Daily Nourishment for July 14, 2024: Black Bodies in Art and Church with Guidance from Words by Jessica B. Davenport, Biko Mandela Gray, and Jessica Mesman
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
“In this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it.” - Toni Morrison, Beloved
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale while meditating on the quote above from Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
Prompt.
Read this quote by Biko Mandela Gray from the Image podcast episode “In This Here Place, We Flesh: Black Bodies in Art and Church”
“Woman's theology actually took me to the world of literature. I read The Color Purple in Divinity School and realized that black women's writings could do incredible amounts of work. And so I was like, this is fascinating. And then read Beloved for the second time, but actually for the first time in graduate school, I'd read it before but didn't know what I was doing. And I started to realize that an author who takes their work [or words? both are true] seriously is an artist. And Tony Morrison has always been that artist for me. And so just recently over the past few years, talking both with Jessica and also talking with Lanecia Rouse Tinsley, who's also here, I began realizing how art opens up different worlds. How initially for me it was a critique. And so that brought in that liberationist theological tradition, but how it also starts to open up different modes of release. And that brought in the COGIC [Church of God in Christ] piece for me. My study of art, and I'm still relatively new to this, my interest in art comes from me being a little COGIC boy and also being in certain ways, recovering liberation theologian at heart.”
Practice.
Set a timer for 10 minutes minutes and take notes, journal, or be thoughtful without doing any writing of words in response to the words above and/or the questions below.
How do you inhabit your body during difficult times? During good times?
How do you love your body during difficult times? During good times?
How do you take your art seriously? What are specific examples?
If you want to take your art more seriously, what are some ways to do that for your current season of life, in light of other commitments and obligations, etc?
How does engaging with art open up different worlds for you?
How do the words and questions above intersect with your spiritual life and creative work?
Want More?
Listen to the entire podcast episode here.
Explore the resources and links listed on the show notes, too.
This Daily Nourishment offering touches on some of the reasons I love attending the Glen Workshop.
Jessica Mesman no longer works for Image, but the spirit of this conversation remains a part of the Image ethos. 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!
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Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—The July Co-Writing Schedule is live.
—July 13-18: $11 Summer Book Sale
—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
—Save the Date: Spiritual Direction for Writers® + Enneagram for Creativity Gathering will take place on Saturday, September 28th. Recordings will be available if you can’t join us live. Speakers will be announced soon!
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.