Women who have influenced me - Florence Scovel Shinn

I can’t remember how I first found the writings of Florence Scovel Shinn, but I’m so glad I did. It was during one of the blackest times in my life that I found her and she has helped me through many a time since.


Florence was born in 1871 in New Jersey. She was educated in Philadelphia and studied to be an artist at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where she met her husband who was also an artist. They moved to New York City where she practised her art and was also an actress and, after fourteen years of marriage, her husband asked for a divorce. It was after this that Florence “got” religion and became a teacher in metaphysics. She wrote four books – “The Game of Life and How to Play it”, “Your Word is Your Wand”, “The Secret Door to Success” and “The Power of the Spoken Word”. I have them all in one book – The Complete Writings of Florence Scovel Shinn”.

Florence wrote specifically for women – her first book has the following on its first page:

“All power is given to each woman to bring ‘her heaven’ upon ‘her earth’ through right thinking. This is the goal of the Game of Life.”

Florence was a Christian and her writings reflect this. She uses quotes from the Old and New Testaments to illustrate her beliefs. But she mainly believes that what you think is what you get, or as she puts it “this means that what a woman images, sooner or later externalizes in her affairs.”

I’ve always believed in the power of one’s mind. I believe one can think oneself into certain illnesses and certain situations. Florence’s books provide many examples of this happening. I’ve read her books several times and often use her affirmations, but I also use them when I’m feeling down. I pick up my copy of her complete writings, turn to a random page and read what is there. It always helps.

These last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling very worried about my financial situation, to the point where all I felt was fear. Fear of not having any savings. Fear of not being able to afford the next bill. Fear of failure. I picked up Florence’s book, opened it randomly and found this affirmation: “The unexpected happens. My seemingly impossible good now comes to pass.” It felt right. I began to say it over and over and over to myself.

The next morning I stripped the beds to wash the sheets and, quite out of the blue, decided to turn my mattress. I usually don’t do this unless one of the boys is around to help, but I felt like doing something physical so attacked it on my own. Imagine my surprise when I found $150 under the mattress!

Now, for all you doubters out there, yes, I did put some money under my mattress a few months ago, it was about $400 that I can’t remember now where I got it. But I had spent it and a few weeks ago when I went looking to see if there was any left, there wasn’t.

Last night I was in the middle of my weekly chat to my father, who lives on the other side of the country. My father is very mindful of money and likes to keep his close to him, but out of the blue – and quite unexpectedly – he offered to pay for my next semester’s fees. Put the $150 and my father’s offer together and my faith in metaphysics and the power of the mind has been restored and I will try not to be fearful any more. In Florence’s words “Fear is a woman’s only adversary.”