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Fall 2025 Inspire(d) Editor’s Letter

By Aryn Henning Nichols | Fall 2025 Inspire(d)

Happy 18th birthday to Inspire(d) Magazine! I love personifying our mag (it’s as demanding as a child), so: If Inspire(d) was a person, it could vote!

We’d vote for each other every time. There is so much going on in the world and it’s easy to believe that things are absolute crap out there, but in reality, people everywhere are doing kind, good, lovely things for each other, every day. 

This last quarter, we got more nice notes from readers than ever before. Several emails just to say they were inspired by the magazine (woot, that’s the goal!!!) and at least two people took the time to sit down with pen and paper, write the sweetest notes, and mail them to us. One was a homemade card that brought me to tears and made me do a little happy dance at the same time.

Doing positive things matters. People notice. We need to keep it up, keep fighting the good fight. I even put together 18 Mini Pep Talks to look to when you’re just not feelin’ it. You’ve got this. We’ve got this together.

Cover artist Angie Herrmann’s work is perfect for reminding us to take note of the world around us. You’ll find beautiful things when you pay attention. Read about her work on page 16.

Cover artwork by Angie Herrmann of Barefoot Studio

Community builders have been a big part of our content since we launched that section eight years ago, on our 10th birthday. This issue highlights Spring Grove’s Karen and Jim Gray, and La Crosse’s Amber Miller – both inspiring stories of people making a difference where they can.

We’re happy to have conservation writer Craig Thompson and artist Mary Thompson back this issue, teaching us about crickets and the other insect “tenors,” cicadas and katydids. Also returning is our daughter, Roxie, back for the Future Focused column! She hasn’t written for us in a year, and I was blown away by the growth in her writing. Man, isn’t that how it goes? Time keeps moving on, and what’s important becomes more obvious as we get older.

Which brings us to the fall issue’s theme: “What’s Best to Let Go? Identifying what no longer serves.” Check out my flow chart on page 37 to help guide you to some answers. Then, learn tips for letting go of habits, possessions, and relationships that no longer serve the life you want to live in Olivia Lynn Schnur’s mental health piece. Doing this helps make room for more of what you love and want in life.

I, personally, wanted to write more. So I took on an epic story about the Northeast Iowa-based regenerative ag project, Regenerating Soil and Community. It was inspiring and empowering to learn about the female landowners and farmers who have been participating, and how we here in Iowa can be farming role models, leading the way toward healthier soil, and thus a healthier planet and population.

What else? Decorah’s New Minowa Players celebrates 50 years this season, kicking it off in August with their Young People’s Production, Band Geeks. We went to see our neighbor in it and took a moment to appreciate the energy community theatre brings to a place. You can read about their history on page 56.

The Sum of Your Business features rural Lansing’s Bobbi Jo Berg from Recipes from French Creek (pg 60). Bobbi Jo creates recipes and (for local folks) freezer meals to help make our busy days feel just a little bit calmer.

Finally, friends from Ossian Care Center interviewed the lovely Pat Heying for the probituary. May we all aspire to spread kindness as she does to those around her.

Here’s to letting go of things that hold us back and hanging on to those that lift us up. Thanks for reading Inspire(d) and supporting us these past 18 years!

Looking forward,

Aryn Henning Nichols

In this issue, you’ll find:

What is best to let go? Identifying what no longer serves. Artist Angie Herrmann • Community Builders – Karen and Jim Gray / Spring Grove – Amber Miller / La Crosse • 18 Mini Pep Talks • Paper Project: Confetti Poppers! • What is Best to Let Go? A Flowchart • Mental Health: Trusting in Seasons of Letting Go • Saving Our Soil • Future Focused: On Choices • New Minowa Players • Conservation: The Three Tenors • Sum Biz: Bobbi Jo Berg of Recipes from French Creek • Probit: Pat Heying • And More!

Read the whole thing online here:

Listen to our fall playlist while you read!

Tap into the vibes we were trying to create with the Fall 2025 Inspire(d) Magazine. What is best to let go? Let’s try to fill our lives with things that matter the most to us, friends! <3

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