Meet Mary Leavines | Writer | Thru-Hiker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Leavines and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote is by the poet Mary Oliver. It’s from her poem “Blackwater Woods:”

To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it
go,
to let it go.

I think all of us eventually have to come to grips with the idea of impermanence. Eventually, everything we know will end or change. When you’re a creative person, this especially holds true: much of our success as writers, photographers, or artists of any form depends on our ability to change. Change is necessary to “improve” our work in some ways, by adapting to the market, honing our skills, learning how to use new social platforms to self-promote, etc. But it’s also important to have the ability to let things go.

For example, I had to let go of the lofty ideas of success (NatGeo photographer, NYT columnist) in order to embrace the reality of what success looks like to me. Success looks different to me now, after years of writing and taking pictures. Now, my goal as a creative is to connect with people, to learn from my mistakes, write about them, and build community in learning from our collective past.

I think that “loving what is mortal,” as Mary Oliver puts it, means giving your all to the things that bring you joy, knowing full well that these things will eventually change or go away. Priorities will shift. Maybe you’ll never make it to most prestigious publishing house. But did you love your craft? Did you engage with your creativity in a way where you were fully present, curious, and joyful? That, to me, is the most important part of both creativity and life in general.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My most recent body of work is the collection of essays, journals, and photos I created while I was thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. The trail was something I dreamed of doing for a long time, and it presented an opportunity to re-engage with my creativity in a way that was totally freeing. I wrote blog posts for The Trek ( https://thetrek.co/author/mary-leavines/ ), but aside from that, I was freely journaling and focusing more on honestly representing my experience than churning out content.

I have always identified as a writer/photographer, but while I was on the trail, I learned that while I love photography (and always will,) writing is where my true strengths lie. It’s where I want to spend most of my time and energy. And above all, it’s the thing I’m most nervous at “failing” at.

The main thing I learned from the trail is that, when I am afraid of something, when I “freeze” before attempting it, when I worry about the outcome: that is a sure sign that it’s something I need to be doing. Writing scares me far more than photography ever did. So now, I’m working on a manuscript for my memoir, blogging regularly, and building community around my writing. It’s terrifying, but also the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done.

This crossroads in my creative career brings back a line from the quote I chose at the beginning of this interview: “when the time comes to let it go / let it go.” I have always loved photography and was a professional photographer as a freelancer and in a marketing agency. But as I took pictures along the Appalachian Trail, I realized that I was trying to capture what I really wanted to put into words. So for now, photography will be on the back burner so writing can step forward.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I recently moved from my home state of Louisiana to a coastal town in North Carolina, so I’m probably not the best guide! I am very familiar with Western North Carolina, so we would have to drive a few hours inland for me to put together an itinerary. We would be doing a lot of hiking outside of Franklin, Boone, and Bryson City. My favorite small town in that area is Sylva, so we’d drop by the brewery there and grab pizza. Then, honestly, probably hike some more. I would wrap the trip up with a long drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family. This includes both my family of origin, and my “chosen family” – my partner, my dear friends, and my fellow Appalachian Trail thru-hikers that are scattered across the country and the world. They have watched me change and grow over the years, and step into a place of authority within my own life. They never once doubted me, even when (especially when) I doubted myself. From the last-minute dinner invitations, the River Road drives, the weekends spent in the woods, wine nights, and midday zoom calls that were Definitely Not Work-Related… they know who they are, and I hope they know how thankful I am for them.

Website: https://www.maryleavines.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryleavines/

Other: The Trek author page: https://thetrek.co/author/mary-leavines/