Charting a course for oneself is usually based on a strong sense of self-belief and confidence. Despite her tumultuous journey through life, Suzette Shanle has toed a path that yielded a perfect result for her and made her a shining light for other creative people to emulate.
The artist, entrepreneur and author of Suzette’s Daddy Issues: A Memoir of Violence and Hope is a multifaceted person whose lifetime of experience has shaped her into who she is. Thanks to her creativity, she has thrived as a person and attained notable milestones over the course of her career. She takes pride in being original and emphasizes originality in her creative projects. She also managed to stay on the path she chose for herself without letting anything or anybody get in the way.
Suzette suffered a head injury at a point in her life, and against all odds, she stayed true to herself, embraced her flaws, celebrated her unique abilities and made her work stand out. With decades behind her since she got into the creative industry, she has become an advocate for being true to herself. “You should never concern yourself with pleasing anybody but yourself. Be yourself in everything you do, and you will connect with people that truly value your work,” she said.
Her book, Suzette’s Daddy Issues: A Memoir of Violence and Hope, pays tribute to her family and her experience witnessing violence and many other unpleasant things with the man she grew up calling “father.” Beyond writing, she has also tapped into her other artistic abilities, like painting and photography. On top of that, she also has a marketer’s instinct, which she discovered at a young age and began applying to her work. “Once I was bitten by the self-employment bug, I learned no other person is going to work as I did, and I didn’t want to be managed or held back in my career goals. I had to build my own brand to go at an accelerated pace and set my own goals. I started making flyers and business cards at an early point in my career, and getting my branding right became my biggest asset. It gave me the confidence and skill to succeed in my different businesses,” she said. Suzette also showcases her works on La Galeriste.
Suzette’s journey is inspiring, and she hopes to propagate her story to everyone pursuing success. “I would like people to enjoy my journey as a simple success story that they can aspire to take their shortcomings as what makes them original and what is going to push them to limits they could have ever imagined. Sometimes we hold ourselves back, and I hope everyone adopts the “No Limits” mentality,” she said.
Over the next few years, Suzette looks forward to bringing her book to life in television production, which she is already working on. She also hopes to be a point of contact for creative people and entrepreneurs weathering storms to achieve success in their industries. “It’s in you if you believe you can make it happen. Keep pushing for what you believe in, and you will find success,” Suzette said.
