UNCHARTED Interview: Heidi Barr

An interview series with artists, writers, and disrupters by Connor Wolfe

Uncharted: No map. No limits. Just the journey—an interview series with artists, writers, and disrupters.

Welcome to Uncharted: No map. No limits. Just the journey—a new interview series from Wayfarer Magazine. I’m Connor Wolfe, Founder of Wayfarer Books and Wayfarer Magazine, and I created this series to ask one simple question: What does it really mean to forge your own path? Each interview follows the same set of ten questions, but the answers reveal the raw, unpredictable, and deeply personal nature of creative life.

In this interview we catch up with author/poet Heidi Barr. Heidi is a writer and wellness coach whose work is founded on a commitment to cultivating ways of being that are life-giving and sustainable for people, communities, and the planet. She lives with her family on Dakota land in rural Minnesota.

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Q. What’s lighting you up creatively right now?

Interestingly, I’m writing less than I have in many years right now–after nine books in nine years, I’ve reached a point where I need to ‘fill the well’ – an essential phase of any creative practice. The phrase “You can’t pour from an empty cup” comes to mind. So what’s lighting me up is showing up fully to my work in wellness, which is currently taking place in the field of addiction recovery, without pressuring myself to start right in on the next big project. We need time to just live amidst the mundane details–to exist and interact with the day to day. Doing the work of living is enough for now, and doing so will ensure I’ve got some stuff to pour into my next creative project when it comes time to begin. I’ve been taking time to read fiction, sketch, and experiment with watercolor painting. I’ve drawn a lot of flowers and trees in my journal, and that’s enough for now.

Q. What’s the last thing that truly captivated you—an idea, a place, a piece of art, a poem, a moment?

I’ve been spending a lot of time each week sitting with groups of people who are moving through a period of active recovery from substance addiction–which is a tough road, but one that’s worth the effort it takes to travel. The idea that it’s possible to heal from something that’s held you captive for a long time is one that brings me a great deal of hope. I see brave people face their demons every day as they take small steps toward embodying the life they truly want to live. The grace I see offered through non judgmental community support reinforces my faith in humanity.

Q. What’s a recent experience that made you feel deeply present?

I’ve taken to walking a half mile path either before starting my day, or at lunch time–it meanders through a pine forest, and on clear days when the sun’s out, it’s a little like walking through a fairytale land of dappled sunlight. Spending time with these trees reminds me to be present and show up for myself by paying attention to the moments.

Q. What’s a piece of art, a book, or a conversation that’s been living in your mind rent-free?

The other day someone said to me, after a therapeutic session about living in alignment with what you truly want for yourself, “You know, I didn’t even think about looking at my phone in the past hour.” In an age where so many folks spend most of their day looking at a phone, or thinking about looking at a phone, this was high praise. But more importantly, it’s an indication that if we put our attention on what truly matters to us with the intention to align with it, we have the capacity to stay focused and take small steps toward embodying what we truly want.

Q. What’s the most rebellious thing you’ve ever done in your creative work?

Writing about ordinary things and trusting that other people will want to read it. Or maybe we could say just allowing myself to be my authentic, quiet self in a world that tries really really hard to get a performance.

Q. If your younger self could see you now, what would surprise them the most? What would disappoint them?

They would be astonished to learn they eventually publish multiple books. They would also be astonished to learn they regularly give presentations to groups of 20+ and teach yoga classes. They may be disappointed to learn they haven’t yet acquired a horse.

Q. What is a truth you’ve had to unlearn in order to grow?

Too many to list, but one that comes to mind is that you have to be loud to get your voice heard. You don’t have to be loud, you just have to figure out how your voice wants to emerge in the most authentic way.

Q. What question are you currently trying to answer through your work?

What would it be like to live in a world where a prayer for peace is answered?

Q. What is pulling you forward right now?

Building a life that feels right and good and adds to the healing of the world.

Q. If your creative work is a map, where does it lead?

I’m going to answer this with the last line of my forthcoming collection, Church of Shadow and Light (which is due out in April from Wayfarer Books): Every moment is the end of something and the beginning of something else. What ends now? And what begins?

I don’t know where my creative work leads, only because that place doesn’t yet exist. I hope it’s a place of peace and wholeness for all beings, and my creative practice is an effort to keep building the road that leads there.