Daily Nourishment for July 20, 2024: Art and Community with Guidance from Words in Image Journal
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 60 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
“I have long suspected, for example, that people who identify themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’ are really opting out of the hassles of dealing with other people.” - Kathleen Norris, Image
Pause.
Take some deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale while looking at this art by Sedrick Huckaby.
Prompt.
Read the quotes below from Image interviews that explore the theme of community:
“When I began art-making, I needed to prove that I could create something of worth, something beautiful, by my own efforts. This drive shaped my aesthetic and process, and I’m still grateful for those intimate solitary times in the studio. Back then I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone for their help or input. But I was often left with emotional, mental, and physical burnout mixed with pride—not the healthiest of combinations.
The size and concept of my installation and performance work have taught me I need to bring others into the process, and this challenges my natural inner dynamic. I have to ask for and accept assistance in myriad ways, large and small. Opening my process has made me softer towards myself and others. And I’ve experienced more beauty than I could have hoped for or imagined, both aesthetically and relationally.” - Leslie Iwai, “Life After Thirty | Collaboration and Community: Leslie Iwai”
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“When I was thirty, I was making painterly portraits of my grandmother, Hallie Beatrice Carpenter, otherwise known as Big Momma, at her house in Fort Worth. I was using various techniques, most notably impasto, to explore the traditional portrait—and image-making itself. Over the years, these casual paintings lead to an entire series called Big Momma’s House. Some of the paintings took up multiple canvases, and many were framed with rustic wood, reminiscent of her old wood-framed house. After Big Momma died, I continued to make works that referenced her. My next exhibition, Everyday Glory, had paintings of the empty rooms of her house and of all of her children. It also included drawings, lithographs, paint sculptures, and a large charcoal drawing of Big Momma in her youth. Art-making can become a blossoming variety of things.
I am no longer just a painter; I am also an activist, project-oriented artist, draftsman, sculptor, printmaker, a person who is interested in collaborations and promoting other artists. You could say that when I was younger I was interested in addition, and now I am interested in multiplication. Now, rather than having a less-is-more aesthetic, I have a more-is-more aesthetic.”
- Sedrick Huckaby, “Life After Thirty | Collaboration and Community: Sedrick Huckaby”
Practice.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and take notes or journal in response to the words and art above and or the questions below.
How do your religious beliefs move you towards other people? How do they move you away from other people?
When was the last time you asked someone for help with regard to your creative process or your hopes for your creative work?
How can you ask someone for help in the coming days or weeks?
What are five ways you feel lonely and isolated in your creative work and creative aspirations?
What are five ways you feel a sense of belonging in your creative work and creative aspirations?
How has your approach to making art (and other areas of life) shifted over the years? What was true about your approach five or 10 years ago? What is true now?
Want More?
Do a search “community” on the Image website and read or peruse whatever looks interesting to you.
If you’d like to subscribe to Image, here’s a discount link for $30 for a full year’s subscription.
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If you are attending this year’s Glen Workshop, may you find more of your people there. People who help you feel less alone in your faith. People who nourish your creative soul. If you aren’t attending the Glen Workshop this year, may you find more of your people wherever you may be.
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!
Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—The July Co-Writing Schedule is live.
—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.