Chronically Candid

Morgan sits down with Lindsay Sparks — Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, sobriety mentor, mom of two, backyard chicken keeper, and self-described chronic over-sharer — for a conversation that wastes absolutely no time getting to the good stuff.Lindsay shares her story growing up in a military family, moving every four years, and being a deeply shy, highly sensitive kid trying to find her footing. She opens up about falling into disordered eating as a teenager, growing up in a home shaped by a toxic parental dynamic and emotional neglect, and how, by 16, she was using cocaine as what she describes as a form of self-medication — something her late ADHD diagnosis helped her eventually make sense of. Lindsay talks about the shame of performing "good girl" on the outside while balancing a dangerous habit behind closed doors, and how a missed AOL Instant Messenger conversation was the one moment her behavior almost came to light — only to be swept under the rug and never spoken of again.Morgan and Lindsay dig into the complicated terrain of complex PTSD: what it actually is, why it's so easy to gaslight yourself out of believing your own experiences were "bad enough," and why the body often holds the truth when the mind refuses to. They find a lot of common ground here — both grew up learning to read the emotional temperature of a room, both married to steady, uncomplicated men who they still sometimes treat like ticking time bombs out of old habit.Lindsay traces her relationship with alcohol from college drinking culture through pandemic-era binge drinking while navigating the challenges of early parenthood — to the moment she found out she was pregnant with her second and felt mad that she couldn't drink that night. That moment of clarity, she says, is what finally sent her to therapy.They talk about gray area drinking, the spectrum of alcohol use disorder, and why learning the actual neuroscience of alcohol — serotonin, dopamine, GABA, the gut — changed everything for Lindsay in a way that none of her dietetics training ever had. Lindsay shares what eventually led her to quit, what her first year of sobriety felt like (lonely, identity-shaking, genuinely hard), how THC briefly became a transfer addiction, and how she's now approaching 1,000 days alcohol-free.Morgan, in turn, is refreshingly honest about where she is on her own journey with alcohol — still in the gray area, still grappling with the part of her that finds the feeling of release elicited by drinking hard to replicate , and not yet ready to say she's done. It's one of those rare podcast conversations where the host doesn't have it all figured out either, and it's better for it.They close with a conversation about reframing discipline as devotion, gentle self-parenting, all-or-nothing thinking, and what it means to stay curious about yourself — even when the answers are uncomfortable.Resources mentioned in the episode:This Naked Mind by Annie GraceReframe AppShe RecoversHOP WTR (adaptogens, Lindsay's current go-to)Recess (adaptogenic sparkling water)You can find Lindsay and her work at the intersection of alcohol-free living and intuitive eating on Instagram at @sobernourished.Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Chronically Candid, Morgan sits down with Cindy Baldwin — disability activist, award-winning children's author of Where the Watermelons Grow and No Matter the Distance (the first novel about cystic fibrosis written by an author with CF), and founder of The Salty Pen, a writing support community for writers with CF across all genres and experience levels. The conversation they have is the kind that starts mid-thought and never really stops — which, if you know Cindy and Morgan, is exactly how it was always going to go.Cindy was diagnosed with CF at six months old in an era when that was rare, and she spent much of her childhood genuinely unaware of what the disease would mean for her future. She learned that CF was life-shortening at age 13 — not from a doctor, not from a parent, but from reading a Redbook magazine article written about her own family. If that's not a story that only someone with a chronic illness can tell, nothing is.From there, the conversation moves through so much territory: being one of the first three women in the world to get pregnant on a CFTR modulator (yes, really), navigating a medical team who were just as uncertain as she was, watching modulator babies go from "no data exists" to "there was finally a baby boom." Cindy shares what it was like to be the person people found on Google when they searched "Vertex modulator pregnancy" — and how Trikafta eventually made that a less lonely search for everyone who came after.But this episode really opens up when Morgan and Cindy get into what life looks like when the disease you organized your entire identity around starts to look different. What do you do with the urgency that chronic illness installs in you — the need to hurry up, get it done, find the person, publish the book, have the baby — when suddenly the timeline shifts and you're not in the last chapter of your life anymore? Cindy describes a genuine identity unraveling when her daughter turned eight and she realized: she might actually be around for a long time. That realization was harder than she expected.They dig into the strange grief that can come with getting better. Missing the hospital — the structure, the being-taken-care-of, the world where everyone already knows what CF is and you don't have to explain yourself. The weird guilt of feeling like you can't fully claim your CF identity anymore when you're healthy. The way Trikafta didn't fix fatigue, and what it means to be a writer when your brain force-quits on you after just a few hours of being awake.There's also a genuinely fascinating thread about creating while chronically ill — how Cindy learned to write entire books in ten-minute increments while her toddler wasn't napping, and why she believes the most important thing she does by showing up online is simply be the person she didn't have growing up: proof that you can pursue something creative and meaningful, even when the conventional writing advice has absolutely nothing to say to you.The episode closes with Morgan's "fun Q&A" (which, as always, is not really fun in the light and fluffy sense — it's more that it tends to make you examine your soul a little). Including the question that never gets easier: would you remove chronic illness from your life if you could?Cindy's answer is worth sitting with.Cindy's poetry collection Don't Live Like You Are Dying is forthcoming.Find Cindy and The Salty Pen online, and support Morgan's work by reading and subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com.Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Chronically Candid, Morgan sits down with artist and arts leader Kelly Yarbrough for a rich, wide-ranging conversation about what it means to truly belong to a place — and how art, curiosity, and a willingness to be a forever student can completely reshape the way you move through the world.Kelly — painter, drawer, MFA graduate of Kansas State University, and founder of the Tallgrass Artist Residency in Matfield Green, Kansas — grew up in Plano, Texas, a rapidly expanding suburb of Dallas where roots ran shallow and the land felt more like backdrop than home. Morgan, who grew up in Olathe, Kansas, finds immediate kinship in that suburban experience: both women lived alongside prairie their whole lives before they ever truly saw it.The conversation explores what it actually takes to become "prairie aware" — and why it's so easy to drive straight through the Flint Hills your entire life and never register what you're looking at. Kelly traces her own awakening to relationships and volunteer work in Kansas City, where people introduced her to grasslands not as the absence of something, but as a rich and irreplaceable ecosystem in its own right. That curiosity eventually led her to K-State for her MFA and, ultimately, to the tallgrass prairie itself.Morgan and Kelly dig into what it means to find your intersection — that overlap of passion, skill, and calling that shapes the work you're meant to do. For Kelly, that intersection is art and prairie: using drawing and painting to pull viewers into an intimate, visceral experience of landscape rather than offering them a neat, conquerable view of it. Her work resists the tradition of early American landscape painting — the Thomas Moran-style epic vistas that functioned as visual propaganda for manifest destiny — instead putting the viewer in the middle of the experience, disoriented and present, forced to reckon with a place rather than pass through it.That thread leads to a genuinely moving discussion about colonization — of land, of perception, of beauty itself. Kelly shares how her MFA show grew out of a desire to unlearn inherited narratives about place and find a more honest, intuitive relationship with land that was taken. The conversation holds space for the weight of that history without collapsing into shame — both women arrive at something more generative: the idea that letting go of systems that don't serve us can actually be a beautiful, life-giving act.Along the way, there's warmth and laughter too — composting disasters, coyotes, and the meditative magic of sitting by a pond at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve with a journal on Mother's Day.Kelly also opens up about building the Tallgrass Artist Residency from scratch as a grad student in 2016 — a program she describes as simply connecting dots between people who cared — and what it's meant to watch artists from across prairie regions arrive in a town of 50 people and leave transformed. Now in its 11th year, the residency is the thing she's most proud of, and it shows.The episode closes with a "fun" (read: Morgan needs to rename this section) Q&A and a reminder that wherever you live, magic is available if you slow down enough to look for it.Learn more about Kelly:"Tallgrass Prairie & the Power of Perenniality" | Kelly Yarbrough | TEDxAustinCollege: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha_HKlNTMQAKelly's studio work, including the painting Survivor (watercolor featuring a coyote in prairie grass): https://www.kellyyarbrough.com/studio-workSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Chronically Candid, Morgan sits down with writer Carrie Etzel for a layered, thoughtful conversation about growing up inside an authoritarian, evangelical subculture, unraveling purity culture and discovering who you are outside of that subculture when you have no 'blueprint' to follow.Carrie—essayist, Substack writer at Sister Swan, romance novelist, and mom of five—shares how narrative shaped her from childhood. Raised in a deeply religious environment (with a pastor father and missionary grandparents), storytelling was woven into her identity early on. But, in her twenties, life as she knew it imploded as she increasingly questioned the tenets she was raised on. The conversation explores:What authoritarian religion actually looks like from the insideHow questioning faith can cost you your community—and why people still choose to do itThe nuance of recognizing the harm and feeling gratitude for the people and spaces that shaped youThe long shadow of religious trauma, including how our bodies rememberMorgan and Carrie dig deep into purity culture—what it is, how it functions, and why Carrie calls it “a system of sexual ownership.” They unpack the ways it reduces women to objects and men to uncontrollable urges, creating confusion, shame, and distorted frameworks for intimacy. Carrie speaks candidly about how these teachings shaped her sense of self and the slow, ongoing work of disentangling those beliefs.One of the most powerful threads in the episode is Carrie’s reflection on romance novels as a tool for healing. After years of self-policing very human emotions, she found freedom in a genre that centers consent, female pleasure, and emotionally mature partnership. That discovery inspired her to write her own romance novel—one where purity culture itself is the villain. Her hope? That other women who left or want to leave authoritarian systems might see themselves on the page and imagine something different.The episode also touches on:The intersection of religion and politics in AmericaWhy dehumanization is a hallmark of authoritarian systemsParenting after authoritarian upbringingsThe complexity of telling your story when it overlaps with others’Throughout, Morgan and Carrie model what it looks like to stay curious, hold nuance, and speak honestly about painful things without flattening them into caricature.This conversation is tender, brave, and deeply reflective—an invitation to examine the stories we were handed and decide which ones we want to keep.If you’ve ever untangled faith, questioned inherited beliefs, wrestled with shame around sexuality, or wondered how to tell the truth about your past without burning everything down—this episode will resonate.Resources mentioned in the episode:STRONGWILLED on Substack: https://strongwilled.substack.comShiny Happy People on Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Shiny-Happy-People/0TRV2VQKIE3NEHOPKZ5G3HION5Bridgerton on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80232398Carrie's Substack: https://substack.com/@sisterswanA Well-Trained Wife: My Escape From Christian Patriarchy - https://tialevings.comSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Chronically Candid, host Morgan Barrett talks with Book of the Month author Thea Weiss about writing her debut novel The Second Chance Cinema amid the grief of losing both of her parents and early motherhood. Morgan and Thea talk about forging ahead and taking creative leaps even when you don't feel completely 'ready', the importance of celebrating small wins, accepting rejection as part of the process, and what 'one less Buble' means.Throughout our conversation, we cover:The process of getting a debut novel publishedHow to make it through writing the middle of a manuscriptContinuing to make art even though the times we're living through feel heavyHow love, memory, and identity show up on the pageBooks mentioned in this episode:The Second Chance Cinema by Thea WeissThe Artist's Way by Julia CameronYou can follow Thea's work at writtenbythea.com and instagram.com/writtenbythea, and connect with Morgan at morganbarrett.co and instagram.com/morganbarrett__Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan turns 34 today! In this Fireside Fridays episode, host Morgan Barrett pauses to reflect on where she is now—six years into taking Trikafta, three weeks into sobriety, and committed to therapy work that’s teaching her how to finally feel safe in her body. Morgan reads a piece she wrote in 2021, about the times (pre-Trikafta) when every CF exacerbation put the brakes on whatever she had going on in her life at the moment, requiring her to cancel plans to attend to her health. The piece takes a moment to share gratitude for the version of herself post-Trikafta, acknowledging the things she now sometimes takes for granted in this healthier era of her life.Support Morgan's work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.comSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Chronically Candid feels like a cozy, heartfelt conversation between two Millennial women who genuinely get each other. Host Morgan welcomes Elizabeth Su—author, creator, and the mind behind the Everyday Millennial Oracle—and together they gently unravel what it means to acknowledge and heal our inner teen in a world that seems to ask us to disregard our feelings and experiences from those formative years.Elizabeth shares her winding path from Silicon Valley hustle to creative self-trust, opening up about burnout, perfectionism, and the deep emotional cost of staying in spaces that don’t feel aligned. Her story is one of listening to her body, honoring intuition, and bravely pivoting—even when it meant facing rejection, uncertainty, and fear. That honesty becomes a quiet throughline of the episode: healing doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from pausing, noticing, and choosing yourself.The conversation naturally drifts into Millennial nostalgia—not as escapism (okay, maybe a little bit), but as reconnection. Butterfly clips, singing Christina Aguilera songs to yourself in your bedroom mirror, diaries filled with feelings, and the sting of not fitting in all become portals back to the versions of ourselves that still live inside us. Both Morgan and Elizabeth reflect on how teenage wounds—people-pleasing, rejection, jealousy, and the fear of being misunderstood—don’t simply disappear with age. Instead, they wait patiently to be acknowledged.Elizabeth explains how this insight shaped the Everyday Millennial Oracle, a deck that offers the opportunity to give yourself compassion and clarity. When they pull cards together during the episode, the messages land with uncanny tenderness—about knowing your limits, letting discomfort pass, and trusting that pain is temporary. These moments mirror Morgan’s own experience navigating new motherhood and postpartum anxiety, grounding the conversation in real, lived vulnerability.What makes the episode especially resonant is its gentleness. There’s no pressure to “fix” yourself or rush healing along. Instead, there’s an invitation to sit with your feelings, honor your inner teen’s voice, and reclaim joy without apology. By the end, the episode feels like a reminder that growth isn’t about erasing who you were—it’s about finally welcoming them home.You can follow Elizbeth on Instagram and TikTok, and find Morgan on Instagram.Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Fireside Fridays episode, host Morgan Barrett reflects on returning to the podcast after a long hiatus and marks a deeply personal turning point in her life. Looking back on the past three years, Morgan shares how her relationship with alcohol gradually became something she could no longer ignore—and how, after years of fear and hesitation, she attended her first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.Morgan opens up about the vulnerability of asking for help, the stigma she wrestled with, and the relief and inspiration she felt hearing others’ stories. With honesty and compassion, she reframes seeking support not as a failure, but as a proactive choice made before alcohol could turn her life into something she no longer recognized.The episode closes with Morgan reading a powerful letter she wrote to her future self in April 2025—a reflection on living in the gray area of “functional” drinking, the fear of giving alcohol up, generational patterns, and the reminder that worth is not defined by sobriety. Though she’s only at the beginning of this journey, Morgan shares this moment with hope, humility, and a desire to help destigmatize conversations around drinking and recovery.Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Chronically Candid, host Morgan Barrett returns after a year-long break to explore her long-held dream of becoming a published author through a heartfelt conversation with literary agent Jessica Berg of Rosecliff Literary. Morgan reflects on how chronic illness—especially her lifelong experience with cystic fibrosis—has shaped her creative voice and inspired her mission to build a space where people with chronic illness feel seen and validated. She shares how stepping into writing publicly, including through her Substack, has been a vulnerable but transformative part of embracing her calling.Chronically Candid is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Jessica brings warmth and “big sister energy” as she breaks down the myths and opaque systems of the publishing world. She explains her own unconventional path into agenting, her commitment to making the industry more equitable, and why storytelling should never be limited by privilege or pedigree. Together, Morgan and Jessica discuss the confusion built into traditional publishing, the slow evolution toward amplifying marginalized voices, and the realities of querying, platform-building, and treating authorship as both creative passion and business. The episode ultimately serves as both encouragement and roadmap for anyone dreaming of writing but unsure where to begin.Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary, where she champions bold, emotionally resonant fiction with unforgettable characters, strong stakes, and a sense of urgency. She is currently closed to fiction. She is especially drawn to upmarket, historical, and supernatural suspense, with a soft spot for haunting atmosphere, richly layered relationships, and characters who carry deep emotional wounds. Give her a protagonist standing at the edge of reinvention, a world on the brink of change, or a past that refuses to stay buried. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect. If your book feels like it belongs in a candlelit room with a storm raging outside, she wants to see it. She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others.Thanks for reading Chronically Candid! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Chronically Candid podcast! I haven’t recorded anything for a year, but I’m back with a solo episode!Life updates: Our kids are back at school full time & I’m back at work full timeAn Instagram post I chickened out of sharing WRITING MY FIRST BOOK: How it’s going & answering the question, “What’s it about?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, friends! It's been a while. Well, almost four months! This episode is a little life & mental health update, and some words on how I'm getting out of my own way and pursuing a lifelong dream of writing. The podcast is being featured at cff.org/blog, so I wanted to say hello to folks who may be listening for the first time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 19 of the Makers, Dreamers, Doers podcast, Morgan talks with Jessica Grider, a fellow mom-of-twins (+ a singleton!), high school librarian, hobby gardener, and writer. Morgan and Jessica compare notes on their experiences with finding out they were having twins, twin pregnancy, C-section birth, (tandem) breastfeeding, and the emotions that come with weaning but knowing that it's 'time'. Jessica shares about why she and her husband don't share a bedroom (spoiler: yes, they like each other, and, yes, they have sex) and how it's made them more intentional about spending time together.Morgan and Jessica delve into a conversation about race: The difference between racist remarks and genuine curiosity about the differences between her skin color and her boys'—both are things that Jessica experiences often as a Black mother to biracial children; raising 'white-presenting' boys and how that may change how she and her husband have conversations with them about police brutality and racial bias when they are older; and the importance of open dialogue and honesty in interracial relationships.Jessica also shares about her transition to becoming a high school librarian and what she loves most about her role in the 'hub' of her school (she was previously a high school English teacher for 12 years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic); what it's been like being a librarian in the midst of a frenzy of book bans from the political right across the country, and how her school district has mostly remained immune from the discriminatory bans happening in libraries across Missouri; and, lastly, why representation in libraries and literature matters (Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop: "Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors")Books Mentioned in This EpisodeJuliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera The Poet X by Alyssa Acevedo Supermarket by Bobby Hall Love, Theoretically by Ali HazelwoodBabel by R.F. KuangThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara KingsolverLawrence mom gives birth to 'MoMo' twins — article referenced in the episodeYou can learn more about Jessica and her life as a school librarian raising three boys by following her on Twitter and InstagramYou can learn more about Morgan and her work by following her on Instagram | morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 18, Morgan sits down with Nancy O'Connor, the Executive Director at Growing Food Growing Health, a non-profit in Lawrence, Kansas which runs school gardens and a community garden at a women's residential drug addiction treatment center (Growing Food Growing Hope). Nancy shares her love for fresh, organic, locally-grown food through a conversation on how Growing Food Growing Health began and has grown over its 14 seasons (and counting). Nancy shares how the kids she's worked with over the years have found a passion for growing healthy food through the GFGH programs, particularly through the connections they make with fellow gardeners and those who benefit from the food they grow. Nancy shares how gardening has taught the teens she works with about where their food comes from and the labor it takes to get (healthy) food on our plates.Nancy and Morgan muse about what keeps them coming back to gardening, despite the unglamorous work and frequent failures and flops. They talk about their love for gardening—how it reconnects us to nature, encourages us to slow down, and teaches us to be present.Books Mentioned in this Episode:Michael Pollan (author)Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-KimmererNancy is also the author of the Rolling Prairie Cookbook (Buy her book on ThriftBooks!)Follow Morgan on Instagram | Learn more at morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 17, Morgan sits down with her friend Farai Harreld to talk about breaking generational cycles, motherhood, home schooling, representation in education, and instilling a love for nature in children. Farai is a mother, spouse, writer, herbalist, and much more. Born in Zimbabwe, raised in Botswana, and now living in Kansas, she calls all three places home. Farai is thoughtful and intentional in all of the work she does—in examining her own generational trauma and breaking cycles, in raising and educating her children, and in the way she lives upon the Earth—and she brings that energy to this conversation.Books Mentioned in this Episode:To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'DonohueChildren's books by Phoebe WahlTo learn more about Farai and her work, visit her website at faraiharreld.com or follow her on Instagram at @thehillbillyafricanLearn more about Morgan and her work at morganbarrett.co or follow her on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A piece Morgan wrote for the Lawrence Times (never got published) about her favorite local coffee spot, La Prima Tazza.Instagram | Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 16, Morgan sits down with Tayanna (Tay) Nelson, the photographer and owner of GoodBodies, a KC boudoir photography business, and Hey Tay, a queer-focused KC wedding & portrait photography business. Morgan and Tay talk about why Tay's photography focuses on marginalized identities, what trauma-informed boudoir means & what it looks like in Tay's studio, unpacking society's body & beauty expectations imposed upon us, Tay's advice to 'stay in your lane' and 'keep your eyes on your own paper' when it comes to other peoples' bodies & their supposed health status, what Fat Camp is and how it's a middle finger in the face of what 'fat camp' has meant in the past, what's behind the hate directed toward fat people and LGBTQIA+ folks, and the persistent joy of queer love even in the face of hateful legislation.Whew! It's a fun and loaded episode. Enjoy!You can learn more about Tay's work and enjoy her good humor by following her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTokgood-bodies.com | hey-tay.comYou can learn more about Morgan and her work by following her on Instagram | morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 15 of the Makers, Dreamers, Doers podcast, Morgan talks with her longtime friend, Jess McLaughlin—In 2019, Jess suffered a serious mental health crisis that landed her in the hospital for months, rendering her catatonic and unable to communicate. Today, Jess is living a full life as a working mom and wife, fully recovered from her traumatic 2019 experience thanks to ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). Jess shares what it was like living through encephalitis, psychosis, and catatonia, losing weeks to memory loss, and ultimately coming out on the other side of what was a grim, life-threatening situation with no real answers as to the cause. Morgan and Jess also talk about how their childhood experiences with divorce, anxiety, and mean-girl antics have shaped who they are today and the way they approach life.morganbarrett.co | @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 14 Morgan sat down with Jillain Williams, longtime friend and the Assistant Executive Director at the Kansas City chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to talk about alcoholism and sobriety.Trigger Warnings: Addiction & RapeJillain stopped drinking alcohol in 2018 after a night where she said something hurtful to a friend - it was the wake up call that made her realize that drinking was not working for her, and she needed to quit. Morgan made the decision to stop drinking in April 2023, not after any particular event, but after 15 years of consuming alcohol on an increasingly regular basis. She wanted to be more present with her kids and husband, and the shame and guilt she felt after a night of drinking became no longer worth it to her. She made a list of pros and cons to quitting, and 9 weeks later, she's feeling really good about the decision to live alcohol-free.Jillain and Morgan talk about their journeys to sobriety, leaning on therapy to work through trauma, what’s changed in their lives since they quit drinking, the rewards and challenges of being a sober person, the drinking culture, alternatives to AA and its definitions and approaches, and more.And one last note: If you are struggling with your consumption of alcohol or just curious about getting sober, Jillain and Morgan are both safe people to reach out to and are happy to lend an ear.Books mentioned in this episode:Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon BlackieUntamed by Glennon DoyleRising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution. by Brene BrownThe Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der KolkYou can connect with Jillain on Instagram at @justjillyinkc and you can connect with Morgan on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where My Heart Beats — Read this piece of writing at https://www.morganbarrett.co/post/where-my-heart-beats Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 13 of the Makers, Dreamers, Doers Podcast welcomes Panta Flórez of Maseualkualli Farms in North Lawrence, Kansas. Maseualkaulli (Mah-say-wahl-kwa-lee) Farms means “The Peoples’ Farms” in Nahuatl, an Uto-Aztecan language spoken by ~1.5 people in Mexico today. Maseualkualli Farms is a no-till, no fossil fuel farm that sustainably grows seasonal produce for restaurants, farmers markets, and for food security work in Lawrence. In addition to operating the Farm, Panta is an educator who speaks on topics such as food sovereignty, food justice, sustainable agriculture, and Indigenous Mexica plant ecologies.In our conversation, we talked about why representation in farming matters, what sustainable agriculture can be, what Panta’s project ‘Food as a Public Work’ is all about and what it aims to achieve (including creating a living wage for farmers), and, Panta offers a history lesson on why the landscape of agriculture (pun intended) looks the way it does today in the United States, and how Indigenous modes of farming have been proven (by Western science) to be more sustainable, more bountiful, and just… plain… smarter. Books mentioned in this episode:Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererForest Bathing, How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing LliFlora: The Aztec HerbalLearn more about Maseualkualli Farms and Food as a Public Work at https://www.masefarm.org/. Write a letter of support for the Food as a Public Work project here. Follow Maseualkualli Farms on Instagram.Learn more about Morgan at morganbarrett.co and follow her on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lessons Learned in the Garden — 5 Things I Didn't Want the Garden to Teach Me (But It Did Anyway)There have been many lessons learned in the garden — sometimes they're painful and inconvenient, but they're always worth it. Here are 5 things I didn't want the garden to teach me, but it did anyway.Read the full post at https://www.morganbarrett.co/post/lessons-learned-in-the-gardenFollow Morgan on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Fireside Friday #11, Morgan goes off-script and talks about a conversation she had with her husband, Kory, about rumination stealing her joy. If you are anxiety-prone, or have allowed worry to overtake your joy, this one's for you.morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creativity Online & Willing to be 'Cringe', Exploring the Outdoors with Kids, & Raising Daughters Who Feel Confident Setting Boundaries with Abbi HearneIn episode 12, Morgan talks with Abbi Hearne, adventure photographer, mother, wife and desert-dweller. She and her husband started a successful (like, really successful) adventure photography business, which is how we ‘met’ online. Abbi and I share a commitment to raising our kids out in nature - Abbi and Calle are raising their daughter in the Utah desert for half the year, and among the glaciers in Alaska the other half of the year. We talk about how we’ve adjusted our expectations for outdoor exploration now that we are parents, and the challenges and mega rewards of adding little ones to our adventures.We talk about our shared desire to raise daughters who are confident in themselves beyond their looks, and who are able to set and protect boundaries, despite growing up in a culture which objectifies them literally from birth (“oh look at those blue eyes! She’s going to break some boys’ hearts one day!”) and which tells them to place others’ comfort ahead of their own needs. We cover our own experiences with rejecting the cultural expectations that are placed upon women, and the people who have helped show us that we are more than the way we look.Abbi shares about her relationship with her late father, who passed away in late 2022 from a brain tumor — he was diagnosed in 2018, given only months to live, and Abbi and her family ended up getting 4 more years with him, including the opportunity for him to meet his first grandchild, Hyder (Abbi & Callen's daughter). Finally, Abbi shares how she found her (current) creative passion in adventure photography; We talk about daring to try out a variety of creative pursuits and being willing to be viewed as 'cringe’ and the importance of putting yourself out there creatively.Book mentioned in this episode:The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp and Paula SpencerFollow Abbi on Instagram @abbihearne / Follow The Hearnes Photography at @thehearnes / Follow Morgan at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 11, Morgan talks with her longtime friend and therapist practicing in New York, Kerry Higgins, LCSW about all things therapy: What therapy is, what it isn't, types of therapy, and how to find a therapist who's a good fit for you. We focus on a few different aspects of some therapy practices, including inner child work, reparenting, practicing gratitude, and generational healing. If you are wary of therapy or have had a bad experience with therapy, this episode was created with you in mind.Books mentioned in this episode:I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jeanette McCurdyThe Dark Side of the Light Chaser, Debbie FordThe Untethered Soul, Michael SingerLiving Untethered, Michael SingerColleen Hoover Gave Trigger Warnings a Pass - "Colleen Hoover was given the option of including trigger warnings at the beginning of her smash-hit book. It Ends With Us and instead chose not to include them for fear of ruining the twist."Follow Kerry on Instagram at @authenticallywelltherapyFollow Morgan on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ and learn more about her creative endeavors at morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 10, Morgan talks with her friend, Queren King-Orozco, who is a Master Gardener, herbal aromatherapist, event producer, and Mexican Immigrant (Dreamer) & mother to two (including a child with disabilities).Queren shares her immigration story — she and her family immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 2000. She talks about what it was like assimilating to American culture as a child while her life was in upheaval, including the deportation of her father and brother (her brother is still not able to join his family in the US, almost 20 years later). We also talk about learning a second language and the discrimination and prejudice Spanish-speakers face in the United States.Queren's son Asher (age 2) was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder, called AUTS2 syndrome. AUTS2 syndrome is an 'intellectual disability (ID) syndrome' caused by genomic rearrangements, deletions, intragenic duplications or mutations disrupting AUTS2. Queren talks about what it's like raising a child with disabilities, including balancing caring for a child with special needs and a healthy child (her 7-year-old daughter, Bostyn). We talk about her hopes for Asher's future, and how Queren does her best to remain grateful for and present in the reality of where Asher is at developmentally and health-wise today, as well as the evolution of the language used when talking about people with disabilities and accepting the label of 'having a child with disabilities', and how Queren takes care of her own physical/mental/emotional health as a mother.About AUTS2 Syndrome - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9008325/#:~:text=AUTS2%20syndrome%20is%20a%20genetic,19)%20of%20the%20AUTS2%20geneThe research paper Queren references in our conversation - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27075013/ From the article: "All patients have borderline to severe ID/developmental delay, 83-100% have microcephaly and feeding difficulties. Congenital malformations are rare, but mild heart defects, contractures and genital malformations do occur. There are no major health issues in the adults; the oldest of whom is now 59 years of age. Behaviour is marked by it is a friendly outgoing social interaction. Specific features of autism (like obsessive behaviour) are seen frequently (83%), but classical autism was not diagnosed in any. A mild clinical phenotype is associated with a small in-frame 5' deletions, which are often inherited. Deletions and other mutations causing haploinsufficiency of the full-length AUTS2 transcript give a more severe phenotype and occur de novo."Book mentioned in the episode:In The Country We Love, Diane GuerreroFollow Queren on Instagram at @amongthethistleFollow Morgan on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ and learn more about her at morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fireside Friday #10 // The Brightest Little LightsSomething a little lighter for your Friday, yes?A Fish Who Swims in WineAnd My Shadow Is MeWere admittedly a little heavyI love a good think pieceSomething that digs deepBut I also can seeThat it’s good to sprinkle inThings that have a lighter energyThe world already weighs on us so muchSometimes it’s like — enoughSo let me share with youSome of my joyWhich these daysComes mostly in the formOf a little girl and a little boy...Read the full poem at morganbarrett.co/post/the-brightest-little-lights Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 9, Morgan sits down with the Executive Director of Kanbe’s Markets, Maxfield Kaniger, about what food insecurity actually means, equity and access when it comes to the food we eat, community-led non-profit work, and how Kanbe’s is helping to address the problem of food inequity in Kansas City. Kanbe’s Markets is a 501c3 non profit that provides access to fresh, healthy foods in the areas of Kansas City designated by the USDA as a “food desert,” where residents lack consistent access to healthy and affordable food. Access to healthy food is critical for every human - if you’re a human, this podcast episode is for you. I hope you enjoy our conversation and learn something new along the way.Learn more about Kanbe's Markets and support their mission at kanbesmarkets.orgLearn more about Morgan's creative pursuits at morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fireside Fridays are readings of Morgan's poems and prose.Read A Fish Who Swims In Wine at morganbarrett.co/post/a-fish-who-swims-in-wine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 8, Morgan talks with Faith (Fizzy) Shropshire, a mother to a child with cystic fibrosis, content creator, event planner, and student, about what it's like to be a Black family in the cystic fibrosis community, parenting a child with CF, disparities in health care in general between white people and people of color, distrust by Black Americans of the American health care system due to medical racism (e.g. the Tuskegee Experiment), how society and health care can do better by and for the Black community and eventually build up trust that has been repeatedly degraded throughout history, and health equity when it comes to groundbreaking therapies like Trikafta (https://www.vrtx.com/) and continuing the fight for a cure for everyone living with cystic fibrosis.Fizzy's son, Felton (V) is a 5-year-old living with CF. Cystic fibrosis is often believed to be a Caucasian disease, yet. an estimated 15-20% of the CF population are people of color. This common misunderstanding of who the disease can and does affect leads to disparities in the health care and outcomes between white people living with cystic fibrosis and people of color living with cystic fibrosis. V, for example, was diagnosed later than he should have been because doctors told his mother he wouldn’t have inherited cystic fibrosis because "cystic fibrosis is something that little white kids get". His health was impacted as a result.References:https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-10-31/cystic-fibrosis-screening-often-misses-black-hispanic-babieshttps://cff.org/community-posts/2019-11/cf-care-writing-next-chapter-togetherhttps://cystic-fibrosis.com/living/lung-function-pochttps://academic.oup.com/tropej/article/55/5/281/1677262https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843483/https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/what-is-the-tuskegee-study#:~:text=With%20no%20informed%20consent%2C%20hundreds,the%20Tuskegee%20Institute%20in%20Alabama.https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read the poem at morganbarrett.co/post/my-shadow-is-me-poem Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Makers, Dreamers, Doers podcast, Morgan talks with Megan Gilger of Fresh Exchange about the many benefits of gardening, like community building, learning about nature, learning about yourself, as well as, of course, growing and eating the freshest, healthiest food available. We also chat about why we started gardening in the first place and what it means to us, how we can live in reciprocity with the land, chicken-keeping, and the challenges and benefits of gardening with kids. Books mentioned in this episode:Upstream by Mary OliverAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara KingsolverBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-KimmererNature's Best Hope by Doug TallamyEnchantment by Katherine MayLearn more about Megan and all she does at freshexchange.com, and follow her on Instagram at @freshexchangeLearn more about the Makers, Dreamers, Doers podcast at morganbarrett.co, and follow me on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mulberry tree to the south of our house is old, quite weathered, and misshapen. She’s lost branches in thunderstorms and high winds, but another June has come and again she bears fruit. Mosses and mushrooms grow on her trunk, there’s a family of woodpeckers who take refuge in a cavity halfway up. Her berries emerge small and green at the first sign of spring. They swell to a light pink, red, then a violet-black, staining my fingers, dark purple on my feet or soles of my shoes as I walk the ground around her. The mulberry tree feeds me as I pick, a low-hanging snack, shiny and black, a gentle tug or shake is all it takes, and the berries release at the stem. She feeds our chickens, at the ground they peck for overripe berries, fallen, heavy with juice and seed. She feeds our two dogs, one woody arm bent so low they barely have to look up, berries bitten right off the branch. She feeds hungry coyotes, deer, and flies; she’s generous, she’s kind. She’ll feed all who come by.She feeds the soil with fruit that’s not picked - a quiet thump as they tumble from down from the crown.The mulberry tree gives, for how many more summers I’m not sure. But I thank her like it’s our last June together. She bears fruit, I give back - lightening her load, hugging her old trunk. I talk to her like the relative she is - I learned that from indigenous wisdom - and give her the respect she deserves. The mulberry tree, beautiful in her imperfection. Not much to look at from afar, but come close and feel all the gifts she brings. Nature is funny like that, kind of unseen until you slow down, take a deep breath, and just start listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan talks with Courtney Masterson and Ryan Riedel of Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, a Lawrence, Kansas based non-profit ecological restoration organization focused on community education and land stewardship. Morgan, Courtney, and Ryan talk about why the prairie matters in an historical and cultural sense, as well as why it's important for our health and day-to-day lives — whether you're a nature fanatic or prefer the comforts of modern life indoors, the prairie has a massive impact on your life.You can find Native Lands on Instagram at @nativelandsks and Morgan is @MorganBarrett__Learn more about Morgan & this podcast at morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prairie DreamsI miss the prairie, andHer brilliant golden hueThe way the wind whispers throughthe Indian grass, and bluestem tooThis time of yearShe beckons to me—Come feel my embraceWalk with me, be freeDeep breath inLet it out Chin to to the skySun warms my closed eyesThe winter sun cuts a pathAcross the southern skyKissing tops of prairie grassSoft tufts of sleeping seedGentle rolling hillsOpen skies and daydreams How do I miss what I’ve never seen:Endless golden seaUnbroken, wild and freeRoom enough for bison, larks and meSorrow is knowing what used to beThe way the plains tribes livedBefore the white manParsing the prairie - endless and pristineInto squares of wheat, corn, and beansPeace is knowing that shewas here long before meOr you, or themAnd she will beSleeping in the soil, even if weTake all that remains For our selfish dreams The solstice sun thawsAs plains wind chillsBalancing forces at workCarrying out Nature’s will:Bring the people to me, she says,I’ll warm their souls asBlues and greens fade to fireFeet to Earth, meet me in the prairieA tingle in your chestA magnetic pull to this landShe is magic in your soul,This darkest time of yearLifting you up and providing what you needThank her, sit with herListen to her, let her beMNB | 12/6/2020morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan talks with longtime friend, professional photographer, and mother of two (soon to be three!), Brittyn Conway about their enduring friendship of 13 years (including some bachelorette party and 30th birthday party shenanigans - ope!), what it's like working as a creative, burnout and ways to avoid it, and some pretty deep mental health stuff. Brittyn shares about her experience being admitted to a psychiatric facility and being told she was placed on a 72 hour suicide watch, despite not being suicidal. Please remember to follow, review, and share this podcast!Learn more at morganbarrett.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writing is a delicate thing for me. I harbor a secret (well, not anymore) desire to one day write something and have it published. I've held this idea in my mind since the second grade when my teacher wrote me a note saying she hopes to read my book someday. She passed away that school year. Leukemia. I still think of her often, and always, always when I see a monarch butterfly. The seed that she planted in my mind is alive and well, just... not quite germinating. I'm not exactly watering it.Acting on a dream is possibly the bravest thing one can do. Dreams are deeply personal. Upon taking action, the dream no longer lives only in your heart, safe and nurtured by imagination. It's thrust into the harsh light of day, and you're not quite sure it can survive there. Can you care for it adequately once it's out and exposed to the gusting winds and the sweltering stare of the sun? You risk the death of your dream when you decide to see if it can live outside of you.Read the full poem at morganbarrett.co/post/imagination-safe-haven Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan chats with Dylan Mortimer — fellow CFer (person living with cystic fibrosis), 2x double-lung transplant recipient, father, husband, and artist — about his lung transplant story (which is nothing short of miraculous), the intersection of faith & health & art, and leaning into your story to create things that matter.Learn more about Dylan and view his portfolio at dylanmortimer.comLearn more at morganbarrett.co/podcastFollow Morgan and the MDD Podcast on Instagram at @morganbarrett__ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A homeless man in front of the coffee shop doorTalking to himselfLaughing, then nearly cryingI wonder who he is talking toHis zip-up jacket hangs off his left shoulderHis beard and hair unkempt and long.People breeze past him on their wayto get coffee and start their dayAvoiding eye contact with the crazy manThe lost man, the wayward strangerAfraid of engaging or recognizing something in his eyesAfraid of his humanity.What made him this way?He was a baby onceAn infant in his mother's armsHow did her baby end up here?The lost man on the streetBlocking the door to the start of my morning.Fear and annoyance first in my heartThen pity for him andanger at the system thatfailed himThen I just wonder if he'd like a coffee andsomeone to look him in the eye.His name is CurtisHe said my hair reminds him ofMarsha, Marsha, Marshaand the barista's hair is the most beautifulauburn.Tell me how he remembers that wordbut struggles to recall his own name?He said some weird shitsomething about Moses andhow he met him at the shelterHe spoke of various brothersand God, like he's someone he knowsMostly nonsense, but glimmers of lucidity.His teeth are all gone except two on the bottomLike my own baby boy, except thatthis man's teeth are black at the rootHis eyes are missing their lightLike a candle nearly burned outHe's there, but lost.I told him I had to go to work, he asked-You have a job? Can I go with you?I'm a good worker, he said.Have a good day, Curtis,Sit here on this bench with your coffeeI press a spare quarter into his palm-Black and dirty fingernails unfurland reveal a fistful of coins.What will this man's day entail?I just hopepeople are nice.Recognizing that no one would choose this life.Maybe he's an addictHis mental health is a wreckBut he could be me,or you,he was once an innocent child, too.-Morgan Barrett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tune in for this conversation with Morgan and her close friend, Hannah Aften Lasorsa, who is an herbalist, writer, photographer, and entrepreneur. They talk about how they built a friendship in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of boundaries and being curious, starting a business (Hannah is founder of Herbal Content Cottage and co-founder of Meadowroot), leaning into our natural skills and inclinations, the pros and cons of working from home, and dreaming of one day writing and publishing a book. Hannah opens up about losing her brother to a heroin overdose, and how that has had a profound impact on the way she views addiction.Learn more about Morgan and the Makers, Dreamers, Doers podcast at morganbarrett.co/podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Morgan,Hi! It’s me. Well, it’s you … at age 30. I got the time capsule you put together for me to open in 2023, though I admit I did open it a year early. Sorry about that. You’d probably like to know that I still have all the journals you wrote in elementary school, and I have a photo of you at age 7 pinned next to my desk to remind me to be kind to myself on days when I’m not as productive as I think I should be. I still have the letters that you and your second-grade teacher wrote to each other while she was in the hospital fighting leukemia, and I try to honor whom I think you wanted to be as an adult. I love monarch butterflies like you do. I still have a strong will and like to write. I remember your struggles and worries, but I also remember how wonderful you are. You want to know what’s really cool? You’re 30, and you don’t cough anymore. Yeah. I thought you’d think that’s pretty amazing. Can I tell you more?Read the poem at morganbarrett.co/post/letter-to-me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a trendy topic,talking about women's bodieswhat's good, what's badwhether fat is the fadbut my only thoughtis how goddamn amazingthis body that I'm in isMine went from failing,dying of diseaseto giving lifeto two children, andcarrying them with relative easeWatching as my belly grewmy little boobs, too!Amazed that my body could grow two other liveswhen not long agoit could barely hold mineand then on a Fridaythis body told me it was timemy babies were ready and so was Ifor 34 weeks and 5 daysmy bones and my brain and my blooddid the work of sustaining three liveshis, hers, and mineIt's so easy to forget whatmy body does for us, for mewhen I catch myself in the mirrorand don't like what I seeCellulite on my ass androlls in my middleI jiggle when I run up the stairsbut I have to remember that for years,I looked into my eyes with contemptnot for being too big, but for being too thinMy knobby knees and the veins in my wristsI saw all the thingsI wished I could beToo thin, too bigI'll probably never beexactly the way I'd like to beI value not fixating on appearance, butI get sucked into thinking those thoughts that sayyou should run more, you need to shaveget your hair done, do something with your faceI see the girls on the 'gramjust doing their best,but their message tells meI need this, I need that, spend to be your best!Slow down, put down the phonemy daughter is watching.I feel a little crack in my heartknowing that already I havetold her that pretty is the currencywhen I get done up to go outshe sticks her little finger in my eyeshadowand swipes it across her toddler eyelidshit, she's been watching,says, look at me, mommy!I tell her she's cute all the damn timebecause it's just what we saybecause to me she's perfect in every waybut what message is she taking away?how can I tell her, show her, let her knowthat pretty isn't equivalent to her worthI know there's something else I should saybut it doesn't come to me naturallyWhat I mean when I say'you're so cuuuute!'is that I love the way you smileyour laugh fills my cupI love watching every little thing you doyou're smart, you're clever,you're perfectly, wonderfullyuniquely youI'll spend my life tailoring my wordsbecause I want her to know her worth.To me she is precious and I hope she neverlooks at someone and thinks, 'I wish I were her'.Well,this little poem went from a simple ideaabout how my body is amazing just for existingto a love letter to my daughterand an apology for so often forgettingthat looks are not everythingMy little love, the world will surely tell youthat it's in your best interest to diligently followthe standards that are set for youthey'll tell you what beautiful isand convince you that it's not youbut my wish is that you have the courage to beall that you are and not what you 'could be'and though we falter, always remember,pretty isn't everything, not even closeyou're precious and perfectin all of your faults.Read the original poem at morganbarrett.co/post/pretty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan chats with her friend Claire at Henry's Upstairs in Lawrence, Kansas on what it's like to be a transgender woman in today's world. Morgan and Claire cover topics including how they met and became friends, the LGBTQIA+ community in their town, compassion and kindness, the transphobia that Claire faces in her job as a Geology Professor, the importance of pronouns and how to show understanding for people who may not yet be comfortable sharing the pronouns they prefer, and a lot more! They wrap up with some fun questions for Claire to answer + her take on how to support the LGBTQIA+ community.morganbarrett.co/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One day in December I felt likeeven the ground beneath me couldn't hold meUntethered, unmooredNothing I did felt worthwhileOne day in DecemberI tried to find meaning in my dayI met with a friendI wrote, I got coffee, I tried to smileOne day in DecemberI reminded myself I'm a momThat my husband loves meBut nothing soothed my aching heartOne day in DecemberI sought refuge in the bottleI knew better,But I was desperate to ease the acheOne day in DecemberI felt sunken to a new lowSinking my own ship,holding my own head under waterThe ache easedReplaced with shameA day I won't soon forgetA day I hope I won't repeatThat day in DecemberI wasn't meI was the worst of meLuckily, I only hurt me.--I wrote this in December 2021 after a particularly difficult mental health day. It's a piece of writing that still makes my heart hurt because I can still feel the pain that I felt that day. My depression still flares up, but it hasn't overtaken me like it did that day in December.I think a lot about alcoholism and its hold on so many people. I don't think I'm an alcoholic, but drinking is so much a part of our cultural fabric, that it's easy to slip into its grip. It's ever-present everywhere we go, it's in the music we listen to, it's even offered at kid-friendly events (like the Glo-Wild event at the Kansas City Zoo that our family attended this holiday season). The suggestion is everywhere, the temptation very real. We can hardly blame ourselves for succumbing to the siren's song of suds when we're having a bad day.It feels risky for me to share this poem because it exposes me a bit. But what's the point of writing if you're not honest?View original poem at https://www.morganbarrett.co/post/one-day-in-december Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan talks with Gunnar Esiason, cystic fibrosis (CF) patient advocate and adult living with CF, on life before and after the life-changing CFTR modulator drug known as Trikafta; becoming new parents as people living with CF; and what the future of cystic fibrosis and the CF community might look like. Gunnar is the son of former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, the most visible national figure in the fight against cystic fibrosis. Learn more about the Boomer Esiason Foundation at esiason.org.morganbarrett.co/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Makers, Dreamers, Doers is a podcast hosted by Morgan Barrett. A mother to twin toddlers and an adult living with cystic fibrosis, Morgan is always pursuing her creative interests, from photography to writing to gardening.In her conversations with makers, dreamers, and doers who inspire her, Morgan delves into topics like parenthood, mental health, and daring to pursue our dreams.Join Morgan for fun and insightful conversations twice a month. Plus, cozy up and make yourself a warm cup of tea (or hell, a cold beer!), and tune in for Fireside Fridays once a month for a poetry reading.Learn more at morganbarrett.co/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to Chronically Candid at morgannbarrett.substack.com/subscribeSupport my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.