Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Nienhuis.
Jenna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
San Diego has been home to me for the last 10+ years. It’s a place you can breathe easy and where you always have the chance to dip your toes in water.
I received a degree in Journalism Media Studies from SDSU and then went on to do nothing with my degree, but gained a lot of experience at an internet marketing company in San Diego. I then moved to Sydney, Australia with the company for a year-and-a-half where I grew dramatically independent, fell in love with a new country and unknowingly started my journey inward.
After returning home to San Diego, and three-and-a-half years working for an incredible non-profit, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, I finally came home to writing full time, which I’ve been doing for the last five years now.
Writing is how I make sense of the world and also how I connect with others. I love finding the perfect words to tell someone’s story and I love the healing power of setting my words and emotions free onto the page.
I am currently a freelance writer, blogger at AlteredLatitude.com and editor of a niche, journal-style magazine, Wanderlings the Zine. I am also the keeper of all snacks as a full-time mom to two daughters – two and four – and a little ray of light baby on the way. They are my most favorite distractions and interruptions while I write.
Please tell us about Wanderlings the Zine.
Wanderlings the zine is a collection of unexpected adventures — stories and art that evoke creative wonder, connection, and a healthy dose of wanderlust. We are a welcoming community of curious adventurers exploring their inner and outer worlds. Wanderlings has released two journal-style zines – Happenstance & Joyride – our goal to create a space for us to find freedom through words and art, and provide a platform for other artists to do the same.
This zine started out in January 2019 as an idea in my creative partner, Suzanne Hansen Ofeldt’s brain, that she kept pushing aside – there’s no time, how, why, when? Finally, she asked me if I wanted to “play magazine”. It was a lighthearted endeavor that turned out to be a creative antidote to grief. Suzanne was healing from three failed IVF attempts and finding a new way forward, and I was working through the sudden loss of my dad and soul person. We made the magazine and then realized neither of us were graphic designers so we enlisted the help of our brilliant designer friend, Alyssa Mcnees, who elevated it to what it is today. We now have a small editorial team who works hard to keep wanderlings a collaborative place to heal, have fun and do what we love.
Over the last year and a half, we have navigated impossible personal days and months while finding a north star of healing through Wanderlings. It’s been a place of constant, even if we need to step away for a bit. It’s been a place to explore, experiment, have fun and let curiosity lead. It’s been a tangible gift and proof of resilience and beauty in the world.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Professionally, it took a big leap to start writing full time, and it’s still something that takes a lot of internal motivation and self-talk. In regards to Wanderlings, the creation of our first issue was brimming with resistance and discomfort. I almost threw in the towel over and over. The war of art is real, but my intuitive, creative side kept dragging the fearful side along until she wasn’t the loudest voice in the room.
I’m so glad I kept saying yes. Watching a tiny dream come to life in such a tangible way has given me confidence to push through resistance in other areas and believe in myself and see what’s possible when working with other like-minded creatives.
Personally, the last two years have been a coming of age story for me. My dad died suddenly of a heart attack four months after my second daughter was born. For a while, I wasn’t sure where postpartum ended and grief began. Entangled ribbons of depression and anxiety. Words that sometimes felt too big and not enough.
I have been diligently learning how to feel safe in the world without my “safe” person. Therapy, acupuncture, reiki, feet in the ocean, touching trees, and most importantly, writing, have all been a part of my healing. It’s been a journey of coming to terms with all of my selves – past, present and future. I’ve experienced higher highs and lower lows than ever before. I’d rather have my dad here every time, but I’m also aware of the gifts along the way and a significant elevation in my relationship to God, creativity and myself.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We have setup our culture as a playground to experiment with new creative ideas and have fun at Wanderlings. We are preoccupied with beauty in the world and we pay close attention to the people and natural world around us. Wanderlings is currently working on issue three and plans to release this by the end of 2020.
One of our values at Wanderlings is getting more voices at the table and that’s how we grew from 5 – 14 contributors from the first to second issue. We want to continue this tradition as we are creating issue three and aspire for more diversity. I am personally working on more short stories about motherhood and grief, in hopes of someday writing a book about the two companions.
Pricing:
- Wanderlings Magazine – $20
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wanderlingsthezine.com
- Phone: 9496325180
- Email: wanderlingsthezine@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Shewanders Photography
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