Dear friends, Today marks the beginning of something new, a little project that has been on my heart for a while. I'm calling it "Field Notes"—spontaneous voice recordings captured in the quiet in-between moments of life: watching the horses graze, sitting under the oak trees, breathing in the momentary stillness amidst the wild and intense chaos of family life. You won't get careful editing and polished production here, but you will get intimate reflections that feel like a calm in the storm. Field Notes are recordings from real life: no studio, no fancy mics, no edits. Field Notes as Slow Media In a world of 30-second reels and endless scrolling, Field Notes invite you into a different rhythm. These 10-minute recordings (this first one is longer due to the intro!) ask something of you that might feel unfamiliar, or perhaps uncomfortable, at first: your sustained attention. We might think we're good at listening because we consume so much audio content. But when our attention is fragmented across dozens of quick clips, are we really listening? Research shows that deep listening—not the kind we normally do in everyday life—changes our brains. It strengthens our capacity for sustained attention, deepens empathy, and activates areas associated with presence and connection. When we practice holding our attention to one voice, one story, one moment, we're building a muscle that modern life desperately needs. Field Notes are my offering to you, a practice of presence through deep listening, an antidote to our fragmented attention economy, and perhaps most importantly, genuine connection without the performance of social media. The first Field Note I recorded our very first Field Note just after sunrise. I sat on our deck, looking out at the horses grazing below. Inside, I explore: * Why I'm drawn to this more spontaneous format * The intimacy that comes from voice that written words can't capture * What my horses are teaching me about presence and being a beginner * The freedom that comes from letting go of perfectionism My greatest hope for this project is that it offers us permission to be unfinished. Within each Field Note lives a question: What if the wisdom we seek lives in these unplanned pauses… in the moments we miss while focusing on what's wrong, what's missing, or beyond our control? I’m already excited for next time. Onward with love,Ashley P.S. While today's Field Note is my gift to everyone, future recordings will be part of our paid community space. If you're ready for slower, more intentional listening, consider upgrading your subscription. And yes - Apple Podcasts and Spotify coming soon! 💬 Group Check-In I hope you’ll take a moment to reflect in the comments. I read every one. x 1. Where in your life are you avoiding something because you can’t do it perfectly? 2. What might open up if you allowed yourself to be a beginner again? Get full access to The Deeper Call at thedeepercall.substack.com/subscribe
