Flourishing in Florence

A Writing Retreat for Health Care Professionals

October 1 - 16, 2026

"Doctors, it turns out, need hope, too." — Paul Kalanithi, MD, When Breath Becomes Air

6 Nights | 7 Days

A generative writing experience in the birthplace of the Renaissance where medical professionals can rediscover meaning and the art of healing through story.

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WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Led by Nancy Sharp, MFA, Creative Nonfiction and Mark Earnest, MD, Flourishing in Florence promises personalized attention within a supportive and creative community. Prose, fiction and nonfiction writers welcome.

This experience:

Advances flourishing, Defined by The Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health (KNN) as a sense of wholeness -- of being and doing and of realizing one's impact and potential
Deepens self-awareness and self-mastery
Leads to greater acceptance
Enhances positive views and connectedness to patients, colleagues and others
Lessens burnout and moral distress caused by the emotional toll of working in health care
Improves listening and written communication skills

Flourishing in Florence is Like No Other Writer's Retreat!

Created by and for health care professionals

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You Could…

tap into a story idea(s) that changes the way you view a challenge or experience
feel a renewed sense of mission and purpose by reflecting on universal themes that are central to all health care professionals
finally be able to make sense of an experience that has haunted you and/or lingered for years
feel energized by participating in a creative, immersive experience with a like-minded community
recognize the strength of your unique voice and experiences on the written page
leave with 10 or more pages that could be developed into publishable work

INTRODUCING

Nancy Sharp and Mark Earnest

About Nancy

Nancy Sharp, MFA, Creative Nonfiction, leads narrative medicine efforts at Denver Health, where she regularly profiles clinicians, leads workshops, provides editorial coaching and helps to tell the story of this 166-year-old organization. She also writes for Denver Health’s CEO. Nancy is an Adjoint Instructor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, teaching both narrative and reflective writing, and a certified instructor in Guided Autobiography (GAB), an evidenced-based storytelling curriculum. Nancy estimates that she has impacted hundreds of writers, their stories, books and projects—and it is through this lens of teaching and coaching others where she shines.

Nancy is the author of the memoir Both Sides Now: A True Story of Love, Loss and Bold Living, winner of the Colorado Book Award and other literary prizes. A story of deep human paradoxes, Both Sides Now illuminates the caregiver's perspective. Nancy also authored a children’s book called Because the Sky is Everywhere that is used as a resource in palliative and hospice settings. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and media and a book she ghostwrote for a client led to her becoming an associate producer on the documentary “Who Are the Marcuses?”

Nancy serves on the board of directors at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop and has led writing retreats in places like Charleston, SC, Santa Fe, NM and at the legendary Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. She can’t wait to help medical and health care professionals flourish in Florence.

About Mark

Mark Earnest MD, PhD is the Meiklejohn Professor of Medicine and Division Head of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. In addition to his leadership role and his internal medicine practice, Mark is a teacher. In 2011, he received the University of Colorado Presidential Teaching Scholar Award- the highest award for teaching offered by the University of Colorado. He has been a national leader in developing advocacy as a core skill for medical professionals and received the University of Colorado's Thomas Jefferson Award for his own civic leadership. Among the many topics he has taught over the years, writing may be his favorite. He has taught and mentored students, residents and fellow faculty members in creative and opinion writing for over two decades.

Mark’s affinity for narrative is congenital. A southerner by birth and the son and grandson of raconteurs, he grew up immersed in stories and surrounded by storytelling. As a college student, his attraction to a career in medicine felt inseparable from his affinity for narrative - a truth that has only deepened with time. His works of creative non-fiction appear regularly in the New England Journal of Medicine as well as other journals like the Annals of Internal Medicine and JAMA. In 2023 Mark and his wife Julie moved to Florence for a sabbatical, immersing themselves fully in the art, culture and history of the city. He is thrilled to be returning to co-lead the Flourishing in Florence workshop.

Meet Our Partner

The British Institute of Florence has offered international residents and visitors opportunities for personal enrichment through participation in educational, cultural and social activities for more than a century.

Draft Itinerary

Day 1 - Sunday, Oct. 11

History & Place

We'll start the day with a four-hour private, guided tour with an expert on Florentine history and culture. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, and our tour will prepare us for a multi-sensory week of creative reflection.

Stroll through the city's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unrivaled medieval and

Renaissance architecture - piazzas, palazzos, narrow streets, towers and extraordinary churches stretching back 1,000 years.
Visit the Duomo, Florence's magnificent cathedral and wander down to Piazza Signoria, dominated by the imposing Palazzo Vecchio, the ancient seat of civic power, which still houses the city council.
Drop into churches decorated with extraordinary fresco cycles by the masters of Renaissance art.

Our narrative workshop in the afternoon focuses on place as a character and history as a defining element. We will reflect on this theme using a variety of prompts and exercises that help participants see the impact of both place and history in their lives and work.

Reception and group dinner at a special venue in the heart of Florence.

Day 2 - Monday, Oct. 12

Compassion and Empathy

"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity." — Hippocrates

What better way to dive into these core themes than by visiting the Hospital of Santa Maria Nouvo? Established in 1288, this is the world's oldest continuously operating hospital. Apart from its reputation as one of the city's most important welfare institutions, the Hospital of Santa Maria Nouvo also has a rich artistic legacy.

Our private guide will walk us back in time to the origins of the Hospital, including the ancient apothecary, Renaissance art collections and underground passages.
Today also brings us to La Specola Museum, a natural history museum that is especially famous for its collection of over 1,400 anatomical wax models created between 1775 and 1814. These intricate models depict the human body, organs, blood vessels, pathological conditions and more, and are noteworthy for their artistic craftsmanship and role in scientific discovery.

Our afternoon workshop examines the role of compassion and empathy in medicine. What stories and experiences do you yearn to tell?

Day 3 - Tuesday, Oct. 13

Wholeness Through Expression

Flourishing requires wholeness and artistry. There are few better places to explore this sacred theme than a private visit to Santa Maria Novella, a World Heritage site that took close to 200 years to finish. First started in 1276, the church wasn't consecrated until 1420.

See some of the finest Renaissance frescoes in Florence, including by Masaccio, who is credited with transforming Florentine painting and is among the first Italian artists to use perspective to create the illusion of three-dimensional space in paintings.
Study words by Domenico Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi that depict scenes of human experience and emotion at that time.
Admire the work of Renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti.

Our afternoon workshop looks at what wholeness means on a personal level and for those you serve. What forms of expression contribute to your sense of wholeness? How does experiencing the expression of others influence your own approach to self-expression and wholeness?

Day 4 - Wednesday, Oct. 14

Cultivating Your Senses

Take time on your own to absorb, process and write. What ideas and thoughts are percolating? Reflect on an experience when sight, touch, deep listening and/or whole-body presence improved clinical outcomes. Today is a free day to deepen your writing.

Take advantage of coaching time with Mark and Nancy at The British Institute.
See other treasures in Florence that are better viewed individually or in a smaller group such as the Galileo Museum, The Ufizzi and other recommended sites.

Tonight we cultivate our senses with a private food and wine tasting event following by a group dinner.

Day 5 - Thursday, Oct. 15

Unearthing What's Hidden

Florence is home to many secret passageways and gems, both physical and as stories and lore. Beauty and strength emerge when we unearth what's hidden,

Go on a private tour of Palazzo Vecchio with access to the historic city hall, the Medici family apartments and artwork by Renaissance masters Michelangelo, Donatello and Vasari.
Take the exclusive Secret Passageway Tour to see hidden staircases, narrow corridors and private rooms of the Medici dukes not open to the public.

Our workshop challenges us to think about our own hidden strengths. How have they served you? Have you had a professional experience where you sensed the "real" story may have been masked by something else?

Day 6 - Friday, Oct. 16

Writing Day/Group Reading

Our final full today in Florence will be spent fine-tuning one of the stories you have written or writing a new one. Use some of the new reflective and craft skills you have learned to turn your story into a publishable piece.

Spend time with Mark and Nancy working on your narrative.
Time on you own to see anything else in Florence.
Read your story aloud to the group

Tonight we'll celebratory our week in Florence with a magnificent meal in the iconic Heritage Library at The British Institute.