Leah Ollman

“My residency was certainly "productive" in the conventional sense—I did a great deal of reading, writing, and thinking through the work at hand. One of the most invigorating aspects of being at Hambidge, though, is how the definition of "productivity" changes under the conditions there. 

The expansive sense of time, the glorious play of light, the body's motion along the trails, the conversation and laughter around the dinner table, the night's vast canopy of stars—all inflect the measure of the day. The idea of accomplishment broadens out and opens up. It breaks free from the page count. The page count still matters, but it matters differently in a context that cultivates above all the unquantifiable essentials of fulfillment and connection.

Hambidge is a humanizing place. It supports inquiry and possibility. It nourishes the mind, body and soul as inseparable forces. When I spend time at Hambidge, I  work hard and get a lot done. But what actually happens is subtle and internal. I grow myself into a better human.”

—Leah Ollman, California, Writing