Dani Resh
Michigan artist, author and storyteller Dani Resh’s creative imagination was sparked at an early age.
“I’ve always been drawn to the more mysterious elements of life. I grew up in the country – a magical environment with ice storms and the seasons which inspired my creativity,” she said.
It was during her early years that she grew to love mythology, legends, folklores, fairytales, mythical places and the supernatural.
As a child, Resh began focusing on fine arts after she was involved in a car accident and was told that she would have linguistic challenges in life. In the 1990s, she graduated from College for Creative Studies with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and then earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from Penn State University. Most recently, she received a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Oakland University.
According to Resh, her first job was for a company which hired artists to sit with patients to paint their new prosthetic eye to match their other eye. “It was gratifying to work in a field that helped make lives better,” she said.
Helping or offering some kind of assistance became an underlying theme of her career path which included working as a county clerk then as a paralegal to provide free civil legal services to local community members who are older, low income or survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault.
She also added fantasy genre writing to her professional pursuits and imaginative storytelling.
“I began to feel that my art didn’t feel complete – it only gave fragments of the story, so I started writing but didn’t disclose it to anyone until I had the confidence for it,” she explained.
Resh is currently working on the third installment of The Magic Shoes Series, a trilogy described as “a middle-grade fantasy series with a splash of paranormal” published by Warren Publishing. She began writing the first book of the series titled, “Compass to Vinland” 10 years ago. It was published in 2021. The second book, “Clarity of Sight,” was published two years later.
The series takes place in Pennsylvania and was inspired by things that cannot be explained as well as “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” nursery rhyme. In the series, a shoemaker (who lives in a shoe) creates three pairs of magic shoes with different powers. The stories follow the captivating adventures of his grandson and two friends after they discover the hidden shoes. Each book focuses on the perspective of one of the three main characters.
“I like writing escapism for middle grades and young adult audiences because it’s often an age of struggle and heavy issues, like making connections and navigating friendships. The world can be rough,” she explained. “I created a focus on friendship, adventure and just having fun. It’s entertainment.”
In addition to completing the trilogy, Resh is also working on a young adult fantasy novel featuring mythology and folklore.
In addition to art, writing, work and a love of adventure travel, Resh enjoys spending time discovering exciting ideas and places to enhance creativity.
She hopes her books “ignite creativity and thinking” in readers and encourage those who are considering work in creative fields: “I wanted to write at a young age but was pushed down and discouraged. To be a writer, it takes focus, hard work and not listening to the negative voices...Writing is a very visual experience for me. I love writing fantasy because the possibilities are limitless.”
Story: Tracy Donohue
Photo: Laurie Tennent
