Welcome to Rewilding.
Hello. I’m Julie Farrell. I’m an award-winning poet, author an disability activist with a passion for cutting through the bullshit and finding our truest selves. I like taking long walks in nature. I’m a hugger of people and trees and I collect little treasures which I keep on my desk along with postcards of inspiring art and words. I love eating food in other countries, swimming in the sea when I can, reading Oracle cards and napping with my cat, Luna. I like to share positive vibes, true to my kind (I’m a Gemini, born just before the summer solstice). I like to observe the space between things: light and dark, humour and brevity, intellect and playfulness.
Why did I start this?
Authenticity has long been a pursuit of mine—and not an easy one. I’m 37 and I still don’t have it all figured out. But who does? We’re all on the road to learning about our truest selves, through our lived experiences, our traumas, and our connections. For me, nature is the most powerful healer, it’s where I feel most myself, and where I have enough distance from the goings-on of life to be able to see the bigger picture.
Did you know that rewilding is the term used for nature reclaiming itself after heavy cultivation?
It always amazes me that no matter how much we damage the earth, it always claims itself back. I think humans are a bit like this, too—we're more resilient than we think.
This space asks what happens when we reclaim ourselves: by asserting our truths, rejecting toxicity and by creating our own environment. Who are we, when we are free to rewild?
These musings come to you from my walks around my local countryside, capturing moments and what they bring up. I share what shadows they turn, what pearls of wisdom they reveal to me about myself, others and the world. I’ll work through challenges, sound out ideas, and ask questions. I hope you’ll join me.
Truthfully, I’m exhausted. After two years of giving everything of myself to get the Inklusion Guide off the ground and into the hands of publishers, literary organisations and disabled individuals, I’m burnt out. I’ve been burnt out before, and I know that now is the time for care and community.
It’s also the perfect format for me to connect with you—allowing me to have a more direct conversation with you than a few tweets or a photo caption give space for. I hope to connect with a community of people who, like me, are on a journey of self-discovery and actualisation. Who aren’t afraid to dig deep into the soil and see what they uncover. People who can admit they have far more questions than they do answers. Who aren’t afraid to get it wrong and try again.
People… who seek to rediscover wonder.
Like me, this space will evolve as I go. I hope to drop some audio from my walks—because sometimes it’s nice to say hello—and I’ll always include a photo or two. I’ll also share any reading I’ve enjoyed, or which has been relevant to the topic. I will be interviewing fellow creatives about their own rewilding, too.
I’m a writer and activist so I’ll also be talking about my process, whether it’s writing a novel, essays, poems, or journalistic pieces; and shedding light on the process (and problems) of managing a social project reliant on fundraising. I want to give back, and this space is great for that. I want us to have conversations, so please do post in the comments.
I’m not specifying how often I’ll send it because I’m trying to break the norms here. It could be twice a week, it could be twice a month. Just know that when I have something to say, you’ll be the first to hear it.
Why should you subscribe?
If you’re anything like me (ADHD brain) then these things whoosh past you like a shooting star, bright and glorious, but already gone by time you’ve processed it’s even there. A direct email from me to you will mean you don’t have to keep checking in on a website or blog page.
Connecting with your deeper self, tapping into the power of nature to heal, and holding up the mirror is one of the most powerful things we can do. If you think so too, you can subscribe by clicking on the link below.
A bit more about me…
I’m Co-Founder of The Inklusion Guide: a kickass guide to making literature events accessible to disabled people. I’m one of the Bookseller’s Top 150 Most Influential People in Publishing in 2022, and I’m a trustee of Mslexia Magazine, as well as a committee member of the UK Disability Network, and a member of the advisory group for the UK Arts Councils Access Scheme.
I’ve worked freelance in PR, Marketing and Events for over a decade, with both trade and magazine publishers. I started an access consultancy in 2019 which led to my Co-Founding Inklusion.
My poetry and fiction have won and been shortlisted for several awards.
Whether it’s essays, poems, novels or memoir, I write about what it is to be a human today.
If you love it
Connection and community are what it’s all about as we navigate this strange thing we call life. If you know someone who you think this newsletter would resonate with, please do share it with them by clicking the link below!
Love and light,
Julie x
