rewilding is solitary, but not isolated
a call to community
It’s been nearly four years since I published Rewilding Motherhood with the hopes of helping other women on the path of re-finding ourselves after becoming moms. I still love that book, and still feel it is critically important; but as I emerge from the all-consuming infant and toddler years of parenting, I find that for all the rewilding I’ve been through, it’s not even close to over. In the time that’s passed, I’ve also grown closer to people with different experiences than mine who are also on this journey: sensitive men, gay and trans people, late diagnosed ADHD women. There are a lot of us out here rewilding our souls. And I want to gather us all.
Wait. Back up.
For those who haven’t read the book (and I assume that’s most of y’all), what is rewilding?!
Glad you asked.
Rewilding land is an ecological restoration practice, a way to heal damaged wilderness areas by removing the unwittingly harmful interventions humans have done in the name of resource management. To rewild a piece of land is to allow it to return to its original state, biodiverse and flourishing. Rewilded land will look unkempt but is thriving, proven by the flourishing of its self-sustaining ecosystem.
Now look, I’m not an ecologist. But stay with me: What if this principle applies to us, too?
What if, instead of fighting so damn hard to survive within the narrow social standard prescribed to us, we gave ourselves permission to rewild? If we removed all the harmful human intervention that slowly strangle out life, could our souls find their way back to wholeness and nourishment? If freed from the meddling of outside hands, could our true selves emerge as their own self-sustaining ecosystems?
By now I know that the answer is yes. And that’s the life I want to choose.
I am still on my journey of rewilding, and maybe you are too. I don’t know when or if it ever ends, but I know that it is far less lonely when done with friends. And I know that now, more than ever, we need each other.
So, in light of that, I’m making some changes around here in hopes of fostering a rewilding community.
Free subscribers will still have access to the weekend newsletter with original writing and various announcements. You are free to dialogue with me and others in the comments box, or join conversations in Notes, where I’ve been more active lately. For $5/mo or $50/yr, paid subscribers will receive a bonus midweek recommendations post, bonus audio posts, access to the group chat, and — eeeeee! — a live video cozy evening read-aloud every month. And for those who are ALL IN, you can become a book club member for $150/yr and get all of the above, plus access to quarterly book club meetings via Zoom. (Yes, I’ve heard those of you asking for this for years!)
My life has been enriched through the online community I found on Instagram over the past decade, so I know it’s possible to have real, valuable, sincere friendships through a screen. I also know that for some of you, not having that in the context of your physical location is a deep grief, and you rely on social media for that sense of connection. My hope is that expanding this space will meet a need for all of us.
Note: I would love to offer it for free, but alas, I have five kids to feed. However I am DTB (down to barter, duh) if you want to get creative!
I’m excited about this new chapter, and can’t wait to see what creative and spiritual renewal comes from this community.
With you in the wilderness,
Shannon
Free Subscriber
Weekend post with original writing, plus any book or speaking announcements
Dialogue with me in the comments or on Notes
Paid Subscriber ($5/mo or $50/yr)
Everything in the free tier, plus:
A mid-week post with recommendations and reviews (books, music, movies, television, internet reads)
A monthly live (video) cozy evening read-aloud
Access to the private group chat
Book Club Member ($150/yr)
Everything in the free and paid tiers, plus:
Participation in The Rewilded Life book club quarterly Zoom meetings
Shannon, absolutely LOVE the concept of rewilding as it applies to ecosystems within and around us. YES! Our bodies, our souls, our families and communities. I suspect that the more we rewild ourselves, the more we heal. The more we heal, the more those around us become able to rewild. Beautiful!