Current Issue
Living in the Now Infographic
“Just do the next right thing” is a quote from Anna in Frozen that I bring up a lot around here, & it's what I think of re: Living in the Now
Current Issue
Current Issue
Driftless Natural History Quiz
Take this Driftless Natural History Quiz to test your knowledge about a handful of cool things in our beautiful Driftless Region!
Current Issue
Living in the Now
Sometimes words get thrown around so often in the mental health and wellness space that they start to lose their meaning. We’ve heard the various benefits of mindfulness and living in the present. And while the over-saturation of these ideas can lead to an in-one-ear-out-the-other effect, it does not diminish their effectiveness.
Current Issue
Marilyn Myrah Bunge
Marilyn Myrah Bunge is interviewed by her granddaughter, Alison Leathers, for the Spring 2023 Inspire(d) Probituary - a notice of life!
Current Issue
Dani Peterslie & Azia Thelemann of Drift Mercantile
There’s not much of a sibling rivalry for sisters Azia Thelemann and Dani Peterslie, owners of Drift Mercantile in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Current Issue
The Bike Shoppe: Building a Biking Community
Like an old bike, La Crescent, Minnesota, had the framework to build a healthy and active (biking) community.
Community Builders
Norb Kelly
Community builders use many tools. Norb Kelly of Lanesboro, Minnesota, uses traditional tools: A saw, a hammer, a screwdriver.
Community Builders
John Sutton
Westby, WI, is host to an annual woodcarving event, founded by John Sutton, that brings craftsmen and visitors from all over the Midwest.
Current Issue
Kevin Cannon + Indie Bookstores
The Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap, designed by Kevin Cannon, is part trip planner, part passport, and all fun.
Community Builders
Jane Kemp
Decorah’s Jane Kemp is a fierce advocate for community causes, and a big believer in working hard to get things done.
Current Issue
Helping Services for Youth & Families
The Helping Services mission has stayed the same for 50 years: to create healthier and safer communities in Northeast Iowa
Current Issue
Make It: Paper Seed Starter Boxes!
Starting seeds is a favorite spring activity around here! Make your own paper seed starter boxes for your baby plants with this fun DIY.
Current Issue
Spring 2023 Inspire(d) Editor’s Letter
Spring 2023 Inspire(d) = You are Here: Living in the Now! Read about ways you can slow down and be mindful of this fleeting season!
What is Inspire(d)?
Here at Inspire(d) HQ, we value positive news. Friends, family, neighbors who do good things. Ideas that make us think. Optimism. We believe that people are, as a whole, good, and that tiny changes can turn into big, world changes.
Featured Stories
Driftless Stories
For the Win: Women in Wrestling
Girls' wrestling is speedily gaining in popularity. These young women are taking down stereotypes on - and off - the mat.
Featured Stories
Looking Back / Looking Forward
Aryn Henning Nichols looks back on the 2022 Inspire(d) themes, and encourages readers to share a positive social narrative: People are good!
Featured Stories
We’re on National News!
Aryn Henning Nichols and Benji Nichols - Inspire(d) co-owners and married-duo extraordinaire - were featured on Marketplace!
Driftless Stories
Joy Tlou: Finding Joy in Decorah
Joy Tlou had a magnetic personality and many talents that drew people to him – even after his unexpected death in June 2021.
Featured Stories
Happy Birthday, Inspire(d)!
The very first Inspire(d) Magazine rolled off the press October 4, 2007. Happy birthday to this experiment in positive news!
Driftless Stories
Curiosity is Life
At Driftless Curiosity, based in Viola, Wisconsin, hands-on workshops help individuals cultivate new interests.
Featured Stories
Focus on Mental Health & Boost Your Mood
Winter can be a tough time for mental health. But there are proven methods for staying positive this winter that can boost your mood!
Featured Stories
Mother’s Day Mini Magazine
Looking for a gift for mom for Mother’s Day? Or dad for Father’s Day? Or anyone special for any special day? We’ve got the perfect thing: Make your own mini-magazine! It's the sweetest little gift.
Featured Stories
Take a Superhero Walk!
Help the earth out by picking up trash in your neighborhood on a Superhero Walk! Now imagine if everyone did that in their own neighborhood! Let's do this!
Featured Stories
Community Care: 12 Ways to Show Up for Each Other
Utilize these ideas for community care — ranging from small acts of kindness to something larger like volunteering your time or skillset.
Driftless Adventures
Peak Peaks: 6 Lookouts You Don’t Want to Miss!
Hike to the Driftless Area's picturesque peaks and lookouts or adventure to the parks and trails that will give you the best views of the surrounding area.
Paper Projects
Make It: Paper Seed Starter Boxes!
Starting seeds is a favorite spring activity around here! Make your own paper seed starter boxes for your baby plants with this fun DIY.
Make it: Dream Board!
Manifest your Big Dream Energy by making a Dream Board! Download our Dream Board prompts and get creating!
Leaf Crowns
Make these super fun and easy leaf crowns for your Autumnal Equinox party, or just for fun (because we all deserve to wear crowns)!
Lauren Bonney Coloring Page
Lauren Bonney designed this coloring page for the Summer 2022 Inspire(d). Download and print, and find a little zen!
DYI Paper Gift Bows
What better paper project for a “Wrapping Up” magazine theme than a DIY Paper Gift Bow?! It’s a lovely present-topper for holidays, birthdays, or any…
Gratitude Garland
Fall leaves + Thanksgiving make this a truly perfect time for a Gratitude Garland - check out this easy paper project, and make yours today!
Cross Stitch Gnome Card
This cross stitch gnome card is a fun, easy way to try cross stitching. When you’re done, send it in the mail to brighten someone’s day!
DIY Mini Megaphones
Get ready to cheer yourself and others on with these DIY mini megaphones! They are easy and super cute! You've got this, friends!
Mother’s Day Mini Magazine
Looking for a gift for mom for Mother’s Day? Or dad for Father’s Day? Or anyone special for any special day? We’ve got the perfect thing: Make your own mini-magazine! It's the sweetest little gift.
Make It: Pop-Up Paper Flower Cards!
Looking for something fun to make for Mother's Day, May Day, or any old day? Try making these pop-up paper flower cards! They are really cute and easy!
Paper Project: Paper Fortune Cookies!
Make these fun Paper Fortune Cookies for anyone you know who needs a little pick-me-up...or just to say you're thinking of them!
Make It: Paper Boats!
For this falls' Paper Project, Roxie shows you how to fold paper boats... and maybe, like her, you'll make nearly 100 of them!
Heart Mobile!
One of fun parts of this paper project is that you get to forage for the perfect sticks first, then put the super cute heart mobile together next.
Earth Paper Seed Hearts
Looking for a fun way to celebrate Earth Day (April 22) and look forward to spring? Make these adorable earth paper seed hearts! Supplies: –…
Make It: Sun Bookmark!
Dark days of winter, beware! Brighten up those long nights of reading with a little sunshine tucked into your book. Make a sun bookmark today!
Make it: Paper Crowns!
There always seems to be extra wrapping paper around during winter. Wondering what to do with it? How about you make yourself a crown!
Pumpkin Surprise Balls!
Pumpkin Surprise Balls: You start with tiny presents, and wrap and wrap them into a ball of fun! Cute for Halloween, at the Thanksgiving table, & more!
Make Paper Butterflies!
These little paper butterflies are super cute & easy! Roxie had a blast putting this together with Aryn one rainy day. Click on over to make one (or 5) too!
Paper Project: Unicorn Present!
Giving a gift? Make it a unicorn present! Here’s how: Supplies: Unicorn template print-outs page one and page two Scissors Glue stick Tape Wrapping paper…
Paper Project: Gnomebook!
Keep your important to-dos under wrap with your very own gnomebook!
Paper Project: Award Ribbons
A little tongue-in-cheek and a LOT of fun, homemade award ribbons are a great way to share your love and appreciation.
Paper Project: Homemade Envelopes
Everyone loves finding something special in their mailbox! At a personal touch to snail mail with these homemade up-cycled envelopes!
How to Make Paper Plants
These fun paper plants add pops of color to any space and require no maintenance. Simply print out our templates on cardstock and you're ready to create!
Paper Project: Pop Up Gnome Card!
We love gnomes around here (and unicorns and rainbows and…), so this pop up gnome card was the perfect summer project for us!
How to Make a Kaleidocycle
Make your own kaleidocycle! Pick a spring themed template, color a mandala, or design your own optically twisted paper project.
How To: Make Paper Flowers!
In my adult life I’ve often found myself grateful to my crafty mother for teaching me her crafty ways. These paper flowers - or bows - are all mom! <3
Winter Break Project Ideas
Winter Break! Woohoo! Looking for ways to keep your littles away from the television? We put together a little list of some of our favorites…
Paper Project: Adult Coloring!
Adult Coloring...Coloring for Grown-ups...whatever you want to call it - it's fun! Check out artist Sonja Emily's adult coloring pages here!
DIY Play Dough!
Homemade play dough was something I heard about from other moms, but totally thought I’d never make myself. C’mon…
How to Make a Paper Wreath
We think “fall” & think leaves, football (or, moreover, marching bands!), sweaters, scarves…& wreaths! So, of course, we made a paper wreath for you to try!
How to Make a Pirate Hat
What's the name of the pirate's ranch? Circle Arrrrgh! But seriously, let's make a pirate hat, people! Thar's fun to be had!
11 Paper Projects for Summer!
School’s over! Summer! Exciting! No? Worried about keeping little hands less-than-idle? How about some good, old-fashioned Inspire(d) paper projects?
How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller
Did you call this a cootie catcher or a paper fortune teller? Either way, it's fun! See what this project (and life!) has in store for you!
How to Make a Unicorn Piñata
We're 110% sure you ALL want to make our totally epic paper project: a unicorn piñata! Step-by-step instructions at iloveinspired.com. Unicorns forever!
How to Make a Paper Heart Garland!
We love having these cute paper heart garlands up year-round, but February is for love and the perfect time to try out this easy Inspire(d) craft!
Download a Love Letter!
Looking for sweet ways to say "I love you"? Here's a fun starting place...just download a love letter, fill in the blanks, and add some love <3!
How to: Make a Paper Christmas Tree!
Looking for a fun & easy Christmas craft? Or a cute place card for your holiday table? Maybe you're a hoarder of tissue paper? These tiny trees are calling!
Paper Project: Turkey Finger Puppets!
Looking for something fun to do with your kiddos on Thanksgiving? Or even today? Need table favors? These turkey finger puppets are super easy and cute!
How to Make a Paper Bird!
A Paper Project by Inspire(d) Media/Aryn Henning Nichols These paper chicks are a fun spring project for the young and young-at-heart! Supplies: Construction paper or…
How to Make a Paper Lantern!
Supplies: Paper (I like red for Chinese New Year, but you can use any you like, 8.5 x 11 works best) Pencil Tape or Stapler…
How To: Fold an Origami Crane (and it’s for a good cause!)
Tutorial and one-handed photos by Aryn Henning Nichols Read an inspiring story about Decorah’s Spencer-Berg family and their four-month sabbatical in the Summer 2011 Inspire(d)…
Community Builders
A community is defined as a unified body of individuals. You can build community in a neighborhood, city, region, state, nation… world, at any level. It doesn’t have to be big to have a big impact. Building community is one of the most important things we can do on this planet. Connecting with others helps us connect with our humanity, and realize we’re all in this together.
Community Builders
Norb Kelly
Community builders use many tools. Norb Kelly of Lanesboro, Minnesota, uses traditional tools: A saw, a hammer, a screwdriver.
Community Builders
John Sutton
Westby, WI, is host to an annual woodcarving event, founded by John Sutton, that brings craftsmen and visitors from all over the Midwest.
Community Builders
Jane Kemp
Decorah’s Jane Kemp is a fierce advocate for community causes, and a big believer in working hard to get things done.
Community Builders
Marnie Hofmeister-Pooley & Let’s Shine Coffee
“I believe that each of us as humans shine in our own way,” says Marnie Hofmeister-Pooley, owner of Let’s Shine Coffee in Hillsboro, Wisconsin.
Community Builders
Shaundel Spivey & BLACK
Shaundel Spivey co-founded BLACK - Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge - to empower and elevate the black community in the La Crosse area.
Community Builders
Diane Knight
Whalan, Minnesota, artist Diane Knight turns curiosity into art & community building. Learn more about her methods here!
Community Builders
Nancy Sojka & Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild
Nancy Sojka helped found the Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild back in the late 80s, in a small-town bar, drinking… coffee.
Community Builders
Jane Peck & History Alive Lanesboro
Jane Peck’s love of long ago is making a difference – today – in Lanesboro, Minnesota through the History Alive Lanesboro organization.
Community Builders
Sarah Johnson & The Joy Labs
Sarah Johnson founded The Joy Labs, in Winona, MN, where she experiments with joy and art, and builds community.
Community Builders
The Wrobel Family & the Historic Fortney
Viroqua, Wisconsin’s Historic Fortney Building is being revived by the Wrobel family, and they’re building community along the way
Community Builders
Terri Wolfgram
Terri Wolfgram "pedals literacy" and builds community through her mobile Little Free Library, Paperback Rider, based in La Crosse, WI.
Community Builders
Stephanie Fromm
Stephanie Fromm talks fast and works faster, and she can't help but build community here in Northeast Iowa.
Community Builders
Maryann Baldwin
Maryann Baldwin of Lansing, Iowa, loves planting the seeds of community - like Lansing Office Works – and then watching them grow.
Community Builders
Brooke Pfeffer
Even though Brooke Pfeffer doesn't think of herself as a Community Builder, she definitely does just that in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
Community Builders
Amanda Goodenough
Amanda Goodenough works hard in the La Crosse, Wisconsin, community to create a better awareness around racial justice and responsibility.
Community Builders
Adrian Lipscombe
Adrian Lipscombe, owner of Uptown Cafe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, launched a black farming initiative, 40 Acres and a Mule, in 2020.
Community Builders
Pete Espinosa
“My wife and I believe that the more people you can help in a community, the better everything else turns out," says Pete Espinosa.
Community Builders
Luke Zahm
Luke Zahm pursues his passion for food & cultivates identity for the Midwest as a chef, at his restaurant, Driftless Café, and now through Wisconsin Foodie.
Community Builders
Greg Wennes
Greg Wennes, a recovering alcoholic himself, helped found Sunrise Care Facility in 1988. It was among the first of its kind in this part of the Driftless.
Community Builders
Shannon Dallenbach Durbin
“I got this.” It’s a phrase Shannon Dallenbach Durbin has found herself saying a lot. Usually it’s for something creative.
Community Builders
Red Roxy
Roxanne Schnitzler and Jessica Rediske run Red-Roxy Quilt Co. in Decorah, and foster a growing community of crafters in the region.
Community Builders
Adam Wiltgen
There’s some serious pep in Adam Wiltgen’s step as he leads a tour of the arts campus in Lanesboro, a small, but vibrant, community in Southeast Minnesota.
Community Builders
10 Community Builders in the Driftless
Building community is the most important thing we can do. Connecting with others helps us connect with our humanity, and realize we're all in this together.
Community Builders
Red’s IGA
Meatball suppers, spaghetti feeds, pancake breakfasts: Fundraisers are a beloved Midwestern tradition. Spring Grove's Red's IGA takes it a step further!
Community Builders
Lora Friest
NE Iowa RC&D's Lora Friest says she never tires of visiting with people about their ideas and helping them realize that they can actually achieve them.
Community Builders
Mike Ashbacher
For Decorah Fire Chief Mike Ashbacher, it’s the thriving group of volunteer firefighters and the service they provide that helps him build community.
Community Builders
Lissa Carlson
Community Builder: Lissa Carlson / Coulee Parenting Connection By Aryn Henning Nichols • Photos courtesy Lissa Carlson Originally published in the Fall 2017 Inspire(d) When…
Community Builders
John Condon
John Condon has shaped an industrial tech program at Decorah High School that focuses projects less on the individual and more on the wider community.
Community Builders
Liz Rog & Brad Crawford of DecorahNow
DecorahNow.com is a staple in the Decorah community, and builders Liz Rog and Brad Crawford have still bigger dreams for the future
