it's temporary, everything will pass. These are all experiences, good and bad, and it's really the probably the Buddhist lesson as well, the samsara. Like there's always suffering, and there's something good, and then there's something bad. Like, right when you think that okay, I got over this, and this is good, and everything is under control, another um storm can show up. So I use painting, reading, writing, um, journaling and music, all of these as ways to deal with pains and the frustrations or the suffering. And I don't want to say I tried to turn them into something good or great, or you know, I transformed things or nothing like that. There it was just like a very personal benefit to that. And I think everyone can benefit from this tool to connect to themselves, like all of these drinking tea, doing art, you know, all of these are opportunities that connect us to ourselves. Of course, others too, then it becomes a community. But that's probably a moment of insight where you realize, oh, this bouquet is so hard for me to paint. And you're facing that, you know, that moment is your opportunity to learn that about yourself, that you will freak out if you want to paint the bouquet. You know, if if you were not in that situation, you will never learn about it. So I always tell people, kudos just for showing up and for, you know, even though there were like fears in the back of your head of judgment of if I can do it or not, you showed up. And if not, if it just if this fear is just now showing up, you know, kudos to you for not leaving and staying here and just like, you know, not quitting. And I think that became very powerful for me, that lesson to learn and that tool to use. That, you know, this is an opportunity to do something that you haven't done before or you didn't know you can do before. And let's see how you can do it and take it as a challenge like that. And as you mentioned, most of the time I haven't had any different example as of now. It's been always for me, my experience in like that. That they're always amazed by what they did, and they're always happy with their results, and they're always surprised that wow, yeah, I I did this. I'm like, yeah, you did this, you know, like, and I think that's just really powerful when people get to that point, and fears come in all sorts of different forms and shapes, from genetic fears from snakes or pipes or darkness to you know, phobias that we develop, and then to doubts, which are the worst forms of fear, I think, the personal doubts and um not having that intuition and always doubting yourself, even though you know the world of information is in your head. Um, people can be always doubtful.

unknown 1:03:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:38

That's why they need their intuition.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:42

Do you ever get frustrated by the privilege that you you see now? I mean, it just I mean, you're in an area that um that I'm sure there's there's so many different layers to the the population and the um the haves and the have nots within the area, but do you ever get just really frustrated by seeing the over-privileged?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:14

Like about privileged people here? Yeah. That's right. You know, this can be true about privileged people anywhere in the world. I've had that experience with people here and people in Iran, uh, people in Canada, people in Britain, people in Amsterdam, you know, like all different parts of the world. Um, there are people who lack empathy and the power of, you know, um genuine connection and understanding of others. And I think that's just like um something that some people are blindsided about it. They don't even know that they are privileged and they're not empathetic towards others. And, you know, sometimes we call them narcissists in the modern, you know, psychology world and everything. Uh, but I think it's just like it could be part of it, it could be cultural too, you know. The word narcissist, I know that there have always been selfish, self-centered people, but like the culture of like the whole world is also a universal thing, I think, um, is is really supporting that as well. So I would say that there are times that when I see people um mourning over things, that I think that this is just not as bad as you know, this person is mourning, you know, like, and then I actually right away question myself, you know, don't say that. Can't you can't judge, you know, each each of us have different life and different, you know, faiths, and we are here to deal with different problems. So don't say that. So I immediately catch myself. If those moments happen that I feel like I'm judging someone for that, like someone nagging about like the lack of sleep, while you know they had all the opportunities to go and get a good night's sleep, and while you know, a woman has to work three jobs and some other places when they, you know, are deprived from sleep because they don't have time for it or they don't have a place to put their head down and have a good sleep. And I think those are the moments that I'm like, hmm, look at your castle, look at this bed, and you're walking around sleepless, you know. And I'm just like, those are the things that I tell myself, and then I again immediately tell myself, you know, this is this is not good for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:44

Sunny, tell me how do people follow you, get in touch with you, how do they take some of your classes? How what's what's the go-to to get in touch?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:54

Thank you. I am available through email and my social media, like Instagram page and Facebook page. You can always message me uh over there, but I definitely prefer emails, um, and I can definitely share my email address with you all. And my website is a great place to go explore and leave a comment or a message or um look at all the events or classes. I currently uh teach regular watercolor classes at Made Mercantine, Downtown Woodside, uh, which are like Fridays and Sundays, regular classes, beautiful watercolor community of amazing uh watercolor artists. And then Gather and Bloom is a place that I'm trying to do at least once a month. Workshops there, which are very special to me, and I love it there. And sometimes Menagerie on Maine, it's a gallery in Canton, which I really love so much. And the owner, Jamie, is bringing very great things over there, and I would love to be there more often, but it's just hard. So I would love to support uh people in Canton if I can, and I think um these are mainly um the places that I'm currently um teaching, at least. And of course, online. I'm always um able to do online classes or schedule them with people if they want to do it online and they can't do it physically.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:31

I love it. And you know, you talked about slow living, and tea is a way to do that, and you have some of your blends that are available. And then do you do some classes on the tea making?

Teaching Through Fear And Self Doubt

SPEAKER_00 1:08:45

Yes, this is really good. Thanks for asking. I did, and I have done that, it's um tea blending workshop kind of so talking about flavors and you know what to mix with what, and customizing your own blend. I'm not an herbal, you know, medicine type of doctor or naturopath or anything, but I've gained a lot of knowledge from my grandma and by reading myself and my own researches, and um also been really close to Canton and Earth Shop Healing Center in Canton, which um is a really great place to the great um uh doctor, naturopath doctor, Dr. Sally there, who loves the tea and you know has been um uh selling those blends. And I think um you know it's the the slow living and tea are just like it was it was the con uh question, right? Like how the slow tea is slow living and the tea and you know how these are um connected with each other. It really is, I think, an opportunity for us to look at its medicinal values and the natural the values that nature is offering, and also like trying to get out of the habit of throwing the tea bag in your cup and just getting it at any kind of drugstore or like whatever place. It's just the mindfulness, I think. Uh, is very helpful when you're trying to uh practice the slow living, or I think when you uh choose your blend depending on your mood and what you need, in these classes, you kind of learn those things. And I think that's really a part of slow living. That in these classes you kind of learn how you can ponder on, you know, these flavors, how you can create your own, um, and like not only a lifestyle that you're practicing by sitting and sitting on it, creating tea and brewing tea. I don't think it's a very time-consuming process, but you have to dedicate five to ten minutes to prepare your tea. And it's a ritual. And I think having those rituals, those meaningful rituals, where you know that you are nourishing your soul is very important. And I hope these workshops, that's why I was doing them, um, it would help people look at that tool too, that they have these herbs around them, they're available, they just have to look at it as an option and learn to um create themselves some really good blends and hopefully enjoy it. And then when they like it, I can repeat those blends for them and cut, you know, we write the recipes like a little prescription and keep it in the archive, and they can come and get the reseals, or they can just do it themselves at home now that they know the recipes. Super fun, and people really enjoy doing it as an activity with family or friends. They really enjoyed it. And there's also these teeth lights that I serve in those classes that they can get a chance to try most of the blends at Ashav Artisan Tico and um become familiar more with the blends, too.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:13

Oh, I think it's fabulous. I I love it, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and um and I do. I think I think it is a process that um encourages you to be actively involved, and I like that. So this has been fabulous. I have one more question. Thank you. 24 hours, you could choose any superpower that you wanted, use it in any way you want to, professionally or personally. What superpower would you choose? How would you use it, and why would you make that your choice?

SPEAKER_05 1:12:53

Turn on kind people to kind people. I wish I could do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:06

Wow, I love it. Sunny, this has been an absolutely fabulous day. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:12

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. I hope to talk to you more and see you more, and thanks so much for giving me your time and your platform so I can share my story with many wonderful and inspiring women like yourself. And thanks for creating this platform. It's amazing, and I'm proud to be on it.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:33

Well, thank you very, very much. If you had something that you wanted to say, this is your platform, what would you say? What would be your message to women? What would you say um loud and clear out there?

SPEAKER_00 1:13:54

That right now it's a little difficult and chaotic for women, I would say, maybe all around the world. And um I would highly encourage all of us to hold on to hope and to remember uh that the temporariness of the situation is real and that women are powerful and they are here for really important missions and important things, and they are already doing it every day. Um, but I would say that staying supportive of each other at all times and being kind to each other at all times and understanding the um ambience right now and how the world is. Um, I think it's very helpful to support each other and to um share each other the stories, to encourage each other to keep going and um don't let anything stop us or don't let anything kill that light in us because it's there and no one can kill it.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:14

Thank you so very much.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:17

It's been an absolute pleasure.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:20

Same here, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:22

It was great, and um to the mum um journey comes in.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:45

Find Stat Tease Podcast on Spotify, SoundCloud, and iTunes, or anywhere you get your favorite podcast, listen. You'll laugh out loud, you'll cry a little, you'll find yourself encouraged to join us for casual conversation that leads itself based on where we take it from family to philosophy to work to milk to lead to surviving life.