Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Ganz Stahl.
Hi Nikki, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
By creating. Over and over and over. I try to not worry about the race to a finish line because it doesn’t exist. It just keeps changing and moving with the horizon. Instead, I try to focus my energy on what perspective I have that may be valuable to contribute to society and the medium suited to do so. I make the stories that I’m inspired to tell. And my hope is always that someone relates and finds joy in my work too.
Right now, my absolute greatest joy around my art is the fact that my son who is too young to know I wrote it, picks out my book “Pops On Wheels” to read before bed. Seeing his reactions reading a story about my Dad, who we lost shortly after my son’s birth, that is the definition of soul-filling success.
Through “Pops on Wheels” I have been so lucky to connect with many families who also experienced a change in mobility of a loved one and are reading “Pops” to the kids in their lives. We have a special shared connection through this book and through our parallel lived experiences. It is a tiny simple thing in the world that says, “I see you and you are not alone.” This is why I keep creating. I absolutely love connecting with the people who bring my stories into their worlds because they are the ones breathing life into them and freeing them from the page.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No! But who has anything interesting to say from a smooth road!? It has been a very complicated road. Several years ago my father had a hemorrhagic stroke and emergency brain surgery saved his life. He lost the use of his left side and had a change in mobility to a wheelchair. I immediately stepped into many new roles, including caregiver. My whole purpose redirected to making all of the time we had left the best it could be, just as he had made all my years before.
My Dad was a pivotal person in my life. He was always present with me and growing up, he made our days together silly and joyful and filled with love. I am so grateful for this extra bit of time we had, challenges included. He got me down the aisle and we danced at my wedding. He welcomed two grandsons into the world and we didn’t waste a minute more that we were given. From this experience, I learned my own strength. I learned patience and compassion. And I learned life’s fragility.
My work will forever have this lens because who I am as a person is forever changed. I hope to carry forward the tremendous love we lived and the patience to just be in these life moments with my people. It is always home where I find the most inspiration.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I wrote and illustrated the disability-positive children’s book, “Pops On Wheels” and am currently illustrating my next children’s book. In addition to children’s literature, I act, write and direct scripted content for film, television and commercials with my husband Jackson, an amazing cinematographer and director.
We are working on a documentary about life after the stroke. It has been a fascinating journey for me, looking back at the beginning from this vantage point of time passed. I know now that it was going to be okay. But I really didn’t know how our life ahead would be, looking forward at day one. I’m hoping to give a bit of hope to anyone standing at their day one looking into that same black hole of unknowns. Many of these projects started as I processed my own grief, but they have given me purpose and connected me with a community that is resilient and living their own beautiful inspiring stories.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
The end sheets are my favorite part of illustrating. And I am very passionate about composting (a simple act with such a huge impact) but I lack a green thumb, despite the tremendous effort.
Thank you VoyageLA for chatting with me and sharing my story!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.PopsOnWheels.com www.NIKandJAX.com
- Instagram: @popsonwheels@
nikandjax - Amazon: Pops On Wheels : https://www.amazon.com/dp/173667840X?ref=myi_title_dp
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/nikandjax/
Image Credits
Courtney and Erin de Jauregui
