A 90-Minute Online Workshop · $47

Field Notes for the Soul

A journey through memory, place, and the sacred ordinary.

Bring one small object from the natural world. Leave with a true piece of writing and a quiet way to listen.

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You Feel It on the Trail. Then the Words Go Quiet.

You stand at the edge of the bay at dawn. A heron lifts off the water. Something in you shifts, and you want to write it down.

Then you sit at the table with a notebook and nothing comes. Or everything comes at once. Grief. Gratitude. A question you have carried for years.

People tell me this every season. They feel a kinship with the natural world. They sense something sacred in it. They do not know where to begin on the page.

You do not need a wilderness, a retreat, or a grand spiritual experience. You do not need polished prose. You need attention, and a gentle structure to hold what you notice.

In this workshop, nature is not a topic. Nature is a witness.

What You Will Take Home

Ninety minutes of quiet observation, guided writing, a short lesson, and optional sharing. You will leave with:

01

A Piece of Writing

One beginning or complete personal piece of writing, drawn from your own memory of place.

02

Sensory Detail

A practical way to use sensory detail to carry emotion, without explaining the feeling.

03

A Daily Practice

A three-sentence reflective practice you repeat after a walk, during a hard day, or beside a window.

04

The Sacred Ordinary

A renewed sense your ordinary surroundings hold meaning and spiritual relevance.

05

Words Received

The experience of having your words received without judgment, in a small and caring group.

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A maple leaf held in an open hand

Try It Now: Three Sentences

Choose one natural thing near you. A stone. A feather. The light on the windowsill. Write three sentences.

  1. What do you notice?
  2. What does it stir in you?
  3. What question, intention, or blessing do you carry forward?
The maple leaf in my hand has a torn edge.
It reminds me of a year when I learned to live with an unfinished story.
I carry the question: What still wants my attention?

This is the heart of the workshop. You bring your attention. Nature offers its company. Writing helps you listen to both.

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Michael Williams, Memoir Studio

Your Guide on the Path

I am Michael Williams, a memoir coach and creative nonfiction writer from Hamilton, Ontario. Many of my best sentences began on a walk along the Bruce Trail.

I bring a counselling background and years of teaching English to every session. You get compassion for the feelings writing stirs up, and clear help with the page itself.

  • Ph.D. in English Literature, University of Edinburgh
  • Certified Guided Autobiography Instructor, Birren Center
  • Accredited End-of-Life Planning Facilitator

The language of this workshop welcomes religious, spiritual, nature-centred, and secular views. You will never be asked to explain or defend your beliefs.

Your Attention Is Enough

No writing experience needed. You do not need to call yourself a writer. Bring curiosity, a notebook, and one small object from the natural world.

90 minutes on Zoom · $47 · Small group

The natural world does not need you to explain yourself.
It only asks for your attention.

Michael Williams · Memoir Studio · Hamilton, Ontario