I was deathly afraid to do this experiment. I had been depressed and isolated for a long time, but I saw this as a chance to get out into life and change and hopefully learn a bit more on how to love myself, other people and enjoy life. I had to put all my courage into it, and it really paid off.
Writing the book was a lesson in patience and believing in myself. I was coming out of a dark place, and I needed a project, a goal, something to look forward to so I decided to document my experiences with the hopes of turning it into a book. I even hired an assistant/spy to go along with me and document/observe. So, I lived the 5 week experiment and then set about to write about it.
It took me ten years to get the book out into the world. I guess the take-away from that is never give up! Find the courage.
Stacy Harshman lives and works in Manhattan’s East Village. After a midwestern childhood in a family of designers, antique dealers, and equestrians, Stacy traveled extensively before finding a home where she belongs, in New York City. Always driven toward creative expression, Stacy writes fiction, memoir and essays, and has written and recorded five albums of original music.