September has been a wild month of navigating harvest, starting my field placement as part of my MSW program, and the kids returning to school. One exciting achievement was being selected to have my article featured in Trailblazher Magazine! Titled From City Life to Farm Wife: A Story of Transformation, Acceptance, and Strength, I write about the challenge of being raised in an urban environment and then planting roots in rural Saskatchewan. I encourage readers to subscribe to Trailblazher and become a part of their wonderful community!
This experience did not just fall together. I submitted my article on a whim months ago and never truly believed I would be accepted. I love to write; yet, I often suffer from severe imposter syndrome that no one wants to read what I have to say or that there are so many worthy voices to be heard instead. I sit and stew with thoughts of these endeavors as a waste of time. As I move through this, there is always this tiny voice that says “Okay, but what if…?” What if my words reach just one person? What if I do get accepted to be a guest author in a magazine? What if it all means something down the road and I’m just not supposed to know what that is yet?
Another dynamic to consider when writing is it usually comes from a place of vulnerability. In this case, I wrote about my marriage. Sharing vulnerable moments of my life requires permission from my internal sense of self as well as ensuring my husband feels comfortable with the content being public. He was the first one to read my article (and is routinely my biggest cheerleader), and I can’t begin to express the gratitude I felt when he was on board.
Being a social worker and therapist, I must represent myself in ethical, responsible, and respectful ways. There is a certain level of awareness that must be cultivated when I put myself out there, knowing that clients, potential clients, and community members could read my thoughts. This is paired with a constant reflection on how my next steps are influenced by my values, one of which is authenticity. If I show up in authentic ways, then I can stay strong and solid in who I am and my words.
As I wait for my copy of Trailblazher Magazine to arrive, I daydream about other articles I could write and share – expressive arts moments in relationships, how I meal plan for harvest in minimal and supportive ways, my favourite protein oatmeal recipe – there are limitless options when words are at our fingertips.
Here is a brief moment to acknowledge some key folks! Thank you to Trailblazher Magazine for giving me this opportunity!
To Jason Whiting, my talented photographer who snapped our family photos that were central to the article.
To my sweet children who are so excited to be featured in a magazine.
And, to Gene and his unwavering support for whatever dream I want to achieve.
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