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.
Buy Now · $47Live on Zoom with Michael Williams. Small group. No writing experience needed.
You Feel It on the Trail. Then the Words Go Quiet.
You stand at the edge of a creek and something shifts in you. A heron lifts off. The light changes. You know this moment matters.
Then you sit down to write and nothing comes. Or it comes out flat. A list of what you saw, with none of what you felt.
Perhaps you carry grief, change, or a question with no name yet. Perhaps you worry your spiritual life sounds strange on paper. Perhaps you think you need a wilderness retreat before you have anything worth saying.
You do not. You need attention.
A leaf, a stone, a birdcall, a cup of tea beside a window. Any of these opens a door into your own story.
The Heart of the Workshop
Nature Is Not a Topic. Nature Is a Witness.
A fallen leaf holds a memory of loss. A garden holds the story of a parent. When you write from those encounters, the natural world gives you language for what you have carried in silence. Here is what you will leave with.
One beginning or complete personal piece of writing
A practical way to use sensory detail to carry emotion
A three-sentence reflective practice you repeat after a walk, during a hard day, or beside a window
A renewed sense that your ordinary surroundings hold meaning and spiritual relevance
The experience of having your words received without judgment
How the 90 Minutes Unfold
A gentle, interactive session. You write. You notice. You share only if you choose.
Welcome and grounding. Hold your object. Notice three things you see, two you hear, one sensation in your body.
The object remembers. A close observation of your object, moving toward memory.
A short writing lesson. Let one sensory detail carry the feeling, without explaining it.
The place where you were held. A memory of a place in nature where something in you changed.
Silence and sharing. Reread, then share in pairs or threes. Appreciation only, never advice.
A field note for the soul. Three sentences you take home, followed by a closing circle.
Try It Now
Choose one natural thing near you. Write three sentences.
- What do you notice?
- What does it stir in you?
- 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?
Your Seat
Field Notes for the Soul
- ✓ One 90-minute live workshop on Zoom
- ✓ Guided writing and quiet observation
- ✓ A short lesson on sensory detail
- ✓ Optional sharing in pairs or small groups
- ✓ Your own three-sentence field note practice
- ✓ Open to religious, spiritual, nature-centred, and secular views
Your Guide, Michael Williams
I hold a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh and teach as a certified Guided Autobiography Instructor. My counselling background shapes how I hold a group. Most weeks you will find me on the Bruce Trail near Hamilton, a stone or two in my pocket.
"Michael, you are an amazing listener. No matter what I say or read to you, there will be no judgment. You listen with your heart and with great compassion and understanding."
Margaret, Client
Questions Before You Join
Do I need writing experience?
Do I need to hold particular spiritual beliefs?
Will I have to read my writing aloud?
What should I bring?
What happens after the workshop?
Your Attention Is Enough
You came with a small object and a memory. You leave with a piece of writing and a way to listen. The natural world does not need you to explain yourself. It only asks for your attention.
Michael Williams · Memoir Studio · Hamilton, Ontario