Val Leeper

Val Leeper. She’s a brilliant freelance author and one of my dearest friends.

Writing isn’t just her career, it’s who she is. In much the same way I instinctively create images all the time, regardless of whether I have a camera in hand, she has a similar instinct with words. The visual image for me and the written word for her.

One thing about our close friendship is unique, maybe a little odd. Val and I have very rarely seen each other in person and we hardly ever talk on the phone. Somehow, our friendship has grown almost entirely in audio messages to each other.

For about a decade, we’ve been hitting record and send. Our friendship in a stream of audio messages. It’s completely raw and unfiltered and beautiful.

We’ve occasionally considered starting a podcast. She would be a hit. Me not so much. But she could carry us both I think. She is brilliant, snarky, witty and sarcastic in a good way. My husband says she has a great radio voice. She does. And her laugh is deep and contagious. She’s this fascinating mix of passionate and informed and fierce about her convictions and somehow also open, genuinely gracious to everyone (ok, nearly everyone because let’s be honest, a few schmucks out there are just too deplorable). And somehow that makes her all the more for me, for all of us. She’s great at that. Having my back and cheering me on. She has permission to give me a kick in the pants too when needed. I’m happy to return the favor but since she’s an all in kind of gal, she’s more likely to need me to bench her.

I’ve hit my stride rambling so let me stop myself and just say, I really love this human.

Her instagram @thewordscommunication for her freelance copy business is a good follow.

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