Carolyne Whelan - an adventuring writer with dysgraphia
Carolyne Whelan is a writing and editing coach with Forward Motion Writing. She previously directed content and production as Editor-in-Chief of two cycling magazines, Dirt Rag and Adventure Cyclist. She lives in Missoula, Montana.
Carolyne combines creativity as a writer with a love of outdoor adventuring and teaching. In addition to being a creative and slow traveler, Carolyne has neurological disabilities: dysgraphia, ADHD, and tinnitus. I wanted to understand better how their disabilities shaped their experience with the outdoors. Like Carolyne, my days include both exploring the outdoors and being a creative – usually writing. I was interested to hear her creative and outdoorsy view of the world and learn more about what attendees of her fall retreat, Eso Terra, will be invited to explore.
Tell me a little about your childhood. Where did you grow up and what kind of things did you enjoy doing outdoors?
Biking and all things ocean were my favorite ways to be outdoors. I grew up in the 1980s in Massachusetts on the South Shore (south of Boston) in the towns of Hull and Hingham. In Hull, I rode on the back of my dad’s bike, pedaled my Big Wheel, and eventually learned to ride a two-wheeler. Hingham was nicer than Hull, and there was a creek at the end of the street where the other neighborhood kids and I spent a lot of time. As an unsupervised bunch of kids, we played, got into mischief – we would ride the older kids’ skateboards that they hid in the neighborhood – and occasionally got hurt.
We learned autonomy. I think we were the last generation of wild kids. We spent all day outside and followed one rule: don’t come home before dinner.
You touched on this already, but when did you get involved in cycling and what sparked your interest?
I started liking bikes when I would ride on the back of my dad’s bike. As a teenager, I played hockey and would in-line skate or skateboard everywhere or to catch the bus. Then I learned that biking to the train was more efficient, and once I started going and could see how far a bike could take me, I didn’t need the train. I bought a cheap bike and took it to a shop to get it tuned up. Instead of the shop fixing the bike, they helped me get the parts I needed to get it running. My family wasn’t handy, so I also bought some tools to make the repairs. The experience was positive and taught me the value of looking closely at something to understand how it’s broken and what’s needed to fix it. I rode that bike all over. It gave me more freedom than a skateboard.
Tell me about your disabilities. What do you do to maintain balance, and how does the outdoors factor into it?
When I was young, I was diagnosed with dysgraphia. The super-simplified explanation is it’s like dyslexia but does the opposite. Basically, it scrambles information output. It typically affects writing, hence dysgraphia. In my case, it also affected my speech output. I paused a lot when talking and took a long time to complete tests. I bounced between As and barely passing through high school, depending on the subject and also largely on the teacher. All my electives were taken from me, and I had to spend hours each day in Resource Room, where I was mostly ignored for not having any intellectual or behavioral disabilities. I spent the time making 'zines or skipping entirely. I played varsity sports, though, so I had to attend at least enough to not get kicked off the teams.
Thirty-five years later, I started looking up information about Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to help a friend who had difficulty getting and maintaining a job. The more I read about ADHD, the more I realized I probably had it. I went to see a neuropsychologist who diagnosed me with ADHD. What a relief! After all these years, I didn’t have dysgraphia, I had ADHD. But the doctor didn’t let me celebrate very long. “You also have dysgraphia,” she said. “In addition, you have frontal lobe processing disorder.” It was a lot to take in all at once. Frontal lobe processing disorder is a learning disability, but it can be compounded or created through head trauma or extreme stress. I’d had multiple concussions at that point, which probably contributed. “Don’t hit your head again,” the doctor told me.
These disabilities have made me a good teacher and editor (but not a copy editor). I’ve had to learn about communication to help myself, and in the process, I’ve learned how to help others find their stories. I used to keep the dysgraphia close to my chest. How would people trust me as a writer and editor when I have a disability that affects my ability to write?
Then a student told me her son was diagnosed with dysgraphia. She was so happy to be able to tell him it wasn’t an inhibitor to his dreams of being a writer. We may have to put our thoughts through the wash three times to get out what we want to share, but that’s fine. It was helpful to offer him courage through my student. It prompted me to reflect on my own journey and celebrate the fact that I am a writer and editor, and I have dysgraphia.
In terms of balance, being my own boss is great and not. I can be obsessive and overwork, like I’ve done when producing a big publication. At the same time, it’s nice to go for a walk whenever, plus it helps with writer’s block. If I don’t go outside, I get stuck in work mode.
I used to listen to podcasts when I went for walks. About a year ago, I went for a hike in a park near my house. Lots of loud corvids were there, and I turned off the podcast and just listened to them. It calmed my nervous system and made the tinnitus I've had since I was 12 finally go mute.
Now when I go for outdoor time, I try not to listen to media. I just enjoy the experience of being outside with all its own sounds. It is important that I go outside every day, but it doesn’t matter what I do. Sometimes I go for a bike ride, other times I walk in nature, sit under a tree, or just stand in the creek for a while.
You mentioned in a recent post on Instagram that you enjoy spending time alone outdoors. What does being alone enable you to do or experience that going with others doesn’t?
I'm an introvert, and being outside alone allows me space where I'm not having to mask or perform. I care deeply about beings of all species, and my own human species is in particularly rough shape. To spend time with friends means I invariably share in their struggles, which is both an honor and exhausting. Consequently, spending time alone (with my dog, usually) in nature means I step out of the human sphere for a while to catch my emotional breath and get back in touch with what I feel for myself. I can listen to the birds and the river and focus on not slipping on river rocks as I ford my way to the more remote bank.
What encouragement do you have for people who may be hesitant to spend time alone outdoors?
If you’re afraid to be outdoors alone, remember that you are likely more capable, more self-sufficient, more badass than you realize, and more interesting and better company than you give yourself credit for. Research has shown that the benefits of being outside can be seen within 20 minutes in terms of lowering cortisol levels and heightening awareness. Even a short walk in the woods alone has benefits.
I think there are two likely reasons someone doesn't want to spend time alone outdoors.
1. Physical safety
Maybe you are concerned about injuring yourself, and/or you fear someone (or something) attacking you.
Carrying bear spray is always a good idea. It can keep you safe from predators of all species. Also, carry a good knife, a map, and/or some sort of GPS device. If I am going somewhere remote that doesn't have cell coverage, I will share my location or bring an inReach. Phones these days have ways to connect with 911 even if you are out of range, but it’s useful to build skills that can help you when no other help is available.
2. Your own thoughts
Maybe you are concerned about not having a distraction from the voices in your head.
The more scared you are to sit with yourself, the more important it is for you to try it. We all have intrusive thoughts, negative self-talk, and things we worry or obsess over. But if those thoughts aren't going away, then it's because there is something deeper that needs to be addressed. I’m no therapist, so talk with a mental health professional first, but there is value in going into the woods, letting those voices speak, and journaling during the process. Like anyone who needs to express themself, demonstrating to your inner voices that you heard them can get them to settle down over time. Alternately, listen to a podcast or some music if it's safe to do so. It can still be healing to be alone even if you aren't totally sitting with your inner voices.
Tell me about two transformational experiences you’ve had outdoors. Where were you, what were you doing, how did you change, and what brought about the change?
Riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route fundamentally changed me. I rode with two women, one I was already friends with and another I hadn't met until the start of the ride. We all had very different approaches to traveling and life. I became more wild on that trip but less feral. I learned how to be around others even though I prefer being alone. I experienced how strong and badass and patient I can be, also how stubborn and judgmental. I discovered new ways to communicate that better serve me and the people I love.
The other trip that comes to mind was much shorter. I’d been living in my van in Montana. It was summer, and we’d just published a magazine issue. I drove to Hot Springs, Montana and camped. In the morning, I made coffee and rode my bike down a dirt road with my dog running beside me who sniffed cows and horses along the way. Everything about that moment was beautiful, and I realized I needed to live in Montana. It was the first time I felt I was exactly where I wanted to be with my life on all levels.
Last year you hosted Pedal and Prosody, and this year you’re hosting Eso Terra. Tell me why you chose this combination of outdoors, activity, and writing? What is your invitation for participants?
My expectation for Pedal and Prosody was to help participants reach out to editors to share their stories. The participants were competent in that regard, and what it seemed they needed was a champion for their own inner creativity. I was surprised how much participants had been sidelining themselves and not listening to their creative selves. One participant who’d been working at a prominent outdoor magazine for several years had forgotten what their own voice sounded like, and it wasn’t until they were in the space of the workshop that they could hear their inner writer.
Eso Terra builds on what I learned about helping people find their creative selves. The retreat will be organized around the four elements – earth, air, fire, and water – with ways to internally and externally experience the world and the creative process. We’ll engage the natural world through writing prompts, being in community, and outdoor rituals. We’ll set aside distractions and make time for self and creativity. We’ll be silly and play – with nature and words. We’ll find our own point of discomfort in being ourselves and have a chat with our inner critic.
I’m partnering with Wendy Rule, a witch and spiritual practitioner who also reads tarot. Together, we will help participants tap into their non-gender-specific inner goddess who is connected to the natural world, and we’ll provide psychological support for their artistic selves.
Eso Terra will be held near a wildlife refuge at Meadowlark Retreat Center in Las Vegas, New Mexico, September 25-29, 2025. Autumn in New Mexico is beautiful with crisp desert scents and ample opportunity for silent appreciation at sunrise and sunset. There’s a reason they call this place the Land of Enchantment, and I look forward to welcoming people to this magical place and their inner artist.
Do you have a favorite bikepacking adventure you’d recommend?
This is a hard question to answer because it’s dependent on what kind of experience and difficulty you’re after. There are iconic routes everywhere.
I went on a bike trip in the east and central part of Ireland that I loved. It was organized around the history of Peter Paul Galligan who led the 1916 uprising in Enniscorthy. I made friends and learned the history of small towns. The Irish are great!
Really, you can do the same kind of trip anywhere. Put yourself at the whim of the community at large. Don’t go to the place that’s on a bucket list. Find a town with a weird name or a place with some other characteristic that sparks your curiosity and go there.
For more about Carolyne and her offerings, visit forwardmotionwriting.com.
If you’re a writer looking for feedback on your work or you’re an adventurer with a story to share and you’re not sure how to get it out there, reach out to Carolyne to discuss coaching. Her approach is to teach clients how to look at their work with compassion so they can learn how to consider their words with the same care. She’s all about helping clients submit a great draft and feel confident.
