About

How it began...

Hi, I’m Niamh Bohane and welcome to Life Notes.

Life Notes was born after a very difficult period in my own life. After seventeen years practicing medicine, I left my work as a general practitioner in 2019, burnt out, distraught and confused. It took two years to work through what had happened and to understand what had led me to this pivotal moment in my life. Without the tool of exploratory writing, I believe it would have taken me much longer to heal.

I had always been a writer and journal-keeper, scribbling in notebooks and A4 pads since I was very young: short stories, poems, lyrics, reflections. In 2016, I was lucky to be granted the opportunity to earn an honours master's degree in creative writing at the University of Limerick, under the guidance of wonderful teachers including novelists Joseph O' Connor, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and Donal Ryan, and the poet Mary O' Malley.

Following this, I had the great privilege to facilitate writing workshops with Limerick Mental Health Association for a number of years. I also trained and worked as a story exchange facilitator with Narrative 4 Ireland, an organisation that uses story-telling as an empathy-building tool.

Writing and words have supported and guided me through the best and worst of times. The subtle transformative power of exploratory writing exercises never fails to surprise me and I am delighted to be able to share this magic with you. My offerings have been informed and inspired by the work of Gillie Bolton, Rita Charon, David Denborough, James Pennebaker, Brené Brown, Tristine Rainer, Julia Cameron, and Marion Milner, among others. If you are interested in this area, I'd encourage you to seek out their extensive writings and research.

Beyond the page, I am a mum, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, singer, dancer, gardener: just some of the many roles we all juggle.

I can't wait to meet you on your journey of discovery with the guidance of your Life Notes.

How I can help

I have created Life Notes as themed exploratory writing practices and exercises for curious, open-minded and playful individuals who want to try a new way of reconnecting to themselves and their stories.

So if this sounds like you and you are:

Curious about writing, about life and about yourself
Wanting to start a regular writing practice
Willing to invest in yourself and the things that bring you joy
Open to learning from others and from yourself
As interested in questions as you are in answers
Considering exploring and documenting your life stories for others

then, join our supportive community of fellow inquisitive writers.

At Life Notes, I strive to create a welcoming, encouraging and joyful space to play with words and story. Even if you find it hard to connect with the playful and joyful parts of yourself right now, know that they are sheltering somewhere and, through the power of exploratory writing, just waiting to be re-discovered.

Together we will go on a light journey of curiosity and wonder, even if the terrain is sometimes rocky and dark, to uncover insights, solutions, and untapped wisdom within.

If you are ready to embark on this writing journey with me, I offer a few different ways that we can write together:

4 Ways To Get Started...

Through Life Notes, I’m delighted to share with you the techniques and knowledge that I have learned and developed in my practice. Here’s how:

01.

I send out a regular dispatch

with updates on Life Notes’ happenings, reading recommendations, writing prompts and more.

You can sign up here >

02.

I run exploratory writing workshops

Join other explorers as we work through techniques and topics together. To find out when the next online workshop is coming up,

keep in touch here >

03.

I offer self-led courses

on the skills of exploratory writing as well as guided journeys through specific topics such as burnout.

find out more about these here >

04.

Free download

You can get started on your exploratory writing adventure with my free journaling workbook, “Write Now”, which you can download here.

Download here

Jennifer Grace

“The workshop has renewed my interest in writing. I enjoyed the workshop's relaxed atmosphere, and there was no pressure to share what we wrote. It was a small group which was nice. I found the exercises helpful, and I like the idea of setting aside short periods of time for writing. I find it hard to find the time to write and it never dawned on me previously that you don't actually need to set aside hours. I was surprised by how much I could write during the short exercises. This is something I will start to apply outside of the workshop. I also found it helpful to learn about the different types of writing or containers. I wasn't aware that there were so many different types…I would definitely attend another workshop…I would recommend this to others”

Lucia Guerin

“I loved all of it. I felt really held and loved how you invited kindness and compassion in at the beginning. I really enjoyed that we had something 'concrete' to begin with.. our object. I loved how that made for a more embodied and tactile experience - sometimes 'where do you feel that in your body' or 'how does that sound' can be hard to reach, so having an object and simply connecting to that worked really well for me and brought me to a place I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed the short writing snippets I loved how it wasn't just a series of writings, that each one brought you to the next one... there was a 'purpose’. I enjoyed the challenge of creating a haiku!!... I personally got so much out of it… It was very meaningful and moving, thank you so much. Your guidance was so very professional, kind yet very well held. It felt like it came from a place of understanding and authority - a fine balance that you held so well. I trusted you completely and was willing to be vulnerable and playful in this space. You hold a beautiful space and one that so many need and will love. a big YES Niamh, thank you..”

Sign up for my regular dispatch