About Christina Baldwin

Early Years

Christina and her horse, Taffy

Christina Baldwin was born in Montana. Her grandparent’s homestead and honey business drew generations of descendants back for summer harvesting of the garden, the honey crop, and imprinting on the land and vistas of the west. Growing up faraway, Christina’s heart always faced west, wind in her face, cowboy boots, and journal writing.

First Career – Life’s Companion to people and their stories

In her early twenties, Christina worked for The American Friends Service Committee as their Youth Affairs Coordinator. She traveled across the US, and lived in Europe and the Middle East, working with peace efforts and later as a research assistant and freelance journalist. After the publication of One to One, in 1977, her interest in writing and story coincided with the rising women’s movement and claiming memoir as a modern genre. She spent her thirties teaching, traveling, and writing self-help books. This life path culminated in her books, Life’s Companion, Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice (1991), The Seven Whispers, Spiritual Practice for Times Like These (2001) and Storycatcher, Making Sense of our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story (2007).

Christina giving her first keynote

Circle Career – PeerSpirit, Inc.

Christina and Ann in Austria

In 1991, Christina joined with naturalist educator, Ann Linnea, to develop seminars designed to integrate personal growth with environmental activism. These weekend retreats combined time in nature with journal writing and circle conversations. As they noticed how people’s experience seemed enriched by circle space, they began to research circle itself as a social structure. Pre-Internet, they studied pre-patriarchal societies, and arrived at the theory that “circle is our common First Culture.” In 1994 they moved to western Washington and started a small, educational company, PeerSpirit, Inc. This work is chronicled in Baldwin’s book, Calling the Circle, the First and Future Culture (1995), and in their co-authored book, The Circle Way, a Leader in Every Chair (2010). Over two decades, they trained practitioners and facilitators across the US, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2016, they gave all their resources to the nonprofit: www.the circleway.net . The work continues to diversify, to honor indigenous roots, and adapt to 21st century needs.

The Silver-haired Novelist

Culminating in December 2022, Christina taught her classic seminar, “The Self as the Source of the Story,” for 32 years. Insights, handouts, and ongoing thoughts on story and writing will be found under “Story” on her new website, currently under development.

From 2016 – 2022, she researched and wrote an historical novel — a multi-generational, family saga based in western Montana. The novel is represented by Meredith Bernstein Agency in New York. Stay tuned for further details.

Christina

Christina is the author of the following books and audio:

The Circle Way: A Leader in Every Chair, with Ann Linnea (Berrett-Koehler, 2010)
Storycatcher, Making Sense of our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story (New World Library, 2005)
Lifelines, How Personal Writing Can Save Your Life (Sounds True, 2005) audio curriculum
The Seven Whispers:  Spiritual Practice for Times Like These (New World Library:  2002)
Calling the Circle: the First and Future Culture (Bantam: 1998)
Life’s Companion:  Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice (Bantam: 1990 & rev. 2007)
One to One:  Self-Understanding Through Journal Writing  (M. Evans:  1977, rev. 1991)