Creative Connection

We often think about creative products as static and finished. 

Music and poetry are great examples of how creators invite us to not only listen to, but also converse with their work.

Creative practice enlivens and helps us empathize with works by other creators across genres, time and space.   

How are you using creativity to connect and celebrate?

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your stories and let me know if it is okay to share them in a future newsletter.

As we continue to live close to home I've been thinking about 

Creative Connection

It's been two weeks since my last newsletter, I found I needed some time to just settle into some of the new rhythms and routines of my household. 

I've read and talked with friends about the importance of honoring grief in this time. This includes both losses of life and losses of opportunities and celebrations. This article from The Mighty is a good reference, particularly for talking with teens about the losses from our current limitations. 
 
In a podcast this week, I was introduced to the idea of mourning and its relationship to grief. Mourning is connected to loss; it is a way of honoring it, making it sacred in the whole of one's life. Mourning often involves creative acton in some way.

As I think about my own experience and creative practice as a form of mourning, it is easier to share examples that are not personal losses. The paper cut above was the seed of my new series "Mother Trees." It was the first paper cut I created celebrating a voice that helped me find the sacred in nature. I created this image in January of 2019 upon hearing of Mary Oliver's death.  I was saddened by the news of her death and wanted to create something to honor and mark the occasion. I didn't know Mary Oliver personally and yet her voice had impacted my life in a personal and meaningful way. Creating this image was part of my mourning her death and helped me to honor the meaning of her work. I felt connected to something bigger too as a broad community memorialized and celebrated her life.

Over the past two weeks, I've been working on a paper cut image of the "Tree of Forgiveness" inspired by the song by John Prine.
The threat of COVID-19 began to feel more real when I learned he was sick. As I saw posts asking for love and prayers I was drawn to listening. The truths in his songs brought comfort and that continued after learning of his death. As I took walks, certain lyrics played in my head like mantras and those are the ones I added to this image. 

In thinking about mourning as a creative act, I don't mean to suggest we force ourselves into transforming things too quickly. It is important to take time to honor losses big and small. I'm also hopeful that using creativity to express feelings of sadness, frustration and loss can help us to connect with others.

I've been seeing posts of people recreating favorite art pieces at home or dancing and singing to songs from favorite musicals. While there is loss to not being able to experience these in person, there is an energizing effect to seeing familiar work through new interpretations.

This past Sunday was to be my reception for a spring art show at Huntley Meadows Park.  
I'm currently working on creating silk screens of some of my paper cuts to be able to print and share in my yard. See some of the process on my instagram @kathrynconeway