listening from the outside in

boundaries, beautiful words & re-membering ourselves

It is so good to have you here.

Gosh, I hope it’s comfy.

I love how we are taking shape as Circle in this new, creative space. I started sharing on Substack to see if anyone out there feels similarly or simultaneously about a weekly “wonderment” that slides its way into my purview. When I have been vulnerable enough to share my inner dialog, my DMs fill to overflow.

I love following writers of all kinds here, it inspires and delights. (Maggie Smith, Elena Brower, Suleika Jaouad to name a few faves) If you are interested in starting your own, “ping me” and I will share all of my “set up” know how.

The process of moving thoughts and feelings to the page helps me make sense of things. It illuminates and instructs. It creates new order in its unfurling. As I give ideas shape and structure, I begin to remember me.

RE. MEMBER.

(Fun to break apart words like that, right?) It helps me, put me back together.

So many influences show up on the page. As a dear teacher shared long ago, keeping beautiful words in our ears, helps shape our boundaries, reflections and thoughts. Sometimes the not writing, but thinking about writing, can be the craft. What will you let in? Often, who I speak to, what I listen to…..snippets of conversations I take in or dialog I overhear are all fodder to feed the page. (And the soul!) We must deftly, decide and discern.

I am currently letting in a lot of Elise Loehnen. Her New York Times best seller, On Our Best Behavior is an exploration of the Seven Deadly Sins-ancient ideas of morality that still control and distort women’s lives today - revealing how trust in our natural instincts can return to us a more balanced, peaceful and spiritual way of life. Take this quiz and see if the behavior lives in you. Her podcast, Pulling The Thread, is a new favorite — filled with deliciously smart conversations that have cracked open thoughtful conversations inside my work and out.

I would love to get to know you better. Leave a comment. Or come visit. We can meet Tuesday night in my writing workshop. A prompt-led hour of curiosity. I hope to see your face in the zoom room. You can register for free here. Or make an appointment to connect on my site. It just got a pretty refresh. If you sign up for the emails you get a gift. Audio meditations and more. The best of books, pod appearances and beautiful ways for us to connect.

Have a great weekend and be mindful of how what you hear, or which beautiful words let in, can inform how you feel.

x, Barri