Delve into your creative side with wellness-focused onsite writing workshops! 

As a businesswoman, art collector, philanthropist, and world traveler, Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post was deeply versed in correspondence and the art of the written word. Writer and artist Patience Williams, who was awarded Hillwood’s Liana Parades Fellowship in 2024 to study Post's letters, will thoughtfully guide you through journaling as you compose letters that encourage you to write your dreams to life. 

Letter From Patience to Prospective Workshop Registrants: 

Did you know that writing down your aspirations increases their chances of coming true by over 42%? 

Join me in bringing your dreams to life by writing them down. In each of these workshops, you will craft one or more handwritten letters that can be meant for you, someone else, or perhaps no one at all, but as a means of archiving the beauty and wonders of your mind. Writing what you’d like to achieve (or perhaps remembering what you already have) is a celebration of life, and therefore, a celebration of you. 

At the end of each themed workshop, you will have a beautiful collection of pieces that will inspire optimism, reflection, and compassion, all created from the power of your words. These you get to keep; they are meant for you. You can register for one or more workshops. One, all, or in between—whatever your schedule and interest allows. 

These workshops are open to all skill levels, so no formal writing experience is needed! If you’re a beginner or an advanced writer, you are encouraged to be here. I’d love to write with you. 

sincerely, 

Patience Williams 

All materials are included and the program takes place onsite. This program is limited to 16 people per workshop and must have a minimum of 6 to take place. In the event that the workshop is cancelled, participants may choose to participate in another session, if applicable. All elements of this program are subject to change.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Meet Patience Williams, a creative nonfiction writer and artist. She completed an MFA in fiction writing and earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University in English literature. In 2021, she was awarded a Fulbright fellowship in the Netherlands and taught at Breda University of Applied Sciences in North Brabant. She has completed coursework, research, and/or study at the University of Oxford, Yale University, the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, and the Center of Study and Investigation for Decolonial Dialogues. She is a recipient of the Coalition of Community Writing's Emerging Scholars award. She was a former Lecturer of English at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the Netherlands and now works as a full-time Lecturer of English at Howard University. 

A friend of Hillwood, Patience was awarded our illustrious Liana Parades Fellowship in 2024, where she dove into the archives to research Post's written correspondence. Her creative nonfiction has been published in Amsterdam, Berlin, and the American Midwest. In 2022 she launched a weekly newsletter titled GET FREE, which promotes sustainable teachings to overcome feelings of illegitimacy and inadequacy.