We recently had the chance to connect with Rachel Weaver and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Rachel, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Simple joys in nature – a butterfly lands on me while gardening, I notice the ducks in the creek while walking my dog, a pretty bird song hidden in a tree, and subtle seasonal changes like when cicada songs grow quiet, showing us summer is ending and the days are cooler.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an environmental educator, mixed media artist, and volunteer/organizer with many community art and ecology initiatives around North Texas. For my job, I’m the Education & Volunteer Coordinator for the Native Prairies Association of Texas, where I help in prairie restoration and stewardship, coordinate events, and collaborate with partners, volunteers, educators, and students to share prairie knowledge across the state. In my hometown of Denton, I’m a Co-Director of The PETAL Project, where we inspire our community to participate in environmental actions while developing creative skills and ecological knowledge. I’m also a volunteer with my local Master Naturalist and Native Plant Society of Texas chapters, KUZU Community Radio, the Denton Water Project, Denton Music & Art Collaborative, and our local Zine Fest. I also love to attend local live music shows, play electronic music, make zines, and consistently start craft projects that will likely never be completed. I believe that environmental restoration is an art form – and perhaps one of the most important art forms of our generation.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I was lucky to be able to study abroad while in grad school, and I participated in a program that combines Ecology, Philosophy, and Art studies at a field research station in southern Chile (Tierra del Fuego). The entire trip helped shape my perspective on the world, expand my worldview, and guided me towards the field I’m in today. But the moment that really shaped me was a challenging day hike that culminated in a climb to glacial headwaters. At the top of the mountain was a beautiful scene and the opportunity to taste the purest water I’ll ever drink, directly from the stream. That was a surreal moment where my exhaustion and fears transformed into awe, joy, and a deep appreciation for nature that continues to resonate in me.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
That I am never alone in community, and we are all interconnected through our struggles and sufferings. I’ve made it through times I was suffering because friends came to my side, our community supported us in hard times, or simply the kindness of strangers. When we create spaces for people to share their struggles and vulnerabilities, we can weave threads of resilience.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
My environmentalism will be my lifelong project – it is part of who I am at my core and will never reach a point of complete satisfaction. We don’t do it for the satisfaction of success or reaching a goal, although it is always nice to have some environmental wins. We care for the earth because the earth cares for us, and we show our love in lifetimes of deep respect and nurturing a more sustainable relationship with nature. I am inspired by the teachings of Robin Wall Kimmerer, Vandana Shiva, Grace Lee Boggs, bell hooks, Donna Haraway, and countless others who call us to a life of love-based actions for our communities and environment.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What light inside you have you been dimming?
This year, I felt like I let my creative practice take a backseat while I transitioned into a new job, a new workload, and focused on professional development. I keep reminding myself that sometimes our creative practice requires us to step away from the active creation of the thing, and instead soak in all that life experience and knowledge, and give ourselves time to “do the work” that will then seep into creative inspiration and outflows. My environmental restoration work and community volunteering inform and inspire my creative practice, but it can be hard to keep all the lights lit simultaneously. My hope is that I will be overflowing with inspiration from all the work, and creative projects will begin to find their light of day again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.weaverswriting.com/about
- Other: https://linktr.ee/rantchill
Image Credits
Ellie Alonzo & Taylor Collins
