FieldNotes Of Humanity
Knowledge and Stories Unfolded
Featured Works
Learning Through Doing: Foundations of Social Work Practice
The End of Chasing Happy
This is not another book about forcing positivity or trying to feel happy all the time. It explores why achievement, success, and external validation can still leave us feeling restless, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted.
Through personal reflection, relatable stories, and practical insight, readers are encouraged to shift their focus from chasing temporary happiness to building something more lasting: inner peace. Along the way, they’ll explore values, boundaries, relationships, balance, simplicity, and the patterns that create unnecessary pressure.
Rather than promising a perfect life, this book offers a more realistic goal: learning to remain grounded and steady even when life is uncertain. Peace isn’t somewhere you finally arrive. It’s something you can begin building now.
Provides guidance and support for individuals pursuing a career in social work, helping them establish a more secure and confident foothold in their chosen profession. Entering the field of social work is both exciting and challenging; it offers opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. However, new social workers often encounter unexpected barriers, high workloads, and complex systems that can feel overwhelming. Without adequate preparation, these challenges can contribute to stress, burnout, and even disengagement, ultimately affecting both the social worker and the clients they serve. This book aims to equip new social workers with practical strategies, resources, and insights that foster resilience, competence, and professional growth during the critical early stages of their career.
Spanish translation.
Ofrece orientación y apoyo a quienes inician una carrera en trabajo social, ayudándoles a consolidarse con mayor seguridad y confianza en la profesión elegida. Incorporarse al ámbito del trabajo social es una experiencia tan estimulante como desafiante, pues brinda la oportunidad de marcar una diferencia significativa en la vida de personas, familias y comunidades. No obstante, los nuevos trabajadores sociales a menudo se enfrentan a obstáculos imprevistos, cargas de trabajo elevadas y sistemas complejos que pueden resultar abrumadores. Sin la preparación adecuada, estos desafíos pueden derivar en estrés, agotamiento profesional e incluso desmotivación, afectando en última instancia tanto al trabajador social como a los usuarios a quienes atiende. Esta obra tiene como objetivo dotar a los nuevos profesionales de estrategias prácticas, recursos y perspectivas que fomenten la resiliencia, la competencia y el crecimiento profesional durante las etapas iniciales y críticas de su carrera.
Social Work Lecture Series
Over the years, many of my students have asked if I could make some of my lectures and educational materials available online so they could revisit them after graduation and as they begin their professional careers.
Here, you’ll find lectures, discussions, and practical resources designed to reinforce foundational concepts, strengthen professional skills, and help bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world practice.
Whether you are a current student, a former student navigating the early stages of your career, or simply someone interested in learning more, I hope these resources continue to support your professional growth.
Learning does not end when the course does. Continue asking questions, challenging your assumptions, developing your skills, and learning from the people and communities you serve.
Learn, grow, and be safe, everyone!
The Goal
Explore. Question. Learn. Grow.
My work is created with one central purpose: to encourage curiosity, reflection, and meaningful growth.
Whether through fiction, education, professional practice, or conversations about the human experience, I want to create work that invites people to look a little deeper—to question what they know, explore what they do not, and consider perspectives beyond their own.
Some of my work will take you into ancient worlds and forgotten mysteries. Some will explore social work, human behavior, and the realities of helping others. Other pieces may simply begin with an interesting question worth thinking about.
The subjects may change, but the goal remains the same:
Engage your curiosity.
Challenge your assumptions.
Think for yourself.
Keep learning.
I don't want to tell readers, students, or viewers what they should think. I want to create stories, resources, and conversations that give them something worth thinking about, and perhaps inspire them to continue the exploration long after they have finished reading, watching, or listening.
If something I create makes you curious enough to ask another question, investigate an idea, reconsider an assumption, or see something from a different perspective, then it has accomplished its purpose.
Explore. Question. Learn. Grow.
Jay Chapman, LMSW
Author Spotlight
Jay Chapman is an author, educator, and social work professional whose work explores human behavior, relationships, culture, and the stories that shape our understanding of the world.
From the practical social work education of Learning Through Doing to the ancient mysteries and questions of humanity explored in upcoming projects, his work bridges education and storytelling through a shared curiosity about the human experience.
Through Field Notes of Humanity, he brings together his writing, teaching, and creative projects with a simple philosophy: observe carefully, question assumptions, and remain curious about what it means be human.
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