There are so many of us, and many stories to tell.
My hope is that this blog provides you with wisdom that helps you navigate the wild landscape of life, and, with the inspiration and encouragement you need to explore the outdoors and to connect with your own inner nature.
Topics You Can Expect to See Here
Expect to find topics related to:
- Getting outside/how to hike while pregnant
- Getting outside/how to hike while nursing and as a new mom
- Connection to nature
- Setting boundaries with Social Media/Disconnecting
- Pregnancy & Postpartum
- Wellness & Health
- Kids & Parenting
- Women's Wisdom & Stories
- Self-Care
- Resources to help you + more
About This Blog & Me, The Writer
Hopefully you've already read our About Us and Our Story pages which talk more about our mission and vision here at Wildelore, who we are (me and my husband started this company together), and how the idea for Wildelore came to be.
If you haven't read those yet, just click the links and new windows will open! I'll be right here waiting...
Now that you know more about the backstory of the company, where we're headed and our guiding principles, it's time to properly introduce myself.
Hi - I'm Carissa!
As the writer of this blog and our newsletter, the current "face" of our Instagram account and as co-owner of the company, allow me to tell you more about why this blog is such an important part of Wildelore and why I am so excited about it.
Though I didn't go to school for fashion design or business, I have always known that I was meant to own a business and be an entrepreneur.
And while there have been many iterations as to how I imagined I might show up in the world, my interests have always involved writing, self-development, spirituality, entrepreneurship, and music.
In fact, my husband and I met in music school, where I was majoring in jazz voice (he's a guitar player) and I spent 7 or so years singing professionally at weddings, special events, and owning my own voice teaching businesses.
One week after birthing my daughter, Ada into the world, I also released my first album called Like Water, and naturally, I assumed I would continue to pursue music as a life path. Alas, Covid happened and forever altered the landscape of live performance, and...perhaps the biggest change of all.
I became a mother, and my whole world shifted.
Becoming A Mom
As a mother, I was no longer responsible for just myself, and all the changes that came with pregnancy and birthing our daughter into the world coupled with sleep loss really made me feel a little lost and alone at times.
My body was different, my identity evolving into something else, my sleep non-existent, and here was this beautiful little bean who was so dependent on me.
I had this aching feeling of no longer being sure who I was or what I wanted from life, and I found myself seeking a higher meaning and greater purpose behind it all.
I was craving guidance and wisdom to help me along and I wasn't exactly sure where to find it.
I was looking for was a deeper connection. To something greater, to myself, and ultimately, to the natural world.
But my time wasn't really mine anymore, and I felt uprooted.
"Who am I now? Who am I becoming?" - these are questions I asked myself often during pregnancy and during the first many months of motherhood. In fact, I am still asking myself these questions.
I ask these questions even though I loved becoming a mom. My experience birthing Ada was empowering, and in so many ways, I embraced my new role. Yet still, something inside of me yearned for understanding and a deeper connection to myself and to the transformation I felt I was in the middle of.
The Power of Going Outdoors
When I felt ready to move my body again and go for walks, I noticed that even though I had so many unanswered questions and a feeling like I wasn't yet sure where to plant my feet, I always felt better after I spent time outside.
Carrying my daughter while feeling the sun on my face and smelling the trees, hearing the birds...these moments made me feel at peace.
At peace with the transformation.
At peace with and able to trust the process - to know in my bones that I was exactly where I was meant to be and that the questioning and the darkness that I felt at times was normal and even necessary.
In those moments, I felt that everything was going to be okay.
In those moments the world slowed. I was present in my body. I was present with my baby, and I felt a sense of hope.
Two Years Later
Nearly two years into motherhood, the power of spending time outside always works its magic on me and my family.
If I'm feeling a bit frantic or like my head is spinning and everything in my brain tells me to to make more to-do lists and then I'll feel better, my body knows better.
Underneath the mental buzz it whispers, "go outside", "slow down", "spend time with mother nature". And so I do.
Nature is the place where I feel most connected.
Where I remember what's important and what I value most.
Where I slow down and appreciate the abundance in my life and in this world.
Where I reunite with the wild within myself.
Where I feel grounded.
Nature is where I fill my cup.
AND, my daughter loves it too.
A Full Cup
Call it cliché, but the full cup analogy is timelessly true. When our cup is full, we can show up to the people and moments in our lives with more grace, groundedness and joy.
When we feel connected to ourselves and our environments, we can show up feeling more confident in who we are, more calm, and centered.
Our boundaries are better and we take care of ourselves.
We can better navigate the inherent challenges of life.
We have more patience for our children, our partners and can better tend to the needs of those around us because we have tended to our own.
Nature helps us to fill up the parts of ourselves that cannot be filled by adding more.
More things, more stuff; money, screen time, alcohol, clothing, (insert thing/stuff here_____________) etc. Sure, these things may all have their place, but as far as the deep replenishment of the well goes? One of the best ways to fill the well, is through spending time in nature.
The Demands of Life
Life is busy, it's demanding, it's emotional and it can be tough. Managing and keeping up with the basics of day to day life - finances, food, shelter - it's a lot!
Add to this our modern lifestyles (reliance on and constant use of technology) and we are largely a society of people who find it very difficult to disconnect and to take considerable breaks from our devices.
Of course, it's also worth noting that many of the platforms we use to share and communicate with others on (such as Instagram and Facebook) are literally designed to keep us looking at our screens!
All of this combined, it's not always easy to slow down, to take breaks, and to get quiet with ourselves but it is vital to our wellbeing, and to our mental and physical health. And, it's essential in cultivating a sense of connection to ourselves, our environment, and our true nature.
Women's Wisdom & Shared Experience
Women have been birthing babies into this world for thousands of years, and though our paths might look different, there is immense wisdom in our shared experience.
When we feel alone or confused as to who we are and who we are becoming in pregnancy or motherhood, remembering that countless women before us have felt similarly can help us navigate the unfamiliar and find our way.
To know that - contrary to how it might feel in the moment - you are not alone is powerful.
Why I Am So Excited
More than "just" owning and operating a clothing company, I long to help women connect deeply with themselves and to remember how powerful, wild and wise we are.
Whether this is through my music (you can listen to my album Like Water here if you're curious) through my writing (newsletter, blog, Instagram posts), or by creating products that make it easier and more comfortable to be outdoors while pregnant, nursing or well into motherhood, the process ignites a fire deep within me.
Women helping women to remember our wisdom and strength. Now that is exciting!
What We Hope You Find Here
Through story telling, interviews and the sharing of resources, we hope you'll feel seen, heard and validated in your experience.
Through tips helping you to carve out space for yourself and to disconnect from your devices, we hope you find nourishment and support here.
Through encouraging you to spend time in nature we hope to help you feel deeply connected to your inner wild.
We hope to inspire you to be a Mother In Nature.
Let's Connect
If something resonated with you, please share your comment below so others can know what you found helpful! It can be powerful medicine for women to see other women raising their hands and chiming in.
If you have any ideas for posts that suggestions for what would be helpful to you, please email me at carissa@wildelore.com with the subject heading Blog Suggestions. I would love to hear from you!
If Instagram is your jam follow us @explorewildelore!
If you're curious, listen to my album, Like Water here.
And of course, sign up for our newsletter for email-only exclusive offers, blog updates and more.