The Soulful Campfire 

The Soulful Campfire began in May 2020 as an online experience to help people feel more nourished, connected, seen and heard. The idea was to re-create one of my most favorite experiences in the world: You know that time, late in the evening when everyone has arrived at a campsite. They've had a meal and shared their hello's. The rush of getting there has faded away. Everyone is staring at the fire. It gets quiet. It gets dark, and someone starts to talk... "I remember that time..."

My idea was that during an online campfire I would share a few songs and a few poems and offer a place-based prompt that would inspire stories about connections to places.

Meaningful stories emerged. Connections with each other were built and strengthened. Pressures melted away. People started to feel restored, in a kind of ancient, basic, human way.

I've been running these on the last Sunday of every month since May, and it’s never been about just you listening to me talk or sing, or about people saying whatever comes to mind. It's about us begin together. This is truly an interactive, facilitated, soulful experience.

Here's what attendees have said about coming:

“I love that this is called the Soulful Campfire because every time I come my soul feels full.”

"Connecting warmly with other human beings, with people who truly want to be here and brought their whole selves to this, so generously."

"The storytelling and all the vignettes, all the places I feel like I went because of it."

"A sense of community around the campfire."

"The people, definitely the people. We're all getting together. We're sharing. We're enjoying each other's company."

“We all have our stories. Thank you for teasing them out of us!”

Imagine having an hour to let the rest of the world fade away, and it’s just us, our stories and what we care about most. There might be park rangers and naturalists, or historians and hikers. There might be music fans and writers, or yoga teachers. Or people from my classes on creativity and a sense of place.

Picture hanging out with a group of people like you're sitting at a great dinner party and each person there is someone you want to get to know better.  If that sounds fun, this event is for you.

It's laid back. It's soulful. It’s meaningful. Just like a campfire should be.

My dream was to re-create an experience where we could simply feel present with each other, hear the sound of the fire crackling, see the light of the stars, and share stories. And that's how the Soulful Campfire was born.

The tools and skills I bring to the sharing and facilitating at campfire are ones I have honed throughout my career.

With decades of experience as a touring songwriter, performing at festivals, concert halls and gatherings across the country, there's nothing I love more than taking people on a journey through song, story and conversation.

From facilitating sense of place workshops for communities, non-profits and other organizations, I have experienced the magic that happens when people connect to a place in a way that brings them home to themselves. 

And from professional development training I created for historic sites, museums and the National Park Service, I developed a toolkit of practices that continually helped people find and express their stories.

                                Ready to join us?