Inspire(d) Media

Inspire(d) Media We believe there's always magic to be found. Learn more and read our magazine at iloveinspired.com Do you have an idea for a story? Interested in contributing?

Inspire(d) Media is a very small, very independent media company based in Decorah, Iowa. We print Inspire(d) Magazine, filled with stories about amazing people and places in our tri-state area of the Driftless Region. Aryn and Benji Nichols founded Inspire(d) in September of 2007 – shortly after they got married (!) and have grown from printing 3,000 magazines per issue to 15,000+, now published o

n a quarterly basis. Although it’s a two-person show at Inspire(d) Headquarters – Aryn is the editor and graphic designer and Benji heads up the ad sales department – we’d be nothing without our fabulous contributors who come from different areas across the Driftless Region and beyond. Simply said, Inspire(d) in every form is an experiment in the positive. We focus on the good in life because, really, what’s the point in dwelling on the bad? Think we should be doing something differently? Drop us a line…. aryn(at)iloveinspired.com or benji(at)iloveinspired.com

About the founders:
Aryn Henning Nichols grew up in the woods. Not literally – she had a house and a bed and lots of books – but it was still pretty rural. The nearest town – Frankville, Iowa – had less than 100 people living in it and her high school graduating class – one town over in Postville – had only 52 students. She left Northeast Iowa in 1999 to join the world of anonymity… to be “just a number” at the University of Iowa. 30,000 students felt just right at the time. After graduating with a degree in English and journalism in 2003 and post-design magazine internship in Toronto (http://www.appliedartsmag.com), she sought an even denser population: China. She lived there for just over a year, winging it as an English teacher to nearly 800 middle school students and traveling as much and as often as possible. She now believes international travel should be a prerequisite to college graduation. Aryn returned to Northeast Iowa late 2005 doing the typical liberal arts degree thing – living with her parents, waitressing, and applying for jobs. Her parents had moved from the woods to Decorah so she began to re-explore (and adore) this corner of the world – finding that community and a slower pace of life had new appeal. She worked briefly at the local newspaper where she, in a very convoluted manner, met her now husband, Benji. He lived in California at the time but it was still love at first phone conversation. They met in person June of 2006, got married August of 2007, and started Inspire(d) Media that October, just one month after returning from their honeymoon. She might be a little crazy, but she’s having loads of fun. Benji Nichols was born and raised in Decorah, Iowa – home to a ridiculous amount of Norwegian American stuff, and a lot of great people. After graduating high school in 1996 he left for music school in Boston (Berklee), and promptly returned 10 years later – with a six-year hiatus in the San Francisco Bay Area. From playing music, to baking bread, traveling to 49 states, and working with some of the best in the concert industry, it was a decade well spent. These days you’ll find him in or working at Inspire(d) HQ, being a Dad, out making something noisy, or out on the single-track just minutes from home.

Our Summer 2026 Inspire(d) cover artist, Jamie Heiden Photography, is pure magic. She sets out with her camera, shooting...
06/08/2026

Our Summer 2026 Inspire(d) cover artist, Jamie Heiden Photography, is pure magic. She sets out with her camera, shooting photos of the beauty around her, and then digitally creates an image that captures her goal of “finding a little fairytale everyday.” Read about Jamie and her work on page 20 of the Summer Inspire(d), or online here!

iloveinspired.com/artist-jamie-heiden

🖊 Thanks to writer Sara Walters for her great work on this piece!
🎨 All artwork and photos by Jamie Heiden

The new Summer 2026 Inspire(d) Mags have been hitting stands all over the Driftless this week (thanks for all the distro...
06/06/2026

The new Summer 2026 Inspire(d) Mags have been hitting stands all over the Driftless this week (thanks for all the distro work, Benji!)! If you haven’t had a chance to pick one up yet, you can read all the stories online at iloveinspired.com! Start it off with my editor’s letter to see what I was thinking with this issue’s theme: Easeful Motivation. Happy summer, y’all!

iloveinspired.com/summer-2026-inspired-editors-letter

Decorah's Lawn Chair Night starts tomorrow! Check out the full line up here!
06/03/2026

Decorah's Lawn Chair Night starts tomorrow! Check out the full line up here!

Downtown Decorah Betterment is pleased to host the Lawn Chair Night Summer Series again this year! What a great community tradition of free live music in our town!

This year there will be 13 performances, twelve of which will take place next to Impact Coffee on Washington Street and one - the Nordic Dancers Night - which will take place in front of the Courthouse. A September 3rd Lawn Chair Night has been added to align with Luther College Welcome Week.

Thursday, June 4th (6-7PM) w/ Namoli Brennet
Thursday, June 11th (6-7PM) w/ Footnotes *Family Night
Thursday, June 18th (6-7PM) w/ Ironstill
Thursday, June 25th (6-7PM) w/ Joshua Sinclair

Thursday, July 2nd (6-7PM) w/ Driftless Wind Ensemble
Thursday, July 9th (6-7PM) w/ Katy Tessman
Thursday, July 16th (630PM - 8PM) at Courthouse: Nordic Dancers
Thursday, July 23rd -- NORDIC FEST
Thursday, July 30th (6-7PM) w/ Mike McAbee

Thursday, August 6th (6-7PM) w/ Mike Munson
Thursday, August 13th (6-7PM) w/ Jack Norton
Thursday, August 20th (6-7PM) w/ Slim Whimsy Duo
Thursday, August 27th (6-7PM) w/ Too Old Cat
and
Thursday, September 3rd (6-7PM) w/ Driftless Jazz Collective

Attendees are reminded to bring a lawn chair with them to the events and many will enjoy extending their evening with Impact Coffee's Outdoor Trivia (free to participate) which immediately follows the live music each week. Attendees are encouraged to support area restaurants by ordering carry-out. A food truck is also often stationed on Washington to serve during both the music and trivia events.

This free, public event series is possible through a successful collaboration between Downtown Decorah Betterment Association, Impact Coffee, Visit Decorah Tourism.

Generous sponsorships help make this event series possible. Thank you to Series Sponsors Oneota Community Food Co-op, AJ Realty, Inc., and ITC Holdings Corp. as well as Night Sponsors Decorah Pride, Vesterheim, Decorah Real Estate Fund LP, Northeast Security Bank, West Music, Harman Realty, Decorah Bank & Trust, Sogo Snacks, Sunflower Child Development & Discovery Center, Jubilee, Edward Jones: Spencer C Cuvelier, Viking State Bank, The Highlands, Nelson & Benzschawel Attorneys at Law, ServPro of Decorah, and Luther College.

Everyone loves the last page interview in Inspire(d) Magazine! The Spring Inspire(d) probit interviewee, Georgie Klevar,...
06/02/2026

Everyone loves the last page interview in Inspire(d) Magazine! The Spring Inspire(d) probit interviewee, Georgie Klevar, is such an active member of the Decorah community, and an inspiration for helping others and giving back. As we get ready to turn the page and open the Summer Inspire(d) this week, we wanted to be sure our readers got a chance to check out her interview on page 66 of the spring mag, or online here!

iloveinspired.com/georgie-klevar

What a beautiful morning in the Driftless! We know we’re into summer vacation, but we still want to know: Did you get ou...
06/01/2026

What a beautiful morning in the Driftless! We know we’re into summer vacation, but we still want to know: Did you get out for some spring hikes these past months? See any of the flowers or fungi Inspire(d) writer Marge Loch-Wouters mentioned in her column? Read her hiking tips and location suggestions on page 62 of the Spring Inspire(d), or online here!

iloveinspired.com/spring-onto-the-trails

We have gotten a ton of great feedback from readers about the Future Focused section of Inspire(d). We love giving these...
05/29/2026

We have gotten a ton of great feedback from readers about the Future Focused section of Inspire(d). We love giving these middle school students a chance to voice their opinions. Although the students in Decorah have officially been out of school for one week, we wanted to give a shoutout to the Spring Future Focused writers today! Check them out starting on page 52 in the Spring Inspire(d), or online here:

Charlotte Yu - Home is the Book with Letters
iloveinspired.com/home-is-the-book-with-letters

Hazel Opheim - Small Town, Big Memories
iloveinspired.com/small-town-big-memories

Frances Zielinski - Hand in Hand
iloveinspired.com/hand-in-hand

Hudson Delany - The Hidden Gem
iloveinspired.com/the-hidden-gem

Olive Muggli-Toyloy - What Boredom Taught Me
iloveinspired.com/what-boredom-taught-me

Near Decorah, an unexpectedly vibrant source of creation and community lives at the convergence of creeks and pine fores...
05/21/2026

Near Decorah, an unexpectedly vibrant source of creation and community lives at the convergence of creeks and pine forests: South Bear School. Since 1970, South Bear School has been shaping makers and preserving tradition. Dean Schwarz, renowned potter and one of the founders of South Bear School, passed away April 18, 2026, at the age of 88. His legacy lives on at South Bear School, as his children and grandchildren have been carrying on the creative work and education that happens at this idyllic property since the school’s revival in 2020. Read more about it on page 44 of the spring mag, or online here!

iloveinspired.com/south-bear-school-local-legacy

🖊 Thanks to writer Clara Wodny for her great work on this piece!

Last night, we were leaving a graduation party, and the frogs were putting on a full-on performance! It was loud, wild, ...
05/17/2026

Last night, we were leaving a graduation party, and the frogs were putting on a full-on performance! It was loud, wild, and totally wonderful. Read more about nature's Soggy Serenade on page 60 of the Spring Inspire(d), or online here.

iloveinspired.com/a-soggy-serenade

🖊 Thanks to writer Craig Thompson for his always-fab stories about Driftless nature, and 🎨 Mary Thompson for her always-lovely accompanying artwork!

Address

412 Oak Street
Decorah, IA
52101

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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