MALIBU POET LAUREATE & FOUNDER OF THE POETRY VESSEL
Nathan Hassall
New Online Poetry Workshop Available
Register Now!
What does it mean to write poetry as transformation?
Transformation can be subtle or sudden. It can happen when we go through a big change in our lives, like a birthday, new year, or anniversary, or it can happen spontaneously.
We can achieve transformation through writing poetry. This can happen through many avenues, including surprise: when we receive pleasure or delight or a new insight, when we create novel metaphors that change the way we see the world, or when a tricky, stuck emotion finally gets expressed onto the page.
In other words, transformation is about change. And that change, hopefully, leads us to something better, the next stage in our lives.
Hosted by Malibu Poet Laureate Emeritus and Founder of The Poetry Vessel, Nathan Hassall, Poetry as Transformation is a poetry writing workshop that focuses on four key areas, based on Nathan’s 18 years of poetry writing, editing, and teaching experience.
Throughout this course, we will:
Use guided meditations to get into a flow state
Read and discuss poems connected to each week’s themes
Create new poems with writing prompts
Share our writing (optional!)
Learn “soft-skills” to write stronger poems
At the end of this course, you can expect to have a deeper understanding of transformation and poetry, connect with a new community of other poets and seekers, and emerge with many new poems (2-3 per workshop).
Course Structure:
WEEK 1 | Thursday, May 7th (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST): Writing Shadow and Light Poems
WEEK 2 | Thursday, May 14th (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST): Writing Dream Poems
WEEK 3 | Thursday, May 21st (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST): Writing Ecological/Nature Poems
WEEK 4 | Thursday, May 28th (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST): Writing Spiritual Poems
Please note that portions of this workshop may be recorded for future educational or marketing purposes. By registering, you consent to being recorded. However, we will never share a clip of your personal sharing without your explicit, additional written permission. Recordings and materials will be shared with participants weekly. Workshop Registration is open to Adults (18+) only.
Experience our groundbreaking NEW course in Neurocognitive Poetics created by Poet Laureate Nathan Hassall and National Bestselling Author and World-Renowned Neuroscience Researcher, Mark Waldman.
How Poetry Changes Your Brain
What People Are Saying
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“Nathan is a sublime poetry instructor, and we’ve had a terrific time reading and writing and getting to know each other. It’s just been a lovely experience. I’m so glad I found this group! Nathan’s workshops are a thoroughly fulfilling experience.”
- Julie Daniels, Voice/Speech Instructor at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts -
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“I’ve never taken a [poetry] workshop before, I’m in my 50s, and I came back as soon as I found out there was another one. It was fantastic and Nathan was amazing. Can’t wait for more!”
- Robert Roman, Producer at Sony Entertainment -
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"Nathan is truly a pleasure to work with. He is an outstanding editor, gives very insightful feedback, is extremely accessible, an effective accountability partner, encouraging, intelligent, and very personable. He clearly loves what he does… I highly recommend him."
- Dr. Aseem Desai, cardiologist and author -
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“Nathan believes so deeply in poetry and in the power of the spoken word and in community…With these workshops that he’s given, Nathan nourishes that and makes community possible.”
- Dr. Ann Buxie, PhD in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology, focusing on Hinduism and Buddhism.
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![Portrait of a man with glasses and a beard wearing a blue striped shirt and black tie, standing outdoors with a brick wall in the background.]()
"Nathan did an absolutely outstanding job with a very tight deadline. He was an absolute delight to work with, quick to understand what our book needed, and he was able to really bring it to life. We highly recommend Nathan as he is a very creative and talented writer, with an awesome attitude and the outmost professionalism."
- Dr. David C. Bonnano, psychologist and author -
![A young woman with long dark hair and light skin, wearing a denim jacket, looking at the camera with a slight smile.]()
"Nathan has been absolutely wonderful to work with. He is efficient, fair, quick, professional, easy to communicate with, and great at what he does. He completely understood what I wanted and was able to transform my speech into one that can now resonate with a much larger audience. That's exactly what I was looking for. I would rehire Nathan in a heartbeat. Thank you so much!"
- Chloe Temtchine, award-winning singer, songwriter, speaker, and creator of The Smile Tour
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![A woman with long dark hair wearing a navy and white patterned blouse, pearl necklace, and white blazer, smiling at the camera against a plain white background.]()
"Nathan was wonderful. He edited my manuscript of over 100,000 words on a VERY short timeline. He was thorough, professional, and made sure to get my input in order to clarify and communicate my ideas more effectively. He kept me up to date with the status of the project every step of the way and was flexible, which helped us get the job done. I recommend and would hire him again."
- Alexandra Guilamo, leading expert in the education and leadership of dual-language, bilingual, and language learners -
![Portrait of a young man with short brown hair, wearing a blue blazer, white shirt, and pink tie, smiling against a neutral background.]()
"Working with Nathan was awesome! He was great to work with and helped bring my project to life. He is very well versed in grammatical editing and is very strong with developmental editing and formatting as well. Nathan had a very quick response and was great with communication since day one. I will for sure be using him for future projects and I have already referred him to a personal friend who is currently writing a book!"
- Alex Demczak, Top Leadership Author and Speaker
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“Nathan has shared an inner obligation to express drive musically. A song to sing, a rhythm to thrum, we listen applaud all that stirs us to breathe poetry into the bright community air. Thank you, Nathan!”
- Charlotte Ward, Author, MBTI, Neuro-Linguistic Programing, Photo Reading, and Success Unlimited Network expert.
The world is waiting to hear your poetry.
Listen to The Poetry Vessel Podcast
The Poetry Vessel Podcast explores how language, creativity, and consciousness intertwine. Hosted by poet Nathan Hassall and his wife Rachael Hassall, the show features poetic discussions, listener submissions, and conversations that bridge art and the inner life.
Join the conversation by submitting your poetry to the podcast below.
Meet Nathan Hassall
Malibu Poet Laureate ‘23-25 & Founder of The Poetry Vessel
As a poet, educator, entrepreneur, and editor, Nathan brings a deep commitment to the transformative power of language. Originally from Horsham, England, he earned his Master’s in Creative Writing – Poetry in 2018 and was later appointed as the 5th, and youngest, Poet Laureate of Malibu, California.
As the founder of The Poetry Vessel, he brings poetry into conversation with neuroscience, psychology, and art through global education programs and a multidisciplinary podcast. Alongside his public work, Nathan is a sought-after freelance editor who collaborates with poets, writers, and entrepreneurs to refine their voices with clarity and depth — skills that form the foundation of his teaching and creative philosophy.