I'm passionate about helping people recognize their ecological awakening and supporting them on their EarthCare journey. I also love to talk about intersecting topics like ethical entrepreneurship, ecological design, grief, connection, being highly sensitive and cheese :) Sign up to get my weekly newsletter and learn about this and more!
why are you here?
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This week I had a real strong desire to ask you if you know why you’re here? I’d love to hear why you read my emails (like, why you’re here on this list), but even moreso, I’d love to hear why you’re here on this planet. In other words: What is your purpose? And if you don’t know, or it doesn’t sound grand in your mind, that’s ok. I’d love to hear that too. It’s ok to hit reply and tell me you don’t know, you’re tired too, it’s been a long year (and it’s only mid summer haha), and the exhausting march of this culture is grinding on you too… That would make me feel less alone and more connected. This summer I’m swimming in the realm of defining what my mission really is… yes, to make an ecological impact, and to share EarthCare with you, and the world… …but on a deeper level... I have always known that I am here to help humans find their Place and their purpose (especially now in the polycrisis)… because that’s been my quest too. I’m also realizing part of my purpose is to reclaim my voice… so I can share my message with more clarity (kindness) and confidence (impact)... and likely to help others do that too. To move in this direction, I’ll be hosting a local Reclaim Your Voice day retreat in PA, in collaboration with global song leader and friend, Sofia Dugas, on Saturday Sep 12th. Save the date to Reclaim Your Voice with me (click here just to say I'm curious)! This live, in-person event is going to be a beautiful experience bringing together Sofia's work in vocal activation, and my work in mission-discovery and oral culture facilitation. I almost can't believe I'm doing this, because only a year ago I was still terrified to let anyone hear me sing. Often our purpose lies within the very things that we struggled through, the things that challenged us so much that we found our way through them, into a better place. That very process is what “certifies” you to support others. Doing the work, going through it yourself, offers you so much more insight than any other approach. And really going through something also gives you the confidence to know it’s possible, and the sense of purpose you really crave feeling when stepping into a role. You don’t need more education, more courses, or more certifications to have a purpose. You need space to listen, get curious, find courage and play. And you need quality support. As you know by now, connecting with Nature has been a huge support system for me on my journey. In many ways this was gifted to me by my parents in childhood, but there were long phases where I wasn’t really tuned into this relationship. Coming back to the land, reconnecting with Nature, and going on my own EarthCare Journey, was what gave me a sense of direction, and led me into sharing that with others. Finding my Place, finding my purpose, and finding my way…. has led me to these moments where I know I’m here to encourage you to find it too. So I’d love to hear from you on any of this. It warms my heart, and it’s good to write it out. But don’t do it for me, reply for YOU. Reply to be seen and heard in the messy draft of why you’re here. That’s part of the process. Practice. Your dreams, ideas and desires around why you are here, are so welcome. And your "I have no idea" is welcome too. Love, Kendra Written by a human - Kendra Marie Hoffman Supported by an all-human team! PS. If you’ve replied to a newsletter in the last little while and haven’t heard back from me, I had some tech challenges, but I see you! I am working through responding to any that I have missed. P.S.S. Join me at Reclaim Your Voice, an upcoming local (PA) day retreat on 9/12, which is 2 days after my 42nd birthday and this is my wish! I want to know if there's interest <3 P.S.S. S. If you don’t have a grand purpose for being here, that's OK! Maybe you find peace in noticing the way the land shifts over the seasons. Maybe you love witnessing relationships between pollinators and host plants.... and taking photos of them?! If that's you, we would love your submissions for the 2027 EarthCare Calendar. Submissions close August 1, 2026 so we can choose a cover image winner, and build the Calendar! "The two most important days in life are the day you were born and the day you discover the reason why." — Mark Twain
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EarthCare Matters by Kendra Hoffman
I'm passionate about helping people recognize their ecological awakening and supporting them on their EarthCare journey. I also love to talk about intersecting topics like ethical entrepreneurship, ecological design, grief, connection, being highly sensitive and cheese :) Sign up to get my weekly newsletter and learn about this and more!
"I don't even want to touch that kind of grief, and I've seen it all." My head turned slowly to the elder sitting beside me. Her voice was solemn, so serious it almost scared me. We were sitting at a dinner table, with about 9 of the 52 humans who had just spent a week singing together at a beautiful retreat center in the eastern woodlands of New York state. Conversation was circling round as we each shared what we do…besides singing! I said that I am an ecological consultant, write a...
Are you afraid to open your voice around others, Reader? I was (and still am a bit!). This is one of the biggest blocks to our freedom. For 22 years I was shut down to all forms of singing around others after being told by a friend I was off key. This was after many “accomplishments” with my voice in high school as a member of an elite traveling paid choir and a soloist (despite raging anxiety every time)! It affected way more than just my ability to sing. It affected the way I communicated...
A few years ago, Tyler (my beloved partner) and I were visiting friends who have walked the road of life for much longer than we have yet (and are deeply tied to the land). This wiser couple was laughing and tenderly responding to each other, while also having critical moments that didn’t hold resentment, just a practical respect and openness to each other’s needs and moments of truth. We loved what we were witnessing, so we asked them what they thought were some of the most important things...