I have had the pleasure of doing readings for Ms. Amber (a.k.a Glamber Amber to her friends), for a few months now. (I do enjoy referring to her as “Glamber Amber” in order to make a distinction between her and my lovely social media specialist, who is also called Amber, lol!) Through the readings and general phone calls we have become friends and one day she was excited to tell me about her new business venture, The Write Choice. I thought it would be neat to do a mini interview on her and be able to share with my readers more about someone else’s journey. Amber is a wonderful example of one enjoying life’s experiences, the importance of making connections, and the willingness to share the shadow side of oneself. 

So without too much of an introduction, especially since Glamber Amber is very good about sharing her story, I will let her be the focus and primary voice to this post. 

Enjoy! :0)

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Brandy (B:) You have a unique career, can you tell us a bit about it?

Glamber Amber (G.A.): Of course! I am the copywriter behind The Write Choice. First and foremost let’s talk about copywriting and what it is. Copywriting is the art of crafting compelling words to engage consumers and enhance advertising, marketing, and sales. The Write Choice offers copywriting services with a focus on unique storytelling and brand marketing. Writing is my passion and it feeds my soul. I’m very fortunate to love what I do.

B: That’s awesome you love what you do! I also know you enjoy travelling and recently went to Africa. Could you tell us a little about your experience there?

G.A.: I had a calling for something more. It was August and I sat in my condo having a little pity party for myself because I had just missed out on a work opportunity, business was slow, and the guy I was seeing told me he wasn’t attracted to my body and that’s why he wanted to just be friends. My ego took a massive blow when he told me that and I couldn’t help but feel a bit shit. 

I’m pretty good at shaking things off and in the midst of my pity party, I caught myself and said – “HEY! You have a lot of things to be grateful for. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and thinking about what you don’t have, think about what you DO have.”

The self-talk got me thinking about life in other parts of the world. I wondered how other cultures defined happiness and success. Africa had always been on my bucket list and I knew I wanted to give back to the world in some way. I didn’t have the financial resources to make a monetary donation but I knew that I could donate my time and energy. I decided to volunteer through WorkAway and began my search for a volunteer mission.

WorkAway is basically like online dating, but for volunteering. It’s a platform where you build a profile as a volunteer and then you match up with organisations looking for volunteers. The really cool part about WorkAway is that they have positions available all over the world!

I volunteered for a month with Bethel Caring Academy, a unique school offering education to pre-school and nursery aged children in Mombasa, Kenya. BCA is a beautiful organisation run by Pastor Dennis. I volunteered as an art teacher and a teacher assistant. 

Teaching art was a dream come true. The children were absolutely lit up by all of the art supplies I brought over. We had so much fun exploring colours, painting with our fingers, and playing with different mediums.

B: That’s such a beautiful story! And I absolutely love to paint and colour and just in general play and craft with various art supplies. I’m sure the kids had a great time with you! Continuing with travel,  where is one of your favourite places to travel and why??

G.A.: Aside from my new found love of Kenya, one of my favourite places to travel is Bali. I’ve been there a couple of times and I steer away from the Bintang singlet wearing party areas like Kuta or Seminyak. Instead I travel about 4 hours northeast to a sleepy fishing village called Amed. I love it there, it is the real deal authentic Bali. A tourist free paradise, untouched by the western world. The locals are warm and welcoming and the sunsets are one of a kind. The reason it’s one of my favourite places to travel is probably because of the wild and crazy spiritual experiences I’ve had there.

B: Oh! Please share more about those experiences!

G.A.: It’s actually a wild (and kind of long) story. It was January 2015 and I had just come off of doing a major reality TV show in Australia. It was a very stressful experience and fame had taken its toll on me. I struggled with mental health, addiction, and eating disorders. I went to therapy and my therapist (God bless her) said she was hesitant to start me on antidepressants because there were so many layers to what was going on. I came to the conclusion that western medicine didn’t have an answer for me so I decided to go to Bali and try my hand at eastern medicine. 

I found myself in Bali, a broken shell of a human being, searching for an answer of how to heal my heart and soul. One day I was running down the beach trying to find wifi for an emergency phone call and I stumbled upon this little beach bar. In a tizzy and in need of making an important phone call I quickly asked the owner for their wifi and said I would order something. 

After my call, I settled down and thanked the owner for his graciousness and apologised for the frantic energy I showed up with. The owner was named Rasti, an old-school rastafarian with dreads down his back and a pet monkey on his shoulder.

Rasti had a calming energy and there was just something about him that made me want to converse. He asked me why I was in Bali and my response was, “I’m trying to find myself.” He responded with a laugh and said, “My friend, just like everyone else.” 

We shared a chuckle and then he told me that his uncle had a meditation centre in the mountains. He said if I was keen, he would take me there. So naturally, I went. 

There I was; on the back of a motorcycle, rolling through the Balinese mountains of Amed, my arms wrapped tightly around Rasti’s waist for security, and then it dawned on me… “Shit, I’m on the back of a motorcycle with some random rastafarian in the Balinese mountains that I barely know and I’m pretty sure my cell phone doesn’t work here… I hope this all works out for me.” 

Low and behold, it did work out for me. Haha! We arrived down a long stone driveway with two buddha’s at the end, holding bowls of water with frangipani flowers floating ever so gracefully inside. I’ll never forget that beautiful sight or how sweet the air smelled.

We walked into Medatasi Bungalows and were welcomed by a festively plump bald headed man who kind of looked like a smiling buddha himself. He greeted us with open arms and said, “Come in! Come in my friends!” His name was SB. Ironically, SB stood for Smiling Buddha and everyone called him that because he did in fact, look like a smiling buddha. Lol

Meditasi Bungalows has two sides; to the left there are the suites and to the right there is the restaurant and sitting area. The restaurant is all bamboo architecture with traditional Balinese accents, it has a small seating area with big red cushions that overlooks a beautiful bright green lawn. A short stone fence sits compiled around the grass and leads up to a bright red door frame. You walk through the bright red door frame and onto the beautiful black sand beach. It’s a sight I’ll never forget, truly breathtaking. 

Rasti, SB, and I relaxed on the big red cushions smoking clove cigarettes, taking sips of arak (local moonshine), and talking about life. I told them that I was a writer and then divulged the flurry of fame that I found myself in and all the traumas and dramas that went with it. They invited me to stay at Meditasi Bungalows as their honorary guest and SB revealed that he was a meditational guru. He offered to take me under his wing and teach me his meditational practices. 

My stay at Medatasi Bungalows was magical and healing. They honoured me with a ceremony and gave me plant medicine to heal. They gave me offerings of songs and dance. We stayed up all night under the midnight sky that was sprinkled with stars that were like angels looking down on me. Then one night I received plant medicine and there was a big thunderstorm. Every strike of thunder felt like my inner darkness was leaving my soul. I’ll never forget how powerful it was. The next morning I woke up and I was like, “What the hell happened last night??”

Bali cleansed my soul and spirit and helped me on my healing journey. I found pieces of inner peace through plant medicine and gifted ceremony. To this day, I feel blessed to have experienced this.

B: That is an incredible story!! You were very brave for having gone into some Bali mountains with a stranger, LOL! But I am so glad it worked out the way it did and how beautiful of an opportunity to feel cleansed and gain some healing during your travels. Bali has always been on my bucket list but I think it’s even more so now! 

Going into your history some more… Did you have any spiritual or ghost-like experiences when you were a kid?

G.A.: My dad died when I was 10 years old and after that I started to experience something I couldn’t explain. I felt this connection to him that I couldn’t describe. I could feel him all around me; feel his energy. I had visions of him as an angel coming down to watch over me at night and being at the foot of my bed. It was so real to me, and the memories are still so vivid. 

As an adult, I now know, those experiences were real. I feel a very strong connection to my loved ones who have passed. I call them my spirit guides because they send me messages and I speak to them often. I know they are always watching over me and I constantly feel their presence.

B: I’m sorry your dad died when you were so young. I can imagine that being rather difficult. Thank you for sharing that piece. I also think it’s awesome that you have a strong connection to your loved ones who have passed on and can ask them for messages and guidance. With that said, I’m sure you find you need to cleanse your energies at times, too.  How do you like to cleanse your energies? Do you use crystals (and if you do, what are your favourites)?

G. A.: I love a good chakra cleanse! My favourite thing to do is use crystals with correlating chakra colours and place them over each of my chakras. I turn on a chakra tuning and balancing meditation and I hover my right hand over each chakra as the music plays. My hand literally SHAKES! It will move vigorously until the energy is clear and then all of a sudden it just – stops. I take a deep breath and I know that the energy centre is cleared. 

B: That is super cool! And intense, LOL!! I like to use crystals with the corresponding chakras at times too. I find it can be very helpful to focus the energies that way, too. Thanks for sharing!

Now on to something again a little more “serious”… I do discuss things like anxiety and depression in my blog. If comfortable, could you please share more about your own experiences with mental health concerns.

G.A.: I’ve been on a journey with my mental health over the past decade. Inside of that, I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, and PTSD. I am a mental health advocate and very open about my diagnosis. I believe the more we share about our mental health, the less stigma it creates in our society.

My mental health journey unfolded after being on reality TV. Being a celebrity was a stressful endeavour. I experienced negative press from the way my character was portrayed on the TV show. I received a lot of criticism from the media and online bullying and harassment from the Australian public. I was stalked and followed by the paparazzi and every time I turned around someone was talking about me and my name was in the tabloids.

I felt like I had no control over my life. Life as I knew it, was spinning out of control. I felt my sanity slipping through my fingers like a piece of fine thread trying to find the eye of a needle. My eating disorder gave me a sense of power and control when I felt like I didn’t have it in any other areas in my life. I now know that was a false sense of control and my coping mechanisms were unhealthy. I would use alcohol to escape and drugs to numb my existence. 

My days consisted of obsessing over the media and how I was being portrayed, not being able to cope with it, starving myself, drowning my sorrows in alcohol, getting too drunk, using drugs to “sober up”, and taking a non-prescribed Valium  to “take the edge off” and go to sleep. 

I would wake up the next day with a pit in my stomach and my mind racing with anxiety and depression consuming my body to the point where I wouldn’t get out of bed some days. Eventually I would feel so sick from not eating that I would force myself to eat. I would instantly regret it and resort to bulimic behaviours. Feeling guilty about that, I would drink to deal with the guilt, get too drunk…. You know the rest of the story. I was trapped in a vicious cycle of fame, alcohol, drugs, and eating disorders and I didn’t know how to escape. I was my own worst enemy and I didn’t know how to stop myself. 

I’ll never forget my moment of realisation. I was in a very dark place and had suicidal thoughts. I went to the convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes and couldn’t help but glance over at the dreaded tabloid magazines. For once my name wasn’t on the tabloids though. Instead, there was a big picture of Robin Williams with a news caption that he had died by suicide. My heart sank. 

Robin Williams was a hero of mine. As a child, I found solace in escaping the chaos of my abusive upbringing through movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Aladdin. He brought so much laughter and happiness into this world, and yet something so dark overcame him and took him out. It was a scary thought and a moment of realisation that I needed to talk to someone about the darkness going on in my mind.

That week I came clean to my therapist and told her everything that was going on – the drugs, booze, eating disorders, and all time mental lows. I burst into tears as I spilled out the truth, but it was the best thing I ever did. Admitting I had a problem was the first step in finding a solution.

B: Wow! That would have been scary, I’d imagine, to have your name thrown in tabloids and no control over the image that’s being portrayed. I can see why you had the behaviours you did. Bravo for being open and honest with your therapist when you were, and you should be very proud of your strength in that moment to share that very private information. And yes, that was incredibly sad news about Robin WIlliams. I greatly enjoyed those same movies and his stand up comedy specials. He will  surely be missed. 

Sometimes people journal or do other activities to keep themselves busy while trying to get sober or stay sober. These types of rituals or activities can also be done by anyone really who wants to cleanse their energies or clear their minds of clutter, especially during Spring and/or the moon cycles specifically. Do you do any particular activities during these cycles or in your everyday, general life? 

G.A.: I wish I was a good little white witch and practised regular moon ceremonies. But hey, life happens and sometimes I forget to tune into our mother moon and all of her beauty. In a perfect world, I would do a ceremony for each new and full moon. 

At present, it’s more like I start to feel out of whack and then I wonder, “Hmmm… I wonder what the moon is doing right now?” That usually brings me to Google and find out that it’s a new or full moon and then I’m like, “Ahhhh! Yeah… I should do a ceremony.” Haha!!

B: Oh I can totally relate! I do that with mercury retrograde too, lol! How about when having a stressful day, what do you now do to help unwind?

G.A.: I write. I live and breathe writing. I’m so fortunate to love what I do as a copywriter and when I finish work for the day I start to work on my personal writing. Whether that’s working on my book or writing in my journal(s)…. I have MANY journals! I write when I am happy, sad, mad, productive, tired… it doesn’t matter to me. It’s always a good time to write!

B: Good for you!! How about if you’re looking to have some fun…  What do you like to do for FUN?

G.A.: Aside from writing; I love to garden, sew, travel, and make art. I’m obsessed with this new metallic watercolour palette I got and have been really into painting lately! I’m either a social butterfly or a total recluse, it really depends which day of the week you catch me on haha. When I’m in my social butterfly mode I love to catch up with family and friends. My favourite thing to do is LAUGH! My friends and family are all super funny and we always have a great time together. When I’m in my total recluce mode, fun to me is staying in and watching Vanderpump Rules or Real Housewives with a yummy cup of tea or kombucha. 

B: Love that! You fit very well with this little community… we all seem to enjoy moments of engaging with society and catching up with people… or wanting to “hide” a little and watch shows I lovingly refer to as “garbage tv”. ;0) Those are some great ways to have fun… whether with people or on your own. 

Speaking of TV (in general)… Do you have any YouTubers or others on social media you like to watch for tarot readings, etc.?

G.A.: My gusband (gay husband) is renowned psychic medium, Harry T. He is basically the Tyler Henry of Australia. He is a very dear friend of mine and I like to follow him for updates, partially because I love him and partially because of how amazingly accurate he is! 

I’m friends with Shaman Durek as well and like to follow him. I met him on the set of The Doctors when we did a segment together on healing love blockages. He always has great posts and I highly recommend checking him out too!

B: Awesome! Thank you for the suggestions!

Now along the lines of “woo-woo” practices, or however people relate to all the spiritual sides of things..  Do you have any prayers, affirmations or mantras you like to use or could recommend to our readers?

G.A.: Being a sober queen, I’ve become VERY familiar with the Serenity Prayer over the last four years. It’s something that brings me peace and comfort when times are tough. I also really love the Prayer of St. Francis, there is something so beautiful about that prayer. 

B: The Serenity prayer is definitely a common one. I am glad you have those to help you feel calm brings peaceful energies. 

How about books… have you read any lately that you would like to recommend?

G.A.: I haven’t been reading books lately because I’ve been busy writing a book. I’m writing my first novel and it’s proving to be quite the process! Haha! It’s called Behind The Rose Colored Glasses and it follows the journey of a girl in her mid twenties through the ebbs and flows of her rise to fame, relationship within herself, and battle through addiction. It’s a story of survival and perseverance with a strong female lead that I know readers will enjoy. Oh and it’s totally fictional, I swear. 😛 

B: That’s awesome, good for you!! Will be excited to read it when it’s published.  

Well this brings us to the end of our little interview. Thank you again, Ms. Glamber Amber from The Write Choice, for sharing your history, your passions and your cleansing ritual suggestions today. If anyone is interested in doing similar work you do… Do you have any advice for them?

G.A.: If you’re interested in becoming a writer my advice would be to go out and live life. Be wild, free, and make crazy life choices that take you on random adventures. Live your life to the fullest and take every opportunity that is in front of you. If you feel like you don’t have an opportunity, then go out and CREATE one! The best writers I know are full of life and life experiences. You can’t write what you don’t know…. So go out and get to know the world!

B: Well said! Please let us know how people reach you/ connect with you. :0)

G.A.: The best way to reach me is on Instagram @_thewritechoice_ 

or through my website at www.thewritechoice.ca

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