About

Welcome Friends,

Enjoy reading, communicating, and being true to your multifaceted life endeavors. Whether you are a creator or promoting a creative, or coming along on the journey, we welcome you!

Jump to Headings in this article:

What you will find in Astoria Magazine

We hope you enjoy exploring and reading through our articles, sharing new ideas, special features, interesting insights, beautiful places, happening things, and creative people, shared with a sprinkle of experiences we’ve had along the way, a bit of poetic wit and wisdom, with even a dash or two of humor here and there.

• Features Section: Newsworthy Events, Places, and People
• Life Section: about Life, Family, Careers, and Changing Times
• Home & Garden Section: Beautiful Homes, Gardens, Food, and Interesting Projects
• Ideas Section: Ideas, Insights, and Advice from Experts
• Creative People Section: Featuring authors, artists, musicians, professionals, and interesting people from all walks of life.
• Trends: Skills and Trends are constantly changing. Are you creating new ideas? Are you discovering new things and making things happen? Let’s travel this journey together. We are always looking for a great new story!

Trina Astor-Stewart, editor.

“With over 30 years of experience in museum leadership, photography, and professional art, I am dedicated to fostering a supportive community for creators”.

How We Can Work Together

• Artist & Writer Spotlights: We frequently feature creative people and events in Astoria  Magazine and beyond—often at no charge—to help grow our vibrant community.
• Guest Contributions: Have a story, poem, or insight you want to share? Have a look at our family-friendly values and submission guidelines. Astoria Magazine focuses on helpful, positive topics.
• Business Publicizing: Looking to grow your creative endeavor? Ask about our reasonable rates for publicity through articles about you.

Get in Touch

I personally review every inquiry (except the spam!). For the fastest response, please see the Contact Page.

When reaching out, please include:

1. A brief “hook” about your project or story idea.
2. A link to your portfolio, social media, or past work.
3. Why do you feel your work is a great fit for the Astoria Magazine community? 

Let’s Create Something Together

“I believe in the intersection of art, history, and a shared creative journey.”

Whether you are a reader with a question about my books, an artist seeking a spotlight in Astoria Magazine, or a fellow “Polymath” interested in a collaboration, I would love to hear from you.

How We Can Connect

To help me get back to you as quickly as possible, please select the category that best fits your inquiry:

• For Artists & Writers: Are you interested in being featured in Astoria Magazine? I am always looking for new voices and local talent to promote. Please include a link to your portfolio or a brief summary of your work.
• Author Inquiries: Questions about my latest series, Abby Finds Her Happy Place, or my cookbooks? I personally answer all my readers’ emails. Depending on whether I am in a deep art or writing session and dealing with a deadline, I usually get back within 24 to 48 hours.
• Collaborations & Press: For media inquiries, guest speaking, or creative partnerships regarding my work as a museum professional and author.
•  Just Saying Hello: I love hearing from readers and fellow creatives! If you enjoy the “unintentional ASMR” on my YouTube channel, Calm Creative Process Videos, feel free to drop a note.

How to Get in Touch – See the Contact Page

Astoria Magazine: Artist & Writer Submission Guidelines

“Promoting the voices that shape heritage and culture.”

Thank you for your interest in being featured in Astoria Magazine. Our mission is to shine a light on the dedicated creatives, whether you work locally or have the world as your oyster—if you enjoy bringing beauty and history to life, we’d love to hear from you.

What We Are Looking For

We profile artists, writers, and heritage keepers across all disciplines and even foodies! We are particularly interested in:

• Artist Spotlights: Short-form interviews or deep dives into your creative process and latest collections.
• Literary Features: Excerpts from new books, poems, or essays about local culture and history.
• Process Stories: Behind-the-scenes looks at how you work (much like my own calm creative process videos!).
• Astoria Magazine readership is everywhere the internet goes. For that reason, we like articles with broad audience appeal. Contributors can write about local issues or add links, but please ensure the article primarily appeals to a wider audience. Although this is a rule, the editor may accept local articles, particularly if the subject matter can appeal to a wider audience. Posts are at the discretion of the editor.

Submission Requirements: After initial contact.

To ensure a high-quality feature, the following is a guide of things we are looking for:

1. A Brief Bio: 150–300 words about who you are and your creative journey.
2. High-Resolution Images: 3–5 clear photos of YOU, YOUR WORK, YOUR WORKSPACE, and perhaps WITH THOSE YOU SERVE.
3. Submitted images must be attributed to the creator. Otherwise, an in-house replacement can be made.
4. Links: Your website, Social Media, Substack, Facebook, or Amazon, etc., so our readers can follow your work.
5. A Personal Quote: A few sentences on what “creative community” means to you.
6. Referrals: What people say about you.

Guest Contributed Articles:
From time to time, we do accept a limited number of Guest Contributor Articles. The articles should be original and not published elsewhere. Titles should fit on one line in the article. Publication date at the discretion of the editor. Any links in the article will be vetted by the editor, and if a link repeatedly appears broken, it will be removed. Articles should fit the categories and positive themes of Astoria Magazine.

How to Submit

Please send your materials to – trina at astoriamagazine dot com with the subject line: “Submission: [Your Name] – [Your Discipline]”.

Please Note:

Astoria Magazine does not recommend or endorse any product, copywriting, advertising, or links in Guest Contributor Posts. Astoria Magazine has complete editorial control, and any links that do not follow our family value material will not be posted.

Any advice on this website is based solely on personal experience. We are not doctors or health professionals. All articles are the opinions of the authors and their independent research. Sometimes, advice may be given by a health professional, who will be quoted by name. We encourage you to always do your own research on any personal matter affecting you or your family and friends.

Guest Contributors warrant that any post submitted for publication is original, non-plagiarized, and does not contain duplicate material from another website. No spam or spam content is allowed. If links become broken, they will be double-checked and, if not available, deleted. It is the contributor’s responsibility to provide good and reputable links, if any.  If any post material is non-compliant, the post will be removed without notice.

Guest contributors who submit articles may or may not be charged to publish, which is the editor’s sole discretion. Contributors will be informed of this in advance.

Guest Contributors who submit images to accompany an article must include a credit byline for the image source/creator. Astoria Magazine reserves the right to edit or add to any contributed material.

A little history about Trina Astor-Stewart

I was only recently told I was a polymath, which explained a lot about me. Since polymaths are often initially denigrated in their working life because society favors extreme specialization. Often called “jacks-of-all-trades” who lack the focus of a single field of expertise. But sampling and learning of various other things can help solve problems in unique ways.

Because of changes over the last few decades, previously steady lifetime careers have been disrupted.

Just one example I can tell you about is if you remember what life was like before computers. Well, I do. I worked for a long time as a professional photographer. In those days, photographers used film that needed “developing” in a darkroom using chemicals. Prints were made using specialized coated papers, which you exposed to light, then processed in chemicals, and hung to dry. Large negatives, as the films were called after processing, were retouched using very sharp lead pencils. It was a painstaking art form that changed from using pencils to tiny brushes and dyes. Then the prints were further retouched, or, since they were black-and-white, hand-colored in oil. The artist-photographer was often chosen by clients for their skill at making people look good in a portrait. It was a good living.

Then, color photography, smaller film, and digital photography came along. Many of the artisans skilled in these techniques were wiped out by changes in the field. I was young back then and had been told these things I was being taught would never be out of fashion. It all hit after I began my own studio after working for a counterpart of Karsh, Artin Cavouk. When I began working there, I already had skills, but I learned another level of the art in his studio. I remember working on large portraits and retouching them for days; it was really painting, but it had to look photographic.

Well, you can imagine the changes computers have brought about. I had to relearn everything to use software like Photoshop and get similar results. Actually, I am glad of it as retouching one image means infinite prints. While I worked with Cavouk, there were orders for portraits, as many as 100 copies of the same photograph. Imagine the time it took to do this work with very fine brushes dipped in dyes. And they all had to look the same!

Well, I won’t bore you with all the changes that came after that, but let me say, when you are running your own art-related business, you need to be a “jack-of-all-trades!” Like learning marketing, bookkeeping, building rapport with clients, and doing whatever was needed to bring in the dollars. Mainly, it is about “Finding a Need and Filling it”. And, “How to solve problems!”

I remember one time I got a phone call after hours from a man who needed a portrait right away. I was about to say, I didn’t do rush jobs anymore, as often I had dropped everything to help, only to have the rush job not be picked up until weeks later. But something in his voice and my need to pay the rent made me say, “Of course, I’ll be right there.” Well, he really had a need right away. While I was at his home, taking the photo, he kept apologizing for the blank wall in his family’s interior, which was decorated to the nines. When you are in business, you have to pick up on these clues. So I mentioned I was also a painter and would be happy to create something for that wall.

To make a long story short. Since my retouching skills made me super good at matching colors, I began the assignment with paints and brushes in hand, taking color notes of the room. I also listened to what the painting should look and feel like. His wife had very specific asks for this 5×4 ft. “Abstract” that should go beyond colors to reflect the style of the room and have lasting depth, so they would not tire of it.

It was a bit of a nerve-wrecker, as if they didn’t like the results, the order would be cancelled. It happens when you are new, young, and desperately needing clients! Nonetheless, given the potential fee, I took the risk. Thankfully, they loved it and even commissioned two more paintings over the next few years. All because I picked up on a conversation. I found a need and a want, and I filled them.

I tell you this story to encourage you if you are a young person just starting out. Learn all you can in your career and outside of it, develop problem-solving skills and a wide range of interests, and AI won’t be able to put you out of work. I think being a modern polymath is something you learn through experience.

So, years later, I “problem-solved” my way to where I am now, with a resume that looks like a hodgepodge, but I managed to pay the bills mostly by “keeping my wits about me” as much as possible.

My career was woven together by creative endeavor. Decades of experience in traditional fine art, photography, and digital media. I apply everything to what I’m doing, from raising a family and developing gluten-free recipes to writing and illustrating books, and from a decade-long career as a museum executive. In that role, I wrote successful grant proposals, managed the projects, and completed grant reports. I created summer camp programs for children ages six to eleven, directed student and senior volunteers, and managed museum events, tours, and the artifact collection.

These days, I am most often found in my home studio in Niagara Falls, NY, at my laptop, creating calm YouTube videos of me illustrating. Oh, and I hum and sing while I work, who knew this would be unintentional ASMR?

Being a polymath has led me to be an author, a digital artist, a historian, and a cook. What you learn being a parent is also priceless!

That’s enough about me! Let’s hear about YOU!

“The whole idea at Astoria Magazine is to share some beauty, insights, and delight for you, Dear Readers.

To spread joy, to dare,
to take an abundance of care
for everyday life, to discover
something positively nice… just like a cuddly teddy bear.

Life teaches us many things…
Only by sharing do we help others.
Wishing you all the best every day in every way.”

Trina Astor-stewart

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