[This course] was excellent for re-establishing my writing routine.

— Helsinki University student, 2022

[These sessions] helped me to relax a bit before starting my writing, as well as giving me time for setting goals, then finally, evaluating my progress.

— Helsinki University student, 2022

Loved [these sessions]. Sharing and feeling the support of others is helpful.

— Helsinki University student, 2022

These sessions made me feel more positive about writing.

— Helsinki University student, 2022

Thank you for these sessions!!

— Helsinki University student, 2021

I did not know what to expect but I am really happily surprised. The course helped me a lot to overcome my fears in writing.

— Helsinki University student, 2021

These sessions were so good that they count as cognitive behavioral therapy.

— Helsinki University student, 2021

Very effective. Motivating exercises, a good time frame for concentrated writing. New ideas on how to maintain the interest in your project and be productive.

— Helsinki University student, 2021

These sessions helped me progress greatly.

— Helsinki University student, 2021

More of this kind of course!

— Helsinki University student, 2021

I liked the structure. I hope to attend in the future as well. This sort of opportunities should be available for all on a regular basis.

— Helsinki University student, 2021

Please keep up your positive spirit. You've somehow managed to identified the EXACT problem goal oriented people face with writing and have the skill set to relax them and bring them to a productive space instead of a obsessive/perfectionist space. This course is truly wonderful.

— Helsinki University student, 2021

I really, really got a lot from today’s session — I was so taken with your holistic approach and the empathy and curiosity with which you treated every participant and their writing issues. It was truly inspiring and the stretches and prompts were a great bonus.

— Lucy H.

I think Jess is fantastic at facilitating the retreat. She gave some very good tips for writing and I think the way the retreat was ran was very successful.

— Aalto University student, summer 2020

Highly recommended! I have attended the online sessions (& the residential events before) and they are extremely effective, no matter your writing project. Use it to keep yourself motivated in the company of others. Jess is professional and has some great techniques to help you along the way. Make yourself a priority in this current chaotic world.

— Nathalie, 2020

Dear Jess, I never write fiction. I decided early on that non-fiction was my thing, as the very personal side of fiction scared me. But your writing prompts make me write the strangest things, and turns me into other, fictional characters temporarily. I like it! It reminds me of how reading can take you away on unexpected adventures.

— CL

I loved the structure, breaking down writing goals, and being “forced” to take breaks.

— May 2019 writer

With these sessions you have given me hope, and a lifeline to my intellectual and artistic self during the black hole of difficult times.

— NS, 2020

Very useful and instructive, especially for the practical advice. I would compare them to going for the first time to a pilates class and finding out there are ways to exercise your abs that are not the horrible sit-up you were taught in school.

— Aalto University student, 2020

The sessions were good, timely and very well facilitated. They didn't require a lot of effort to reschedule the day, since they were only in the afternoons.

— Aalto University student, 2020

I was initially suspicious of whether the remote writing sessions would be helpful, but this has been much more useful and motivating than I thought! I also got more out of the later sessions — after the first two I felt like I didn't learn anything new, but after 5 I can really see how the structure, explicit goal-setting and timers work. Now I feel much more confident in my ability to work remotely!

— Aalto University student, 2020

The sessions were really good, and helped me to organize my writing/goals.

— University of Helsinki student, 2020

These sessions really helped me "get work done". The designated time to work on writing/coding tasks is very helpful.

— Aalto University student, summer 2020

Jess is a wonderful person, with informative and engaging sessions.

— Aalto University student, summer 2020

I want to thank you Jess. Your efforts and professionalism was A class quality.

— May 2019 writer

These sessions were a great way to get me started. I probably would have delayed working on my project otherwise, but now I got an early start.

— University of Helsinki student, 2020

it was a great experience that I would repeat and recommend to those who experience problems to prioritize writing on the normal days.

— November 2019 writer

I liked the online sessions very much and I got a feeling that I wasn't alone. Especially in this time of corona I welcomed this course. :)

— University of Helsinki student, 2020

A facilitator doesn’t do for you, but shows how. Jess is calm, confident, competent, warm, and happy to be here.

— May 2019 writer

The online series was simply wonderful!! Keeping the mind focused on writing is not easy, but I think these sessions succeeded in it!!

— University of Helsinki student, 2020

Thank you for creating magic for me.

— Charlotte, 2020

I loved the focused time for writing without the possibility for distractions. And socialising with great people.

— May 2019 writer

Hi Jess, I will be there tomorrow. The last session I did with you really helped to re-motivate and focus me. Thanks!

— Angela, 2020

What surprised me most about retreat was that I was more efficient when having a restricted amount of time to write, with proper breaks in between. The effect of positive peer pressure was good.

— University of Helsinki student, spring 2019

Thank you for the inspirational course Jessie!

This was probably the best and most productive/useful course I've had during my doctoral studies. I will definitely tape the schedule you gave to us during the first session to my office wall to remind me how I should plan my writing days in future!

— Henna, 2019

Jess was amazing, positive, inspiring and helpful.

— University of Helsinki student, 2019

Everything seemed to go very smoothly, it was somehow easy to focus.

— May 2019 writer

At the retreat I learned new strategies that can help me work efficiently, which is very important as I have less time to write my research since I had a baby.

— University of Helsinki student, spring 2019

I loved the focused time for writing without the possibility for distractions. And socialising with great people in the breaks!

— May 2019 writer

I really like the idea of stretching in between the sessions, because usually I don't do that, but I felt that it was quite refreshing. Also I found it really important to write down where was I writing just before the break so I could remember how to continue.

— Aalto University student, 2019

Jess, I really liked that you were so calm, had great tips and listened to each individual.

— University of Helsinki student, winter 2019

I feel very positive about my experience and am excited to see how I can go forward with this writing project now that I have the tools! Thank you!

— August 2018 writer

It was a great experience, thank you very much! It made the difficult task of writing something less to be afraid of. It was good to have a nice group of people to share the daily goals with and I would attend again and also recommend this to others who struggle with writing. The little breaks with stretches were great!

— University of Helsinki student, winter 2019

I came to the retreat thinking I was going to write… which I did, but it was also a social and cultural experience.

— November 2018 writer

The agenda worked well, with a perfect amount of writing sessions that were nicely blended with walking, yoga and food.

— November 2019 writer

Jessie [the facilitator] is fantastic. She has amazing organisational skills and gets everything done to make our environment calm and pleasant.

— November 2018 writer

The lunchtime yoga was excellent and really made the day better. Perfect length, timing and routine.

— November 2018 writer

Jess really sets a lot of nice vibes into the sessions. Instructions are helpful, spot on, and she makes it seem easy.

— Aalto University student, 2019

I really liked that there was a clear purpose to everything we did, that there was relaxation time and time to talk together.

— November 2018 writer

I met so many great and interesting people at retreat!

— May 2019 writer

I was surprised by the fascinating range of other people’s projects, from public health research to fantasy fiction.

— November 2018 writer

Jess had a very pleasant way of guiding us, it was easy to trust her expertise.

— Aalto University student, 2019

The retreat was like a holiday!

— November 2018 writer

Jess is great! I very much enjoyed the sessions with her and her advice.

— Aalto University student, 2019

I really enjoyed being able to write with other people.

— Asylum 2018 writer

I loved how the retreat created protected space for my writing — it was like a writing sauna!

— November 2018 writer

The schedule was good. The little chats on the goals, and how you did with a friend (and always with a new one) was very good. It was nice writing with other participants. Not at all so lonely as it is at home or at the office. I would describe the retreat as a very good or excellent one, great to get good tips on writing.

— University of Helsinki student, winter 2019

I was surprised by how easily I managed to stay focused during the whole duration of the writing sessions, and how quickly those blocks of writing time went by!

— Asylum 2018 writer

I prioritized my writing and wrote 7000 words for my PhD thesis. Following the retreat’s agenda I got into a really good working daily rhythm — I hope I can replicate this at home!

— November 2018 writer

I really appreciated Jessie’s positivity and manner, especially the calm and gentle way she ended our writing time, and directed us to the next activity.

— November 2018 writer

This format is VERY good for my own writing and hence my translating and editing work. I will attend again.

— November 2018 writer

Jess is cool and full of energy. She brings a nice vibe to the writing room.

— November 2019 writer

May 2019 participants’ achievements:

• An hour-long presentation — text and draft slides — for international meeting abroad.

• Came to finish a chapter for an academic collection — met my goals and now I have a first draft of the chapter.

• Four poems, one stand-up bit, and a first draft of a chapter from a memoir. Started a short play, and wrote about half of it.

• The structure of my next book.

• I achieved my script for my meditation album, and got some website copy sent off too.

• 75% of what I planned in the beginning. 100% of what I planned in the last day.

• I made words come out of my fingers!

• Fleshed out the structure of my novel, and talking about it out loud (when usually an internal process)

• Challenged myself with new forms of poetry/spoken word and stories.

The other participants were all really interesting people, I enjoyed the fact that it was all women. I liked that we could give each other space and didn’t always have to talk in all the breaks as it was hard to get out of my own writing headspace and I am used to working alone all day.

— November 2018 writer

I loved how friendly and welcoming Jess was, and how high-energy.

— Asylum 2018 writer

I was surprised that I was able to focus so well and get ‘in the zone’ during every writing session.

— November 2018 writer

Being able to detach from distractions was so good.

— Asylum 2018 writer

I loved meeting and interacting with other writers in the city.

— Asylum 2018 writer

The group size was good as we could all talk to each other and bond as a group. A nice mix of people (different ages and life stages, different backgrounds, different nationalities, different projects).

— November 2018 writer

I loved the focused time for writing without the possibility for distractions. And socialising with great people in the breaks!

— May 2019 writer