Rebecca Brenner: Art “Has the Power to Inspire, to Enliven, and Even to Save Lives”

Rebecca Brenner is a writer, mindfulness practitioner, mom to two humans and a dog, and now the debut author of a memoir-in-verse who has lived in Summit County for twenty years. Though she has grown undeniably deep roots in this region, there remains one facet of Parkite life she has yet to adopt. “I know this is almost blasphemous to admit in Park City, but I don’t ski or snowboard (though I’ve promised my kids I’ll take lessons next season!). Instead, I’m more of a wander-the-woods-with-my-dog kind of person. My cattle pup, Freddy, and I head out on the trails nearly every day—rain, snow, or shine. Those walks are my moving meditation, a way to connect with the landscape that has shaped so much of my creative life.”

Brenner has, however, fully immersed herself in the Summit County creative community. “Arts on the Trails is, without a doubt, my favorite annual event. I love how it brings together an exceptional range of artists, weaving their work into the natural landscape of Summit County. There is something profoundly moving about encountering art along a trail, by a creek, in the midst of shifting light—it reminds me that creativity is always alive, always evolving. Beyond that, the true cultural heartbeat of this place, for me, is the land itself. The mountains, the trails, the ever-changing seasons—there is an artistry in nature that inspires me daily.”

Her fellow Summit County creatives also spark Brenner’s artistic innovation. “This community is full of brilliant, generous artists, and I have been continually inspired by the work of those around me. The Arts Council of Park City & Summit County plays a vital role in fostering this creative landscape.” Brenner goes on to express admiration for one of the Arts Council’s most beloved annual Summer events. “My children and I have never missed an Arts on the Trails event, where world-class artists bring their work into nature, creating an immersive experience that lingers long after the day ends. These kinds of events remind us why art is essential—it has the power to inspire, to enliven, and even to save lives.”

Her drive for connection and community care led Brenner into both artistic and advocacy work, which she interweaves with her mindfulness practice. “I am also the president and co-founder of Mindful. Summit County - a nonprofit focused on moving mindfulness past self-care, into community care. Additionally, I am an elected member of the Leadership Team of Summit Pride, working closely with city, county, and state leaders to ensure equality and safety for the Queer Community.”

Accomplished and involved in both her career and community work, Brenner claims her multidisciplinary approach began in childhood. “I have always been deeply curious. As a child, I was drawn to books, history, philosophy, dance, and theater. I grew up in dance studios, training in classical ballet before transitioning to modern dance in college and performing professionally throughout my twenties. What I loved most about modern dance—its creativity, exploration, and collaboration—are the same qualities that continue to nourish me as a writer.

My forthcoming memoir-in-verse, Paper House, is rooted in this same creative and deeply personal exploration. The book traces my journey of losing my mother to opioid addiction, discovering her hidden poetry and journals years later, and, after becoming a mother myself, writing in response to her words. It is both an elegy and a reckoning—a way of piecing together her presence through poetry, confronting generational trauma, and finding meaning in what remains. Writing, like dance, is a process of movement—of shaping and reshaping experience, of allowing the body and language to hold what often feels impossible to contain.

Alongside my writing, I am a mindfulness practitioner, and this lens informs how I move through life. For the past fifteen years, I have studied with a Lama from a Vajrayana Tantric lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, whose teachings on fundamental life force energy—vast, intelligent, alive—reshaped my understanding of creativity and trust. Having grown up in a home shaped by addiction and trauma, trust never came easily. I was wired to control, to prepare for things to fall apart. But through years of practice, I have come to recognize that beneath all the chaos, there is something steady, something moving through everything—including me. Writing, like mindfulness, becomes a way of surrendering to that current.”

Brenner’s memoir-in-verse, Paper House, has been twenty years in the making, but its release hasn’t inspired the author to slow her creative roll. “Beyond Paper House, I’m embarking on a self-created writing retreat this spring—five uninterrupted days in the desert, which, as a mom of two school-aged kids, feels like the ultimate luxury. During that time, I plan to focus on several projects, including a poetry collection about the liberating experience of restructuring my marriage and discovering freedom within that shift. I’m also working on a collection centered on raising a gender-creative child, capturing the beauty, complexity, and lessons of that journey. These projects feel deeply personal, reflecting the intersection of my lived experience and poetic voice.”

To read more of Brenner’s writing, you can check out her features in TIME, the LA Times, Mutha Magazine, Variant Literature, Tin House, The Rumpus, and others. She is also a journalist and features writer at TownLift. You can also get your copy of Paper House at her pre-order launch page, and see more work at www.rebeccabrenner.com.