There are moments in life where you feel the shift happening in real time—moments where fear and excitement braid together, where your comfort zone tugs at your sleeve but something deeper pulls you forward. Announcing that Crow and Flame will be a vendor at the Women’s Wellness Retreat at the YMCA Trout Lodge this February is one of those moments for me.
When I started the Crow and Flame project, it wasn’t about building a brand or imagining myself behind a vendor table surrounded by books and art. It was about survival. It was about finding a way to put shape and language to the things inside me—grief, healing, resilience, the ache of transformation. It was about the crow who watches from the edge of the forest and the flame that refuses to burn out. Creativity became the way I stitched myself back together.
But sharing that creativity publicly?
That’s a whole different kind of bravery.
For a long time, I created quietly, almost secretly. Writing late at night, sketching on scraps of paper, building stories and symbolism that felt like private conversations between me and my own healing. It’s safe to stay hidden. Safe to remain small. Safe to tell yourself that your work doesn’t matter or that your voice isn’t needed.
But comfort zones, even the warm ones, can become cages if you never step beyond them.
This opportunity—being part of a wellness retreat filled with women seeking community, rest, and renewal—means more to me than setting up a vendor table. It means standing in the light a little more than I’m used to. It means letting my work breathe in the world, not just on my screen or in my notebooks. It means saying, Here I am. This is what I’ve created. This is what I believe can help.
And honestly? It’s terrifying.
But it’s also exactly what Crow and Flame stands for.
Growth through discomfort.
Healing through expression.
Connection through vulnerability.
Transformation through creativity.
At the retreat, I’ll be sharing my book, my artwork, the heart of the Crow and Flame project, and conversations about mental health, mindfulness, emotional resilience, and the grounding wisdom we find in nature. My hope is that someone will walk by the table, pause, and feel seen. That a piece of art or a line in the book or a conversation will spark something—the way this project sparked something in me.
Because that’s why we create:
To make an impact.
To connect.
To remind each other we’re not walking this life alone.
Stepping out of my comfort zone isn’t comfortable… but staying still isn’t an option anymore. The flame wants to grow. The crow wants to take flight. And I want to show up fully—not just for others, but for myself.
February is going to be a meaningful milestone, and I’m grateful, nervous, honored, and ready—maybe for the first time—to take up this space.
Here’s to showing up boldly.
Here’s to trusting our creativity.
Here’s to stepping into new chapters with an open heart and a brave spirit.
Crow and Flame 