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Identifying your story
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How to start writingÂ
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Why you need to read
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How to revise your work
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What's next?
Learn Something Different!
How to Write a Personal Essay
This event happened on Thu, May 1, 2025
â˘
Virtual
Overview
307 Lovely Attendees
307 Lovely Attendees
Your Host
Alena Papayanis
Writer and Professor.
Toronto, ON, Canada
Alena Papayanis is a queer writer and essayist, professor, poet, content creator, and podcaster based in Toronto. Her essays focus on queerness, coming out âlater in life,â love, and people-pleasing. Alenaâs writing has appeared in various publications, including The New Quarterly, HuffPost, Chatelaine, Refinery29, Xtra Magazine, FASHION, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star. In 2024, one of her essays was long-listed for The International Amy McRae Award for Memoir.
About this FieldTrip
Attendees will learn 5 basics steps/advice on how to get started in writing personal essays, from generating essay ideas, to where to begin and end an essay, to some basic craft suggestions around the art of personal essay and writing in general.
Through looking at examples of essays, and prompts to help attendees generate their own essay ideas, attendees will end the field trip with the confidence to get started in their own personal essay writing journey.
Agenda
What to know or bring
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A pad of paper or something to write on, pen or paper
What to expect
Workshop format!
A hands-on session where participants get to build, craft, or create something tangible.
Optional afterparty!
Bring your extrovert self if you want to meet new people and chat after.
It will be recorded!
The recording will be shared within 24 hours in the follow up email for a 4-day window, and available at the top of this page. Make sure to register for access!
Your Host
Alena Papayanis
Writer and Professor.
Toronto, ON, Canada
About Alena Papayanis
Alena Papayanis is a queer writer and essayist, professor, poet, content creator, and podcaster based in Toronto. Her essays focus on queerness, coming out âlater in life,â love, and people-pleasing. Alenaâs writing has appeared in various publications, including The New Quarterly, HuffPost, Chatelaine, Refinery29, Xtra Magazine, FASHION, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star. In 2024, one of her essays was long-listed for The International Amy McRae Award for Memoir.
Attendees
Rob McClinton
CEO at Small World Communications.
Drea Isasi
Independent Creative Program Director.
Trish Rux
RN, End of Life Doula.
Roland So
Stephanie C.
Product Marketing .
Lisa Trogisch
gorilla researcher.
Silviana Chandra
Shira Ben-Shmuel
Jacqueline Brown
Artist.
Min L
Sharon Leung
Architect/Designer at Be Shui.
Kerry Moore
Communication Strategist at Kindle Communications.
EstefanĂa ChĂĄvez
VerĂłnica Ivo Buruyides
Visual Artist at veroivo-art and TBWA/.
Jacky Johnson
Digital Strategy & Events at Urban Peace Movement.
Sandy Hausrath
thought partner for solopreneurs.
Aarthi Bala
Richard Huff
Otilia Ribeiro
SĂłcia | Consultora at ao quadrado desenvolvimento humano e organizacional.
Pam Morisse
Pam Marketer Digital Marketing Strategy Content Ecommerce.
How to make the most of FieldTrips
The FieldTrips experience is defined not only by what the host has to share, but also by how we show up individually and collectively. The way we show up impacts our capacity to be moved, inspired, and activated.
Show up fully
Get ready to be immersed! Engage with smiles, nods, waves, emojis. Share in the chat. Get cozy. Turn off notifications. Sip your favorite beverage.
Stay curious
Wear your beginnerâs hat. Go with the flow. Welcome the stumbles and fumbles. Congratulate yourself for trying. Keep going!Â
Celebrate your host
Our hosts are members of the CreativeMornings communityâjust like you! Everyone comes to this with different backgroundsâa lot of our hosts have never done anything like this before! And we love that! Cheer them on when something goes awry and when it goes perfectly.
Support each other
Weâre all figuring things out in real time. Celebrate, rather than critique emerging ideas. Cheer each other on as you try new things. Try âYes! AndâŚâ in conversation.
Not vibing?
Itâs 100% okay when a FieldTrip does not resonate with you. Pop out quietly and try another experience later. Fill out the survey with your feedback (no dms to host or chat commentary, please.)