“I love songs about horses, railroads, land, Judgment Day, family, hard times, whiskey, courtship, marriage, adultery, separation, murder, war, prison, rambling, damnation, home, salvation, death, pride, humor, piety, rebellion, patriotism, larceny, determination, tragedy, rowdiness, heartbreak and love. And Mother. And God.” - Johnny Cash

I've been house-sitting at a friend's farm for the past week, hunkering down and attending to my own writing and creative process. I'm so grateful to finally have this kind of time.

It takes A LOT for me to put other things aside to write. But after decades of doing creative work, I know my own process well enough by now. My best writing comes when I am able to give myself the time and focus I need. Otherwise, I'm not able to go below the surface and sort out what I really want to say. As I settle in and let my list of to-do's fall away, I see and feel the stories everywhere.

The Johnny Cash Tree
Walking around the farm, I pass the old VW truck in the field that still holds stories of the prior owners. It stands stalled right in the spot where it last ran, apple barrels poised in the front seat, ready for gathering the harvest that year. I always want to know what stopped them from filling those two baskets and hauling them up to the barn and calling it a day.

Down the hill is one of the oldest, gnarliest apple trees I've ever seen. I have no idea how old, but its huge, heavy limbs spread wide, extending far over the grass. Even though scarred, twisted, broken and hollow in spots, the tree still bears fruit. A lot of fruit. I call it the Johnny Cash Tree because it reminds me of him.

Cash released 67 albums over his 71 years. His final CD, just before his death in 2003 had an incomparable depth of honesty and emotion. It offered a rare, gritty kind of sweetness that only his scarred and soulful life could deliver. The tree seems just like Johnny to me: wild, tough-skinned yet still producing good fruit.

These images of the tree and the VW are familiar sights to me, as I've walked these fields many times. And always there are stories that run through my mind about everything I observe. But there's something about telling you these stories and putting them in words that gives them a different dimension. It's what I find so powerful about writing.

It's the act of writing and trying to capture what you see, think or feel that makes the everyday life seem richer. Writing about what you notice is one small act that can shift your attention to another realm. All of a sudden you feel more grounded right where you are, and see more of who you are inside. You feel as if you are living, as Brene Brown calls it, more "Wholehearted."

If you've been yearning to attend to your creative side too, consider my upcoming writing series and we can make the journey together. Starts Wednesday, October 12th. Register Here.

Sense of Place Tip: Look through the list of words in the Johnny Cash quote at the top of this newsletter. He's listed all the ideas, objects, and events that held stories for him. Write your own list of what draws your curiosity as you walk or travel through the world. As you gather up threads of stories, you'll gain a sense of what kind of specific places, people, objects, and events you're drawn to. These can become an idea bank for writing or other forms of self-expression.

Favorite Thing Tip: Northern Delights Inuit Herbal Tea. We were up in Quebec City last month and visited several First Nations museums. I picked up a box of their Crowberry tea and am deeply in love. It's honestly exquisite. It's gathered in a traditional way from the arctic with many berries and leaves you won't find anywhere else. I drink it out of a handmade mug I also got in Wendake. It feels like a sacred ritual to drink this tea this way. I can't wait to try them all.