Our Story
An Accidental Coronation
Hi -- I'm Valerie Burke, aka "Shungite Queen." You're probably thinking, Shungite Queen... really? This chick must have quite the inflated ego. Truth be told, I didn't choose that title - it chose me.
For years I was operating under the dba "Tiny Mad Idea." As a lifelong student of A Course in Miracles, that name was near and dear to my heart. I wouldn't have dreamed of changing it were it not for stumbling onto shungite. In 2017, after several years of making jewelry, I set out to find naturally EMF protective stones. That's when I discovered shungite. It was a turning point for my business.
It seemed as though shungite was what everyone was looking for, but didn't know they were looking for. Learning that this rare and mysterious Russian rock had some actual science behind it made my inner nerd jump for joy. But when I laid my hands on the first little stone, it really grabbed me! I don't know if it was the stone's energy, or my fascination with the earth, but I knew this little black rock and I were destined to travel the world together.
Ever since then, friends and customers alike have been calling me The Shungite Queen. Resistance is futile.
Rocks, Medicine, Arts & Cats
I never dreamed I would find a way to combine my bachelor's degree in geology and my master's in nursing science with my fascination with energy and the mind-body connection - and then blend ALL of those into my life's greatest passion: art. Divine intervention, I say!
I have been writing and doing art for as long as I can remember. I have always needed a creative outlet. Painting, drawing, graphic design, and ceramics have all had their grips on me at one time or another. When I had a psychotherapy practice treating traumatized children, play therapy and art therapy were my go-to tools. Basically, art has followed me to the ends of the earth and back in all of my personal and professional meanderings. Creating is healing.
When I'm not writing or playing in the studio, I can be found cooking, doing yoga, or petting my two fabulous feline compadres. We live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest - in Olympia, Washington - which never fails to inspire.
I love animals, good wine and good coffee. I recently learned that coffee can extend your life so I could be immortal by now. My favorite quote...
"Don't believe everything you think."