We had the lucky opportunity to chat with Emily Stock, the owner of Sundial Medicinals, who has been with us since the very beginning in 2016. We’ve shared our conversation below.

 

Emily, we’d love for you to introduce yourself and your apothecary.

My name is Emily Stock. I'm a clinical herbalist, medicine maker and educator in Moab. My product line and clinic is called Sundial Medicinals, where I see clients and make a line of herbal medicines including tinctures, teas, and body care. 

How did you first get interested in herbal medicine, and what drew you into this work?

I first started studying medicinal properties of plants as a teen, through my love of ecology and generally being a naturalist. When I started diving into herbs more directly the combination of ancient and modern knowledge just felt infinite, and I knew I could study plants my whole life and still be thirsty for more. Medicine making is a creative process that is always evolving and I let the plants guide me. 

What has the journey of building your business looked like over the years? Have there been any major challenges or guiding philosophies that have shaped your path?

My creative work has always been a labor of love, and I'm so grateful to be able to come to work each day and not need another job. Things have been pretty smooth over the past 14 years since I began medicine making, although I didn't pay myself for the first 5 years - despite the hard work I put into it. My philosophy has always been to take baby steps, and not make leaps that I would have a hard time growing into. I think it helps the creative energy flow when there isn't the strain of pressure. 

 

That is a great way to look at things! Would you have done anything differently to speed up your learning process?

I don't think so! I'm pretty focused when it comes to learning and I take all the opportunities to study that I can get. To me, learning is a continual process.

How do you balance the creative aspects of your work with the more routine or business-oriented tasks? Do you have any personal rhythms or practices that help guide your process?

As a full-time business owner, there are definitely parts of my work that are not creative in addition to creative time. I use moon phase astrology to guide medicine making days, although I might wait for another good opportunity if I'm not in the mood. Some days, straightforward tasks are more attainable and other days I'm in the creative flow. If I plan ahead enough, I can let my mood/intuition guide me without feeling rushed into doing things I'm not ready for.

 

Do you feel that both creativity and the marketing/selling aspect can dwell together in balance or is that something you are still fine tuning?

I love getting herbs out into the world and introducing people to plant medicine, so I don't have too many qualms about selling them. Selling my products also puts them into a wider circulation, and I love it when customers reach out to tell me how much the medicine is working for them. It is tough when I have to raise prices though. I have always had the philosophy that herbal medicine should be as attainable as possible, but rising overhead costs and prices of herbs can make that difficult. 

What does your creative process look like? Do you find it happens in cycles, or do you try to structure your time?

Breaks naturally happen for me when I need to take care of functional things in my business. I do find that when the creative energy is flowing, I have to meet it and stay in it for as long as possible, sometimes months, before the energy tires and I'm able to get back to nuts and bolts.

Where do you find inspiration when you’re feeling creatively drained, and how do you keep your creative energy flowing across different areas of your life?

I love to switch up what kind of creative energy I'm working with - sometimes it's in the garden, sometimes in the herb kitchen, sometimes in the woods, sometimes with writing or researching, or even playing music (even though it's not directly related to my work). If one branch of creativity gets tired, switching gears can be refreshing. 

My go-to for inspiration is the plants in their living form, and I can always get into a creative headspace from spending time in my feral garden.

 

What part of your work brings you the most pride or satisfaction? Are there aspects of formulation that you especially love?

I take pride in the strength and efficacy of my formulas. I'm a total geek about herbal constituent extraction, and formulation is also a hard-won art of balancing different herbal properties. It makes me so happy to hear from people when they have a long term issue that resolves easily from finding the right herbs. 

What motivates you most in your work with herbal medicine, and how do you see it fitting into the broader healthcare landscape?

I am passionate about introducing people to plants and sharing how effective they can be. I also feel there is a gap in our health care system for chronic imbalances, and that is something that herbs can do a lot for. There are many places where herbs and conventional medicine can work together to potentiate change in a really meaningful way. I hope my work serves as a bridge for people to start understanding how relating to plants can positively impact our individual lives, our culture, and our environment. 

How has the current political climate affected you and your work, and do you see herbal medicine playing a role in helping people navigate these times?

I am grateful to have herbs to support myself and others through the collective grief and heartache that this political season has wrought, although it feels like a drop in the bucket when thinking about the kind of change that needs to happen. 

Website: sundialmedicinals.com

Substack: sundialg.substack.com