As sappy as it sounds, when I moved to Spain in 2022, I wanted to arrive to the meaning of my name. For instance, I carry “Rose” from my mother’s grandmother and “Grajo” from my father’s grandfather. Grajo is a Castilian Spanish word for a black bird, and Rose—well, you know that story. “Shayna” from Yiddish and my matrilineal heritage means “beautiful.” How do I live my name?
I grew up a biracial daughter of two diasporas and now locate myself in the middle ground culturally and geographically between the United States and the Philippines. Having a Jewish American mother and a Catholic Filipino father led me to become the Buddhist “medio andaluza” resident of Spain that I am today, embracing tapas and flamenco. My perspective explores belonging and identity, translating and transforming experience. From my little perch in the world, I live at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Through this platform, I hope to empower you to be yourself, just as you are: unafraid and unabashed. My words traverse the expanse of health & wellness; art; “defense against the dark arts” AKA non-traditional marketing; digital minimalism, divestment & degoogling; Spain life; equitable wellness; baile or dance; simplicity; decolonial dreams; human-scale work; creativity; modern mysticism; and AI-free missives.
Building meaningful impact
“Like the old house builder, old breaker of stones and splitter of trees, we must destroy, but not to leave the world in disarray, shattered into millions of little cards, sealed in hermetic typologies. In the spirit of the builder, we break reality apart to rebuild it … He makes houses out of smashed scraps of nature. We make meaning out of ruined houses, moving from pattern to change, logic to will, culture to history…”
—Henry Glassie
Passing the Time in Ballymenone
Not until 2025 did I begin to build websites for a living. It wasn’t something I particularly was looking for, but a culmination of lived experience as a licensed massage therapist, yoga + dance teacher, and journalism degree holder turned digital marketer.
A writer at my core, I first built meaning and moved others through words. Now I transmit stories and impact through websites.
I’m honored to be a “junior” developer at Maple Creative, a web design agency rooted in generous marketing, connection, community care, and design-first builds. Gratefully clients through the agency are community builders and folks passionate about environmental and social justice.
Transitioning from life on the ground to the world of remote work, I’ve come full circle to value above all my real relationships. My dream clients are either those whom I’ve met in real life, or those who through referrals form relationships that are “real” enough to where I really get to know the person and pave that possibility for meeting face-to-face in the future.
“If you’re lucky, you realize early on that each decision you make answers a question that all of us muddle through: how to build meaning in our lives. Meaning is not something you stumble across or what someone gives you; you build it through every choice you make, the commitments you choose, the people you love, and the values you hold dear.”
—Maria Ressa
How to Stand Up to a Dictator
Long-term growth for healers, educators & artists
While I’ve studied website copywriting and search enginge optimization, my current interests are in marketing outside of algorithms, ads, Google, or social media. I prioritize partnerships, meaningful collaborations, and a values-driven approach. My mission is simple: long-term growth for healers, educators & artists.
Are you a creative business owner too?
For website design & support that iterates with you and achieves your goals, visit my pricing page and apply to work with me. I’ll be building out this site through the spring, so stay tuned 😉