Daily Nourishment for July 1, 2024: When You Do Things from Your Soul Featuring Calligraphy Artist David Chang
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 60 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
- Rumi
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale while looking at the calligraphy art on this Instagram post at @davidchangstudio.
Prompt.
Read this quote by David Chang from an episode of The Jesus Storybook Podcast (bold/emphasis added):
“I started thinking about how could I create artworks using simply just calligraphy. Redeemer's Center for Faith and Works allowed me to have my first exhibition at their office space.
I remember being so excited about that just to have a space where I could just show artwork and I just took off the ground running. I just went all in, and that's where it segues into this church because my dad was the pastor there and they had the space in the attic. Three months of just locking myself in there, and there was this just daily ritual rhythm of just going in, creating work, experimenting, but very, very focused.
I created a body of work that were just different expressions of what I saw calligraphy being used as, or my language of calligraphy was starting to develop. That space really informed a lot of that because there was this process of really learning how to commune with the space, be sensitive with the space, and just being open to how a space can inform my art, my creativity, and I think that looking back that really helped inform a lot of the approach of how to prepare to make work and the intention of embodying and just allowing the work to just flow through me.
All those processes I think really informed a lot of how I make work today, and that just started me on this long journey of learning calligraphy simply from fascination stage to learning as practicing as a hobby, and then going on to have small jobs and also just practicing it from time to time, but that eventually led to bigger jobs and there was a point where I crossed over into just focusing on calligraphy full time, and eventually that led to this moment where I started making artwork with it.
Practice.
Set a timer for seven minutes and write in response to the quote above and the items below.
Which spaces and places have influenced your creative expressions over the years?
Has one particular space been more pivotal and transformational for your creativity or spiritual life? If so, describe the space. And take notes on The Before, The After, and the transformation process.
It’s not necessary to be a full-time artist to be an artist, so let’s focus on the fascination stage and the practicing stage for the following: What are your current creative fascinations? What are you currently practicing? What do you want to practice more?
Want More?
Explore more of David Chang’s art and work.
David Chang is one of the workshop facilitators at this year’s Glen Workshop. During the month of July, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment will feature Glen Workshop facilitators and other Glen-ish people, places, and things. Enjoy!
*
David Chang is a renowned artist who has pursued the art of western calligraphy for the past 20 years. His masterful study of calligraphy is driven by a passion for “bringing the essence of a word or message to life.” Chang's calligraphic mark —vacillating between traditional scripts and contemporary abstraction— issues statements of personal, cultural, and spiritual awareness while retaining a formal beauty full of urgency and redemption.
David was first introduced to the rhythm and art of writing through Spencerian penmanship, and his work has since appeared in numerous shows and institutions, including Onishi Gallery, Clemente Soto Velez Center, Waterfall Mansion, Pratt Institute, Calvary Saint George’s, and the Society of Scribes at the National Arts Club. Notably, his calligraphy has also been prominently featured in the internationally acclaimed film mother! (2017).
*
Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—The July Co-Writing Schedule is live.
—July 8: Thoughtful Readers Gathering with Anna Gazmarian 7-8 p.m. CT
—July 21-27: Charlotte Donlon will provide a few spiritual direction offerings at the Glen Workshop in Seattle
—July 27: Online Revision Stations Designed by Lauren F. Winner
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
*Please help us protect our intellectual property, our creative process, and the integrity of our work. Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment is covered under the Spiritual Direction for Writers® trademark. You are welcome to share this link with others, but any other use (written or spoken) is prohibited without written permission from Charlotte Donlon.