Daily Nourishment for October 15, 2024: When We Write around the Corners of Life

Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 13 minutes


“When we experience large-scale tragedy, our assumptive world is shattered.” —Dr. Gordon Bals

Pause.

Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. Then listen to a song that helps you feel less alone in the world.

 

Prompt.

The quote above by Gordon Bals is evergreen, and that makes me sad. But I keep writing.

Here’s an excerpt from a 2023 IG post about how and why I keep writing:

“A year ago I began to understand in more depth how we write around the corners of life because that’s how creativity works. Our creative practice only exists alongside the individual and collective events of our days that unfold in real places among real people. As all writers have done from the beginning of words, we write amid the delight and despair and wonder and sorrow. We write to make sense of life and to hold space for those things that will never make sense.

A few months ago I began again with a new vision for this book because that’s how creativity works. Creativity exists alongside the individual and collective events of our days that unfold in real places among real people. And one day you realize the book you’re writing needs to be a different sort of container.

And you think about the past year and how the book you’re writing has been becoming *this book* for a very long time. You have been filling this particular container for a very long time.”

 

Practice.

Take 10 minutes to think about what you’ve been writing or not writing over the past year. Is it time to quit doing it the way you’ve been doing it? Is it time for a new container?

May we keep writing and seeing and questioning and trying to find meaning in this beautiful and devastating life, work, and world.

Want More?
More on how creativity works from The Marginalian.
See my entire IG caption (and pretty photos!) here.

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—New Resource: Parenting with Art® Lectio Divina Cards Information about ordering these cards can be found in my Books + Spiritual Direction + Retreats & Gatherings email newsletter that went out last night. To stay in the loop on all of my work, writing, book recs, and more, subscribe to that weekly newsletter at charlottedonlon.com/subscribe.
—The October Co-Writing is ready. All SDW Members get free co-writing through November. If you aren’t a member and would like to join us, please contact me at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com and I’ll hook you up.
The Great Belonging Project is live here and The Great Belonging Project October Refresh will take place Oct 1-Oct 31.
—October 26—
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Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.

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Daily Nourishment for October 16, 2024: Sweet Thing, There She Was

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Daily Nourishment for October 14, 2024: Our Dreams Drink Coffee with Us