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3x/month stories for humans seeking depth and meaning.

I'm Janelle Hardy and at some point you signed up for this weekly (ish) newsletter on memoir-writing, somatic (body) healing and stories. If you'd like to leave, just click the unsubscribe link at the bottom.

Expansion then contraction - ways to write your stories

Sometimes we search so hard for the “correct” version of a memory that we miss the unexpected gifts that come when we let ourselves wander.

One thing I tell my students often: Write around the story first. Let your writing expand into tangents—into side trails, sensations, descriptions that feel only loosely connected. Let the body speak. Let the air in.

Because here’s what happens when we do that:

We end up right at the heart of what we’ve been trying to say all along.

The memory arrives. The language lands.

Then the contraction—your true story—has space to find you.

This is part of what I explore in my workshop for the upcoming ReWilding Online Retreat*, hosted by Jenner Linden. My session includes writing prompts and practices for working with memoir and body memory as a meaning-making path.

But honestly? I’m not sending you here just to hear from me.

This retreat is a whole constellation of voices and modalities—designed to help you reconnect, recharge, and remember yourself. A few sessions I’m especially excited about:

☼ Crystal Woodling – RADIANCE: Hidden Keys to Healing with Plant and Stone Medicines (Crystal’s astrological readings are a treasured ritual for me—I’ve gotten one a year for the past couple years)

☼ Julie Piatt – Finding Truth and Alignment in the Midst of False Narratives

☼ Tammy Chow – Remembering Who You Are Through Subconscious Repatterning

☼ Tara Brading – Awaken the Wisdom of the Ancient Grandmothers

☼ Ash Inspires – Feminine Energy: Creating What You Desire, Deserve, and Are Destined

Free tickets are available through April 28th.

✨ Click here to claim yours and explore the full lineup.

xoxo,

Janelle

* I want to be transparent that this link is an affiliate link—if you choose to upgrade to her all-access pass, I receive a portion of that. It’s one way I help support the free resources I share with this community.