Who writes about ordinary collisions?

Hi, I’m Heidi. I live in Minnesota with my husband and daughter where I tend a large vegetable garden, explore nature, and do my best to live simply. I’ve been a working wellness coach in various capacities (from groups to individuals) for nearly 20 years, and I write a welless column in the Wayfarer Magazine. As a mother, spouse, nature lover, and writer, I am committed to cultivating ways of being that are life-giving and sustainable for people, communities, and the planet.

What are “Ordinary Collisions”, and why write about them?

The forces in our lives are constantly colliding—sometimes in ways that work out well and sometimes in ways that don’t. I want to explore what it means to work with the collisions, rather than against them. This means digging into how humans and nature interact, from our relationships with other humans, non-humans, and ourselves to our relationship with the landbase to our role in the story of the world.

Though the process is often messy and full of mistakes, I’m committed to making my life and work a daily practice centered around working toward a decolonized world, where all humans, creatures, and the land are treated with respect. Writing and offering it to others is a big part of how I do that. Hiking through forests, wading in rivers, digging in the soil, surrounding myself with natural wonder, and giving voice to what I notice, helps me stay grounded in reality. I want to encourage you to do the things that help you tap into your own creatureliness, and ask the questions that open up new possibilities, so we can all continue working toward a more beautiful world.

I also share news about event/retreat opportunities, poetry musings, what I’m noticing in the wildness around my little homestead, reflections about the state of the world, and I ask a lot of questions that don’t have clear answers. My recently published works include 12 Tiny Things (Broadleaf Books, 2021) and Slouching Toward Radiance (Homebound Publications, 2022), and Collisions of Earth and Sky (Broadleaf Books, 2023). Just Wild Enough, a little book of new and collected poems, will be released April 2, 2024. You can learn more about my work at www.heidibarr.com