Vulnerability
Welcome to my monthly newsletter, Attunement!
Each month we “tune into” a theme related to mindfulness and
explore a creative practice and tune based on this theme!
This month of October we’re TUNING INTO the frequency of:
VULNERABILITY.
“What make you vulnerable makes you beautiful.” -Brene Brown
I've been writing songs since I was in middle school as a way to express and alchemize my emotions. For my Senior Thesis project in high school, I wrote, recorded, and "released" an album of ten songs (creating and selling about 100 CDs, along with a songbook) , and I performed a concert for friends and family as part of this project.
I remember all of that feeling very vulnerable, but I also remember feeling compelled to write, to record, and to share my music. Something within me knew that this was what I was supposed to do, regardless of what others would think.
The feedback I ended up getting for that album was overall very positive; I received an "A" for my Senior Thesis, and I was asked to perform some of my songs at local baptisms, weddings, and church services over the next couple of years.
One of the songs off of that album, "The Light", was even used by a fellow summer camp counselor and his cabin of middle schoolers during the camp's Lip Sync Night. I have a vivid memory of watching this group of middle school boys pretending to be ballerinas, twirling around while the counselor attempted to lip sync the lyrics. I remember feeling both flattered that my song was chosen and a little hurt that it was being lampooned for its sincerity.
In the documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery that was just released this past weekend on Hulu, Jewel remarks that, as a 90s female singer-songwriter, her sincerity was often seen as a weakness and even used against her by critics. But when she looked out into the audience at Lilith, she says, “all I saw was sincerity.”
I think sincerity and vulnerability go hand in hand.
Sincerity is about honesty of heart: speaking and acting from what is genuinely true for you in the moment, without pretense.
Vulnerability is the courage to let that truth be seen, even though it might expose you to misunderstanding or even rejection.
Together, they create authentic presence—a way of being that invites trust and real connection.
In Buddhist teachings, sincerity and vulnerability align with several core qualities:
Right Speech & Right Intention (Noble Eightfold Path): speaking truthfully and kindly requires openness and the willingness to be transparent.
Anatta (non-self): when we see that the “self” is not fixed, we don’t have to defend an image. Vulnerability naturally follows, because there’s less to protect.
Metta (lovingkindness): sincerity without harshness is infused with care. We reveal ourselves not to shock or dominate, but to connect.
Impermanence: when we accept that everything—including opinions and emotions—is changing, we can share our experience without clinging to how it’s received.
Vulnerability becomes strength when it’s grounded in mindfulness: you are aware of what you’re feeling, you share it with wisdom and compassion, and you let go of how others respond.
On Friday 11/7 I'll be releasing an EP (short-form album) of 5 new original songs, called Web. Then the following evening at 7pm at First UU Church in Clintonville, OH I'll perform an EP Release Concert (and you're invited!).
Both of these offerings feel vulnerable, but again, I feel compelled to offer them.
Why?
Through these songs I'm able to share messages of lovingkindness and interconnectedness. I think we're hungry right now in our country for these messages--reminders to show up with kindness and to honor our shared humanity and the interconnected web of life, even (or perhaps, especially) during this deeply divisive, difficult time in our country.
Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield reminds us that in the midst of difficulty, "we can repeatedly stop and return to the strength of compassion and our common vulnerability. We can trust the courage and vulnerability of our heart to meet life as it is. And in this way we will find in ourselves the power of love and truth to respond to a world that so needs our care."
As we move through October, may this month be a reminder to stay close to your own heart—to share what’s real, to listen for what’s true, and to trust the quiet strength that lives inside vulnerability.
Creative Mindfulness Practice: A Poem For This Moment
Vulnerability can be as simple as acknowledging what you're noticing within your heart in any given moment (that's also mindfulness!), and writing it down. For a creative twist, make it into a poem:
Settle & Notice (1–2 min)
Pause. Feel your breath and the sensations of this very moment.Write a Tiny Poem (5–10 min)
Describe what you notice right now—inside or around you.
• Start with “Right now I notice…” or “In this moment…”
• Keep it short—a few lines is enough.Read It Back
Whisper it to yourself. Let the words land without judging or editing.Optional Next Step
If it feels good, share it with a trusted friend, and challenge them to write their own "Poem for This Moment" and share it with you.
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🗓 SAVE THE DATE: Sat. 11/8, 7pm
EP Release CONCERT! 🎵
Katy Oberle Live Concert / EP Release Celebration! 🎵
First Unitarian Universalist Church 2025-2026 Concert Series
Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus in Clintonville, OH
I'm so excited to be part of this concert series for the second time, and to be able to perform some NEW MUSIC for you! This concert will serve as the release celebration of my new EP of mindful folk-pop original songs, entitled WEB.
No ticket needed; donations will be accepted to support the work of the global non-profit World Central Kitchen. There will also be some Katy Oberle Creative merch available for purchase!
This Month’s Tune 🎵:
I've chosen my original song "The Way of Your Heart," from my 2020 full-length studio album Shine. You can listen here on Apple Music, or anywhere you stream your music.
For me, "the way of your heart" means trusting yourself and living a life of sincerity, vulnerability, and kindness. Here are some of the lyrics:
Walk your truth, see it through,
And through the night
Your heart will shine a light
And show you the way home.
May your vulnerability open new doors to connection this month!
