Daily Nourishment for February 10, 2024: “Figuring It Out” with Lauren Winner, Martha Mitchell, and More
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
Interviewer: What is art for?
Kara Walker: Figuring it out.
Pause.
For one minute, gaze at this 1970 portrait of Martha Mitchell, and allow Mitchell to gaze at you. What does your face do in response to her gaze? (I find myself beginning to smile.) What begins to happen between you and her as you look at one another?
Prompt.
Kate Clarke Lemay was the curator for the National Portrait Gallery’s 2022 exhibit Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue, in which the portrait of Mitchell appeared.
In an interview about her work as a curator and art historian, Lemay was asked “What are five words that come to mind when you think about the idea of living an artful life?”
She said: “Openness, motivation, curiosity, discipline, and time. ….I think two of the words go together: openness and time. Often I have my best ideas when I have the space and time to open up, observe the world, and make connections…. My creative brainstorming happens best when I have time and space to listen to my hunches — those little voices in the corner of my mind that all too often get squashed out by everyday responsibilities.”
How do you respond to Lemay’s insights into an artful life? (Yesterday, they made me feel irritated and stressed. Today they make me feel curious and hopeful.) Write in response for five minutes.
Practice.
Lemay (whom we’ll hear from again next Saturday) also said: “When has art made me stop in my tracks? When have I really felt moved, and why was that?”
How do you respond to those questions? Write for eight minutes.
Want More?
Learn more about two current exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery here and here. Read ‘They called her crazy’: Watergate whistleblower finally gets her due
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TODAY: Online Seminar with Sarah L. Sanderson and The Place We Make
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Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
February: February Co-Writing schedule and registration options are ready.
February: Online Thoughtful Readers Gatherings with Maggie Smith(2/12), Crystal Wilkinson(2/18), and Erik Fuhrer(2/25)
February-March: Online Narrative Writing with Tanya Davis: Friday Cohort, Four Sessions
February 11: Birmingham Paris Avenue Writers' Group with Tania De'Shawn
February 24: Online Revision Stations Designed by Lauren F. Winner
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Lauren Winner.
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