ordinary sacred

My name is Karen L. Klein. Some friends call my by my nickname, Wren.

I used to believe I was an expert. I’m not. But I feel at this point in my life, everything around me is pressuring me to be an expert in something. This makes things difficult for me.

In fact, as I continue to grow, I’m realizing that very seldom is someone really an expert. After all, things change too quickly. Perhaps what makes us “expert” is the willingness to adapt with the things that change. While we may constantly be chasing the elusive and uncertain expert status, one thing I am sure of is that the world lacks a good amount of creativity and curiosity. I’m a firm believer that both those traits are game-changers in our lives, our culture, and our world. If we are curious about experiences, people, events, ideas, and the like, it opens up possibility. Opportunity. And it teaches us to hold things loosely- to open our grips and welcome people and experiences as they are and as they come. In the process, we get the chance to grow more aware of ourselves. To deepen- or challenge- our beliefs and perspectives. To welcome other people into the conversation, or even the silence for that matter. And we get the chance to re-envision the world and all its goodness in creative and compelling ways.

Being shut down, too busy to notice, too self centered to be curious, to scared to encounter something different destroys creativity. And creativity is where humans thrive. Even those of us among us who rely on the theorized “left brain” offer a form of creativity to the ongoing experiences around us. It just looks different than those who are “right brained.”

Curiosity and creativity. I believe these are the precursors to kindness, goodness, and discovering beauty. I also believe they are foundation for authenticity and self-awareness.

But I’m no expert. I just try to stay creatively curious.

So don’t expect any of my writing to be completely formed. Don’t some here hoping to walk away with 4 key things that will solve all your problems. If anything, I’ve learned I have more questions than answers. More mysteries than solutions.

Instead I invite you into dialogue- in all its forms- as I muse about what it means to lead well (it’s not really what we’ve all been taught, in my view), to grapple with grief and loss, to celebrate the small things, to ask questions that may not have an answer, or to simply sit together in community and listen to each other. Sometimes I write poems; mostly I write prose- essays, articles, half- baked ideas. You get the point.

Anyway… you are welcome here. All of you seekers of kindness and goodness, all of you who want to be more curious and creative, all of you who simply want companionship on your journey. You are welcome here.

A small bit about me:

I’m a mom and a wife. I used to be a pastor- but I stopped doing that sort of work for a number of very good and sometimes very confusing reasons. I still love Jesus but it looks radically different than it used to- if you read back before my two year hiatus from writing, you’ll probably see a marked difference in my topics and writing. This is why. But I decided to keep the old writing up because… well, I don’t really know why. Just because.

I’m am certified in leadership development and organizational management and find that I am able to use the best parts of me in that role… when that role is welcome. I have written stuff since as far back as I can remember- somewhere in my “baby box” is a story I wrote at a very young age about a teapot named Nelly. I’m slowly growing up and learning more and more about confidence in the woman I am, and learning to let those who would disapprove of who I am becoming keep their beliefs about me instead of the meaningless work of trying to change their minds.

And I’m trying to be the best version of myself I can possibly be at any given moment- often very clumsily. I fail a lot. And I’m mostly OK with that.

So that’s me… come along if you like. I’ll try to match your pace.

But I’m no expert.