This is The Adventure with Brad Wetzler, my weekly dispatch about how we can brave the wilderness of these tough, post-modern, hyper-capitalist times…together. It’s about storytelling, healing, adventure, the human heart, and the pursuit of the sacred and the holy, too.
Who am I? I’m the author of the new memoir, Into the Soul of the World: My Journey to Healing, and a longtime journalist with bylines in the New York Times, Newsweek, Wired, GQ, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, and Outside where I was a senior editor and a longtime contributing editor. I spent fifteen years working as an adventure writer, journalist, and magazine columnist. After a long period of depression and overmedication with prescription drugs, I launched a round-the-world quest to heal body, mind, and spirit—to recover my very soul. You can read all about this journey in Into the Soul of the World. I live in Austin, Texas, where I edit books, coach aspiring memoirists, and teach yoga and meditation.
Hey there, friends,
A conversation with an artist friend recently got me thinking about the importance of sharing our creative journey with vulnerability. In his words, this act of sharing is not only healthy but also "anti-narcissistic" – a generous way to express ourselves. I'm sitting with this idea, and I have a feeling he might be onto something.
So, I've made a personal commitment to open up and share more of my creative process, and I hope this post encourages you to do the same. I'd love to hear about what you're currently working on.
As for me, I find myself in that familiar phase where I think, "I should read a few more books" as I work on a book proposal. I recognize it's a subtle form of procrastination, but there's genuine value in absorbing more knowledge before finalizing the proposal. My project is a book about LOVE, a blend of memoir and journalism. I'm approaching it with a "beginner's mind" because, honestly, I don't think any of us truly understand LOVE. If we did, our world might be a different, more love-centered place, don't you think?
Here's a tidbit I stumbled upon during my research: The term "LOVE WARRIOR" was coined by Dr. Cornel West. Shouldn’t we all become LOVE WARRIORS? I think we should.
And because love comes in many forms, here's a picture of someone I adore - meet Tommy.
Let's embark on this journey of creativity and vulnerability together. Share your
thoughts, your work, and your passions. After all, the more we open up, the more we connect and inspire.
Stay creative, Brad
If you haven’t bought my memoir, Into the Soul of the World: My Journey to Healing, yet, I hope you will.
Here’s what author Hampton Sides wrote about it:
“Brad Wetzler has led the very definition of an adventurous life, but in Into the Soul of the World, he gives an unflinching account of his interior adventures. Wetzler’s soulful quest, by turns anguished and transcendent, will resonate with readers around the world who struggle to find purpose and a sense of the holy in the ambient jitter of the digital age.”
Are you an aspiring memoirist who has struggled to finish your book? Sign up for my next Write Your Way Home: A Memoir Masterclass, a comprehensive four-week course for beginner and intermediate memoir writers. You’ll walk away with everything—tools, mindset, and confidence—you need to finally write and finish your memoir. Stay tuned for information about the next class installment in the New Year.
Good stuff, Brad. That vulnerability as antidote is 🎯🔥🔥🔥
No love like dog love. What a beauty.