Field Notes
Voices, inspirations, and updates from my practice
Dear friends,
Thank you for all your wonderful messages in response to my last letter.
In it, I wrote about the voices that remain outside the dominant narrative—even when they carry decades of lived knowledge about navigating rupture and adapting in times of profound uncertainty.
This new format, which I’ll share periodically alongside my letters, is a space to amplify those voices, share what continues to inspire my practice, and offer updates on my work.
What I am working on
It has been a quiet and reflective couple of months in London — taking time to grieve after my dad’s passing, reconnect with old friends, and spend precious time with my kids before my daughter gets married.
At the centre of my work right now is Maps of My (Non) Belonging — a body of work I have been living with for the past few years.
It began in the studio in London, expanded through my travels and collaborations with artists in Uruguay, Argentina, France, and Serbia, found its collective form in an art installation at Expo 2025 in Japan, and has been present in much of my writing here.
Back in the studio, I am continuing to develop this work — exploring different forms, designing new experiences, and quietly working on a book, weaving stories into an intricate fabric of collective memory.
I am curious to see where it takes me.
Voices I want to amplify
These are some of the voices I have been returning to lately — voices that, in different ways, speak to memory, witnessing, healing, and what it means to remain human in these times.
Watch
The Secret Agent — I recently attended a talk in London with director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who spoke about memory as resistance — in a time when democracy is under threat, the act of remembering in itself is an act of defiance.
All That’s Left of You — directed by Cherien Dabis. A Palestinian family’s journey across three generations, from 1948 to the 2020s. A story that breaks your heart open and reminds you how important it is to bear witness.
Come See Me in the Good Light — a Sundance-winning documentary about poet Andrea Gibson navigating terminal cancer with extraordinary love of life — a film that reminds you to cherish every moment. Watch it. Then read some of their poetry.
Listen
Voices of Emergence podcast — a space for thoughtful, embodied conversations with people sensing into what is emerging. I return to it for the range of voices and perspectives it brings together.
Q with Tom Power podcast — Iranian director Alireza Khatami on his new film, and the importance of healing before we can truly tell our stories and hold space for others.
Read
Mother Mary Comes To Me by Arundhati Roy — a brilliant, raw, and deeply moving memoir. The way she weaves the complexity of her relationships without reducing them to black and white, and with such brutal honesty, is masterful.
Also, my dear friend Piero Gandini has a book coming — stories from war zones, refugee camps, and epidemic outbreaks, where caring for your team is what keeps people alive. If you feel called, please support his Kickstarter campaign.
What’s coming up
Creative Studio Sessions — March 27 & April 17, London
A creative, embodied space for exploration and shared inquiry, grounded in presence and collective attention.
Reclaiming Leadership: The Art of the Possible — April 28, London
A one-day workshop for leaders navigating transition — recovering the capacity to sense, orient, and reimagine what comes next.
Open Studio — London, by appointment
A chance to see the existing body of work and engage with work in progress. Get in touch for dates, a portfolio of available work, or to inquire about commissions.
House of Beautiful Business Forum — May 7–10, Athens
I will be joining the 10th-anniversary gathering — looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. I am also working on a new piece that I hope will find its way to Athens. More soon.
1:1 Work
I am making a small number of places available for individual work — whether a one-off session around a specific question or decision, or an ongoing coaching engagement.
If you feel a resonance with this work, you’re welcome to reach out and explore what form our work might take.
If you’re new here
If you’re new to these letters and curious about my nomadic journey, a good place to start is The Year of Living Dangerously.
Beyond what I share here, you can find more resources on my website, in the Cabinet of Curiosities — a living collection of teachings, people, and places that continue to move and inspire me. I hope they serve you.
I’ll leave you this week with Andrea Gibson’s beautiful words:
This is what we do. We gather each other up. We say the cup is half yours and half mine. We say, alone is the last place you will ever be.
Until next time, I’m holding you all in my heart.
Sonja
Thank you for being here. This work exists because I believe intentional thinking, imagination, and attention matter — especially now. If this space supports you, and you’d like to help sustain it, I would deeply appreciate it.
Thanks my dea, for your inspiring letters and for amplifying my pledge.
Hugs