Do You Know Kevin Bacon?
A stack of books by Julia Cameron- The Artist’s Way, Walking in This World, Finding Water and The Vein of Gold.
For awhile now, I’ve been meeting up with my friend Cherie to talk about Julia Cameron’s book Walking in This World. It’s a follow up to The Artist’s Way, and having someone to talk it through with has been one of my favorite ways to stay connected to my creative practice.
Cherie is probably my newest friend, which can feel pretty rare at this point in my life. Making new friends as an adult can be hard. I really appreciate our friendship. She’s one of those people I feel like I’ve known for years, even though we’ve never actually met in person. We met because we were both in a group hosted by Amber Karnes. I follow Amber because of her work with Body Positive Yoga- I think I found her through a long-ago guest spot on Christy Harrison's podcast, Food Psych. I wonder if any of them know Kevin Bacon…
During that same time, I realized I got to see four (!) different friends. Such a rare treat.
I saw Alex for some scheduled body doubling time, where we whittled down our to-do lists. I saw Kim for more body doubling, where we mostly gabbed and also got a few things done. Cherie and I met for our weekly Google Meet to talk about Walking in This World. I randomly dropped in on my friend Maria after one of my kid’s field trips, and she fed me lunch. Thanks, Maria!
All of these friendships are connected in some way to my work as an anti-diet dietitian.
They don’t all do the same work I do, but they’re all part of this web of body liberation, creativity, care, self acceptance and community that I never could have fully predicted when I started.
Which has me wanting to share a few other unexpected gifts from this work:
I was really nervous to bring art and creativity into Kimbrough Nutrition. It felt vulnerable and kind of weird at first, even though it also felt necessary. It’s been four years since the idea for an art journaling and body image workshop swirled into my head, and I’m so glad I ignored the mean-girl voice in my head and did it scared. This part of my work makes me feel really good and excited. I love seeing what people make and notice and uncover here. It has become such a joyful part of my life.
I’m working toward creating more spaces where people can explore food, body image, and creativity without pressure to perform. I love what can happen in groups when people start challenging perfectionism together. Seeing folks who were once strangers, and often hundreds of miles apart, come together to connect and cheer each other on?
YES.
One thing that still feels a little unexpected is how often the work isn’t only about food.
Of course we talk about food. We talk about eating, nourishment, patterns, structure, satisfaction, and all the very real details of feeding ourselves.
But we also talk about body image, self-trust, shame, perfectionism, and the stories we’ve inherited about who we’re allowed to be.
Because those things affect our relationship with food too.
We don’t have to sort out food first and then body image later. So often, they’re intertwined. We work with them together.
I’m really proud that I’ve built a practice that makes room for both clinical care and creative, introspective, deeply human body image work.
Cool, huh?
What about you?
Since you started paying closer attention to your relationship with food, your body, or your own self-trust, have you noticed anything surprising?
A new friend.
A new way of thinking.
A little more compassion.
A connection you didn’t expect.
A moment where food took up slightly less space than it used to.
If you’re a provider, same questions! How has your own relationship with food and body changed while in this precious container we share with our clients?
I’d love to hear about it.
Thanks for being here and sharing this little corner of the internet with me. It means a lot.
talk soon,
kathy
This post originally appeared my May 2026 newsletter.