Into the Woulds: A Field Guide for Tender Souls

Into the Woulds: A Field Guide for Tender Souls is an invitation to step into a more expansive space—a life defined by possibility and hope.

Your guide, Roger Hutchison—an artist, teacher, and devoted observer of the natural world—invites you to join him in traversing inner landscapes. The journey starts in the thicket of "shoulds," perceived obligations that deter us from pursuing our dreams. The path broadens to include "coulds" as we learn to discern alternatives. The ultimate destination is the "woulds" where we freely embrace new opportunities.

Each chapter is organized around a single, searching question. If you didn't hide, would you still be loved? If you could forgive yourself, would you finally rest? If you stopped striving, would you still find your way? If you learned to listen, would you hear what matters? Hutchison talks honestly about how he has struggled with these and other questions, encouraging readers to engage in equally honest reflection. Each chapter ends with a creative journaling practice and grounding practice that help readers cultivate new habits of mind, body, and soul.

Throughout the journey, Hutchison offers vivid illustrations from his own experience. Whether applying color to canvas, supporting students in art-based trauma therapy, or witnessing a flock of starlings taking flight, he uncovers the promise hidden in everyday life. Along the way, he identifies obstacles that commonly trip us up—regret, worry, fear, insecurity, and more—and shows how paying close attention both to our soul and to our surroundings helps us inhabit our lives more fully.

For anyone who feels stuck in self-doubt or burdened by unreasonable expectations, Into the Woulds is a compassionate, grounded guide to finding your footing—and trusting where the path leads.