About Me

Stories of creativity, home, and belonging

Welcome. I’m Michelle Fizzard—a teacher, writer, photographer, published children’s author, and lifelong collector of stories.

I believe some of life’s most meaningful stories are found in ordinary moments: an animal resting in a patch of sunlight, a familiar landscape, a family memory, an old house, or the quiet beginning of a long-held dream.

This website is a place for those stories.

Where My Story Began

I was born and raised in Burin, Newfoundland—a place shaped by rugged coastlines, strong communities, family traditions, and generations of storytelling.

My husband, Bob, and I left Newfoundland in 1994. Over the years, life took us to different places, including almost seven years in British Columbia, before we moved to Ottawa in January 2021.

Although we built our lives away, Newfoundland has always remained part of who we are.

More than thirty years after leaving, we have purchased a home in Burin and are beginning a new chapter that will bring us back for part of each year. I look forward to sharing the process of preparing and decorating the house, rediscovering the surrounding communities, and reconnecting with the landscapes, memories, traditions, and people that make Newfoundland feel like home.

In many ways, it is a return to where our stories began.

A Life of Teaching and Learning

I have spent much of my adult life as a teacher.

Teaching has been far more than a career. It has shaped how I see the world and taught me to remain curious, hopeful, and open to possibility. It has also shown me the power of stories—to help children understand themselves, connect with others, and feel less alone.

I plan to retire from public-school teaching in June 2028, but I do not imagine I will ever stop teaching, learning, or encouraging others. Teaching is part of who I am. I simply hope to carry it forward in new ways through writing, photography, storytelling, and the creative projects still waiting to unfold.

As I move toward this next season, I feel increasingly drawn to the parts of myself that sometimes became quieter beneath work, family responsibilities, and the demands of everyday life.

I am ready to write more, photograph more, notice more, and make room for the things that bring meaning and joy.

Writing Stories from the Heart

In 2022, I published my first children’s book, Amazing Grace.

Inspired by the true story of a tiny feral kitten who found love and belonging in a Grade 2 classroom, the book grew from my experiences as a teacher and from my belief in the powerful connection between children and animals.

Publishing Amazing Grace taught me a great deal about writing, courage, and what it means to share a personal story with others. It also reminded me that the stories closest to our hearts are often the ones most worth telling.

I am now preparing my second children’s picture book, Harry’s Golden Heart.

Inspired by our golden retriever, Harry, it is a warm and gentle story about kindness, love, and the quiet ways one heart can make a difference. The book combines my writing with photographs from Harry’s life, making it both a creative project and a deeply personal record of the joy he has brought to our family.

Here, I will share the story behind the book, the photographs, the editing and design process, and the journey toward bringing Harry’s story into the world.

Returning to Photography

Photography has always helped me slow down and look more closely.

Since returning to teaching full time, I have picked up my camera less often than I once did. I am ready to change that.

I want to photograph the ordinary and meaningful moments unfolding around me—the people and animals I love, the places that hold memories, and the small details that might otherwise pass unnoticed.

For me, photography is another form of storytelling. It preserves not only how something looked, but also how it felt.

Family, Animals, and Belonging

Family and animals are woven through nearly every part of my life and work.

They are often the inspiration behind the stories I write, the photographs I take, and the memories I most want to preserve. They remind me that belonging is not only about a place. It is also found in the people and animals who know us, love us, and help us remember who we are.

This website will hold many of those stories—the joyful ones, the tender ones, and the ordinary moments that become more meaningful with time.

What You’ll Find Here

This is a place for stories about writing and publishing children’s books, photography and everyday storytelling, creating our Newfoundland home, life as I approach retirement, and the people, animals, memories, and places that shape a sense of belonging.

There may also be reflections on teaching, books, travel, creativity, home, and the quiet moments that gently shape a life.

Why I’m Here

I am not beginning this chapter because I have everything figured out.

I am beginning because I want to pay closer attention.

I want to create more, preserve the stories that matter, and remain open to what this next season might become. I want to share not only the finished projects, but also the questions, changes, mistakes, and small discoveries along the way.

Perhaps you are entering a new season too. Perhaps you are returning to something you once loved or making room for a dream that has waited long enough.

I hope this becomes a welcoming place to pause, notice, remember, and feel encouraged to take the next small step in your own story.

Thank you for being here.

I’m so glad you found your way to this little corner of the world.