Niki Mathias

When I was around 40 years old, I read a science article in The Atlantic about the trait of high sensitivity. Everything I read about dandelions and orchids instantly resonated with me. I remember sending a thank you letter to the author - David Dobbs. Since then, I’ve explored all the evolving research about sensitivity, which has exploded in the last decade.

My favorite “tool” is noise cancelling earphones. Silence and solitude is incredibly calming to me. I’ve also benefitted from a weighted blanket and time outside in nature. If I’ve been in a very stressful situation, holding ice in my hands can be very helpful to shift the nervous system. There’s also science that shows humming can be calming.

Supertasters have significantly more taste buds in our mouth than other people. Therefore, our taste is so sensitive we can’t tolerate most bitter foods. I’ve never been able to drink coffee or eat dark chocolate, kale or broccoli. It’s estimated that 25% of the population is supertasters. There’s actual science behind being a picky eater!

French fries. I suppose I *could* live without them, but there’d be so much less joy in my life.  

I wish I could become a good surfer. I’ve spent many weeks of my life in surf camps, trying to get better. I wish I’d started when I was younger. I also realize I can’t improve very much when I live in the desert. Surfing is something you need to commit to if you want any real improvement. You need many days in the water to become a good surfer. Someday. 

Both. Don’t make me choose, they’re both awesome in their own ways. 

Yes, I really am. His real name was Jonathan Chapman and he’s my great-great-great-great-great Uncle (5 greats). He never had children so we’re all related through his brother. You can read more about him around the internets. 

There are so many great libraries! (1) Lane Road Library, in Upper Arlington, Ohio. This is where I spent the majority of my childhood. (2) Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This building is so well designed and organized, every visit makes me happy. (3) Evergreen, Colorado. They remodeled in 2023 and the new building is absolutely amazing. (4) Teton County, Wyoming. Another well-funded library that's a gem in the middle of Jackson Hole. 

I love a good museum! Sometimes I dream about an alternate career as a museum designer because I’m fascinated by how the best museums engage all our senses. Top 4 favorites: (1) The Apartheid Museum in South Africa (2) The US Postal Museum in Washington DC (3) The WWII Museum in New Orleans (4) The Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, KS. Honorable mention for the best science museum goes to COSI: Center of Science & Industry, in Columbus, Ohio. 

Many years ago (2006) I read the book Whole New Mind, by Dan Pink. In it, he explained the research about how labyrinths free the right brain, especially for people who tend to ruminate. He found that walking a labyrinth was more helpful for his ADD brain than yoga or meditation. I tried it, loved it, and now I look for labyrinths everywhere I travel. Walking a labyrinth calms the brain like nothing else, especially if you ruminate. And it’s a cool way to explore a new place while traveling, because every labyrinth has its own character.

Absolutely 100% yes. Go see the world, travel, meet people who are different from you. You can learn and contribute, while experiencing a new country completely different from wherever you grew up. It could be two of the most memorable years of your life. 

As of 2025, I’ve been to 19 countries.

All of them! I made it to my 50th state - Louisiana - in 2022. 

Heck no! I retired after finishing my third full Ironman. I’m glad I did them when I was younger. I believe that absolutely anyone who wants to can complete an Ironman – you only need to make the commitment.

Ohio, New Jersey, Russia, Honduras, Jamaica, Arizona, Colorado. 

I have to say Yellowstone, because I have very special memories of visiting the park with my grandmother many years ago. We stayed at the historic Old Faithful Inn, and I still love to return there. Close runner ups would be Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, and Yosemite. We have so many spectacular parks all across the USA. 

Born This Way, by Lady Gaga. In 2020, when everything transitioned to zoom, we got creative to keep things interesting and energized. We invited all our leadership instructors to pick a walkup song we’d play during their introduction. It’s a fun way to set the tone and I still encourage presenters to pick their own energizing walkup song.

Silence please! I love good noise cancelling headphones. I prefer a room alone, a closed door and silence. 

My home office in Tucson, Arizona. The oversized window looks out at the hummingbird feeder, I have a wall sized white board for brainstorming, a large bulletin board, and lots of bookshelves. I also work during the summers in Evergreen, Colorado (front range west of Denver) where the weather is spectacular. I wrote some of my first novel in an airstream, traveling around the western states. I’ve spent lots of happy time writing in libraries. I can’t handle the noise of coffee shops, but I love the calming silence of libraries. 

Morning, first thing, as soon as I wake up, I sit down and let things happen. I can usually write through until lunch, and then afternoons I spend on more practical adulting tasks. I almost never write in the evenings because by then my brain is tired and mushy. 

I’m kind of both… I say I’m a puzzler. First I invent/intuit/listen for the pieces of the puzzle that make up the story. Essentially I’m figuring out all the characters, who they are and what they want and where they live. This is like creating all the puzzle pieces. Then after I’ve figured out the world and characters, I organize all the random puzzle pieces into a coherent outline with specific beats. This is like putting together the overall puzzle picture so it all makes sense. Then I use that outline to write the first draft, discovering new details along the way. The first draft is where I figure out everything about the story as it takes shape. And then I start all over again with editing the second draft. I definitely need and love an outline, and I have lots of spreadsheets to organize all my writing fragments. I love a good spreadsheet! I can’t write forward until I know where I’m going with the world and characters and plot. So I pants in the first phase and then I plot in the next phase. But I don’t write forward until I have the whole outline figured out.

Yoobi college ruled spiral notebooks, Pilot precise V7 pens, plain legal pads, and Scrivener software. And a good adjustable standing desk. 

Ooh! Don’t make me choose between Naomi Shihab Nye, Mary Oliver, Andrea Gibson, David Whyte, Billy Collins, Carolyn Forche, Joy Harjo, Adrienne Rich, Anis Mojgani, Alberto Rios, and so many others. I love that so many younger poets are being read online and I secretly hope we might be having a poetry renaissance. 

There’s so many amazing shows online: The Sopranos, The Wire, The West Wing, Orange is the New Black, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, The Newsroom, Your Friends & Neighbors, Bloodline, Mindhunter, and so many others. 

Just use my contact form to send me a message – I’d love to respond directly!