Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Heller.

Hi Meredith, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Disenchanted with society and feeling like I didn’t fit in anywhere, I left home and school at 13 years old and raised myself living in huts I built in the woods. I was grappling with the big questions of who am I, why am I here, what matters to me, and how do I create a meaningful life? I started writing poetry and songs as a way to tune into my feelings and express myself. I found that when I wrote, the act of naming my feelings brought me clarity and agency; it freed me and helped me belong to myself. I loved immersing in creative process: I felt connected to the life force, it gave me something bigger than myself to live for, and it held me like a lifeline. As I grew up, I realized writing was not only my passion, but my path and my purpose, and I wanted to share this lifeline with others. I taught as a poet in the schools for 30 years, and I loved it. Now I lead workshops and retreats for a global community of women writers who write as a tool for healing and self-discovery, and I have found my niche. Everything I’ve been through in my own search for identity, meaning, and living true to my own wild heart comes into play for me hold sacred space for the women in my workshops to open and bloom.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

I struggled a lot with depression, self-worth, learning challenges, body image issues. It took everything I had to wake up each day and face my life. I felt like I was at war with myself. Slowly I learned to sit with what hurt and offer myself kindness and curiosity. I learned to love and value myself on my own terms, not based on society’s barometer of success, but on my own. I went back to school, started in remedial classes, worked my way up to receiving awards and scholarships, attended three graduate schools before I found one where I could write my own curriculum. I worked hard to learn and master my own ways of learning and forge a career that expressed my values, addressed my concerns, and celebrated what I love most in this life, which is creative process and creative expression. I have had 5 books published in the last 6 years, three poetry collections: Yuba Witch, River Spells, Songlines, and two books creative process books to get people writing: Write A Poem, Save Your Life and Writing By Heart. I love to inspire people into their own creativity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I lead workshops and retreats for a global community of women writers using poetic writing as a portal for healing and self-discovery. My passion is empowering women to believe in themselves, trust their creative instincts, tap their wild wisdom, express their truth, ignite their hearts. My workshops are experiential and help people cultivate a nourishing writing practice in a safe and supportive space. I guide people in writing journeys into the heart of self, creativity, and community. I offer inspiring themes and example poems, body-mindfulness practices, in-class writing and sharing, and encouraging feedback. Each week participants are invited to write and share a poem at the hearth of our women’s circle, a warm and inspired group who understand that poetry is soul food.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?

Life is a risk, love is a risk, doing anything you believe in, following your heart, especially when it’s not mainstream, is a risk! It’s scary and you will most likely fall or crash and burn a few times, but you will get up and do it again, and the joy of being true to yourself, the thrill of trusting yourself and your dreams, the sense of accomplishment for bringing something new and original into the world, is worth it. And the more we risk, we more we learn what we’re capable of, both in resilience and productivity. Is life without ever risking, really living? Taking a leap into the unknown and learning to trust ourselves and life, is the journey!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.meredithheller.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meredith.heller.5
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meredithheller

Image Credits

Main Pic & Guitar Pic: Vaschelle André
MH w/hat: Natalie Keshlear