Cheryl Melody Baskin

I remember reading series books like Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames, Student Nurse; There are other books I remember loving, too: Charlotte’s Web; Harold and the Purple Crayon; A Wrinkle in Time; The Giving Tree; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many more! Books carried me away and stimulated my imagination. They also motivated me to write my own plays and books when I was a child, and now!

It’s crucial to open the hearts and minds of children and adults and enjoy being curious enough about each other to learn from one another. I have the philosophy, and I write books and songs to reflect this philosophy, that we are truly “all one people, one global nation, one planet, and together we CAN live.” (from my song, “One Planet”). If we only think we are all supposed be one shade, one thought, one religion, one sexual orientation, the narrowness of that thinking can’t expand you as a human being and leaves our world crying and in pain from all the injustice, discrimination, inequality, and more. Our job as human beings is to write a new story for our one humanity and live the words, “Peace Begins with Me.” My passion is to write books that show us how we all have common feelings and thoughts, and we all want to matter, be loved, seen and heard. Diversity in schools and everywhere else is vital to the mental health of the world. Only by respecting each other can we raise the vibration and possibility of peace within ourselves and in the world. As Tina Turner’s song said, “it’s all about love.” It’s also all about peace, unity, justice, equality and HOPE, too.

My mother was an opera singer and she encouraged me to sing in front of people ever since I was three-years-old. After my first song in front of an audience, I was hooked from the applause. I didn’t know I could make people smile through my music, but after that little concert, I did, and it never left me. That’s not why I do it now, of course. I do it because it’s my soul’s work. It makes my heart sing. I am grateful for the music that has come through me over the years. I have nine award-winning albums under the stage name of “Cheryl Melody.” (available on any streaming service). Some are for babies through age 11; others are for adults for relaxation, inspiration, love. They all have positive messages. Words are powerful, whether you are writing music or a book, and through my choice of words, I feel good that I can raise self-esteem, encourage diversity celebration, stimulate creativity, and urge people to go for their dreams, no matter what. One of my songs, “One Planet” is being used by an international peace organization called The Visioneers International Network out of Vancouver, Canada, and I’m thrilled. I also wrote a three-act musical called, “Peace Begins with You and Me” for children. Music is one with my soul and I am thrilled to be not only a singer, but unexpectedly a composer, with songs coming through me at traffic lights and wherever I go.

What a great question! The most valuable skill is creativity. Some people feel they don’t have a creative bone in their body, but with the right guidance, I love to prove them wrong. “Heart-Dreamer” has many tips on how to bring out our creative flow. Creativity is such a sacred one. Without creativity, nothing would have been invented. As Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” It takes trust that you have more within you than you think you do. Trust in your creative flow and start small. Ask yourself, “How many ways?” How many ways can I clap, make a recipe, say the same sentence, write my book, sing this song? Have fun. Stay light and playful. It will just flow from inside-out.

It’s important that I don’t push anyone to do something they aren’t ready for. I listen to them with my heart and with full presence and I also notice tone of voice, and nonverbal gestures and expressions as well. I ask them questions that they alone can answer. We can be our own inner guru and I am just a guide, a friend, a listener and I also use my high intuition to channel any suggestions that might come through me. Most of all, empathy is vital. Honestly, I don’t find it challenging because I am using my sixth sense to guide me. I am listening to them and then listening to what wants to be channeled through me. That’s why I call myself an intuitive life coach. One struggle is that I have had to let go of feeling responsible for that person’s outcome. A consultant shares their wisdom, and then lets go. I also have to be careful not to allow someone’s problems to “infect” my being. I am highly empathic, but I have the healing tools to protect myself from taking on anyone’s issues and simply love them into encouraging their healing.

Oh, wow. You sure did your homework, Mady. In my book, “Heart-Dreamer: Stepping into Life, Love, Creativity and Dreams No Matter What” I have an entire chapter on names. Your name is powerful. Melody is actually my true middle name, and my first name of Cheryl never felt like the me of me. I look around to see who they are calling Cheryl! When someone calls me Melody, my heart sings. It is one with my soul, and by coincidence, music is one of my careers! Melody is what Native American culture calls, my Spirit Name.

Yes, it is as much for a twenty-year-old who is yearning to discover who they are as it is for a seventy something. I use social media, amazon ads, directories, book contests, book talks, workshops, all of it. I do find it hard to market my books or music, but I am also equally fascinated by it. My dream is to have both “Heart-Dreamer” and its sister book, “Peace Dreamer” in everyone’s hands and heart, and I’m still working on it. Probably until my last breath. I know I poured my whole heart into both of these books, and I believe in them. Someone said they are life coaching courses, and they are.

As they say about learning an instrument, it’s the same thing with writing. “Practice, practice, practice,” but in this case I would say, “write, write, write.” Don’t try to get it to perfection. Just write stream of consciousness and you can get more precise later. Allow what you think, feel and imagine to just flow from inside out. I wouldn’t attend a “critique your writing” kind of group when you are first starting out. I don’t even do it as an experienced writer. I just go with what I feel is best and communicates my thoughts best. As Emily Dickinson said, (loosely quoted)—"I look at a word until it shines.” I might play with words for hours and even into the night. Just begin and suspend your inner judge. Put that judge far away on another planet somewhere.

As you write, you are many people at once. Besides the writer, you are witnessing what you are writing and asking yourself critical thinking questions. Is my philosophy clearly stated? Will the reader understand this healing tool? Is there another way to say it? Am I being genuine? Speaking from my experience? Will they feel my heart? Will this spark personal growth and transformation? When I was writing “Peace Dreamer,” the sister book to “Heart-Dreamer,” I had to use critical thinking throughout the book. It touches on social and political issues, justice and discrimination issues, the pandemic, and much more. It was imperative that I understood the issues, how I felt about them, and how to communicate it openly, without being pedantic about it all. In “Peace Dreamer,” there are journal writing opportunities within the book with many critical thinking questions for the reader. What I like to call, “look within” questions. In this case, there are no right or wrong answers, but that said, it does require critical thinking and tapping into our emotional IQ as well.

I’m a fan of motivational self-help books and that’s why I write them, too. They have inspired, healed, and helped me over the years. I also enjoy books that are philosophical for the soul in nature. Right now I’m reading “The Book of Awakening” by Mark Nepo and “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer. I also loved “I Miss You When I Blink” by Mary Laura Philpott, and other books in that genre.

I couldn’t believe it. I’m one of those people who says, “I never win anything.” It felt so good. This book came through me during the pandemic and had a life of its own. As “they” say, it wrote itself and came from the deepest part of my soul. I was thrilled to received the review that was written by the Nonfiction Authors Association, and the endorsements it has received by Dr. Bernie Siegel and United Nations Santa Barbara CA. President, Barbara Gaughen Muller, but most of all, I am thrilled that readers have loved it and have given it five stars. Quite a feeling. It’s one of those books I find hard to explain in book talks. You have to read it to feel it. But one thing I know for sure – like “Heart-Dreamer” – a Silver Medal winner by Readers Favorite – both books are books for self-discovery and tapping into our innermost truth.

Some people are great at music theory. When I went to music school in Connecticut, theory was and still is my weakest area. I didn’t let that stop me. The songs I write are easy because they attract singers to sing them, but also because I couldn’t make it too complicated for my own purposes and limits as well! That said, if you have a bent toward music theory, all the more power to you. Your music will be rich in sound and interesting in key changes. The main point is that we all have strengths and weaknesses, and when we have a limitation, we need to make lemonade out of lemons and that’s what I did with music theory, composing, and creating 1000’s of songs and nine albums! Don’t let anything stop you with “I can’t do this and that.” Find a way. Brainstorm. Experiment. Most of all, believe in yourself, and trust.

Yes. The fact that I am a teacher and know how to pare down complicated subjects and make them clear helps me in my writing. I find ways to make everything I say user-friendly, clear, and interesting. The fact that I am also a composer and I prefer to write songs that have meaningful words that build character, self-esteem, diversity celebration, love, peace, compassion, empathy, kindness, creativity and joy seeps into my books, too. “Heart-Dreamer” and “Peace Dreamer” and the first book I wrote, “Shift of Heart,” all have words that matter. Words are powerful and I am highly conscious of each word and the emotional impact it will have on my readers. I love writing from my heart and from the gifts that teaching, performing, speaking and composing have given me as guides to write the kind of inspirational books that come out of me.

It carries me away. I could start at 5 in the morning and still be writing twelve hours later. I don’t do it for awards or money, although I wouldn’t argue if I received more of each, but I do it out of passion and an authentic desire I have to help others, motivate others, and give them hope in bad times and in good. I am also writing many articles for online magazines. Elephant Journal is one. Mystic Living Today is another. Sometimes, I can’t think of what to write and it drives me bananas until I do. I leave my writing, do something else, usually walk in nature, and before I know it, I have an idea for an article. Recently I wrote a very personal article called “Singing my Mother Home with Love” for Elephant Journal. The comments I’ve gotten have warmed my heart and encouraged me to write more articles like this. Going deep within and sharing deep personal stories is hard. This article wasn’t only about singing to her on her final days. It was also about our complicated relationship and forgiveness. Writing this article helped heal new layers within myself and the comments I’ve gotten made it all worth it. People hugging their moms a little extra, the personal stories people have written me – it makes writing and sharing so deeply worth all the work.

If 5 is the best, a definite 5! I love the banners you send, the tweets you put out and the care you put them out with! I love following other authors and having them follow my work, too. I don’t know how I stumbled onto your website, but I am very glad I did, and thank you for the research YOU did, Mady, in forming your questions to me.