Creative Practice and the Gift of Presence
A studio is a sacred space - a space to explore and form relationships with materials, with others and with a deeper sense of self. The act of making quiets the mind, invites us to be fully present and opens us up to connections. Moments of connection spark curiosity, wonder, gratitude, and the urge to share what we discover.
In our current world we are less able to find these spaces outside the confines of our own homes. I find I'm exploring what's possible within that reality. In what ways are you experiencing presence in your own creative spaces and practices within your home?
Email me your stories.
Presence
Working on the paper cut above, I have been thinking about how we find a calm presence when feeling alone and agitated. Nature does this for me.
To sit by a tree and remember it is breathing, growing and living offers the chance to center in the calm slow exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. We can feel the steadiness of the tree, its solidity and allow it to help us center ourselves.
The past few months some of my plant-inspired practices include getting to know the names of native plants I encounter around my home and on local hikes, working in the garden and simply spending time in the presence of trees.
In the words of Mary Oliver:
“...It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
Like the trees, we can be this presence for each other and in our calm stillness help each other navigate the competing swirls of uncertainty and change that seem to be all around us right now.
In Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose, Stephen Lewis describes an experience of attending a professional conference and feeling excited and overwhelmed by the offerings. He approaches the venue trying to plan ways to be present in many places at once to attend everything that might be of interest. On the way in he sees Dr. Vincent Harding, a hero of his, and he greets him. Dr. Harding invites Lewis to sit with him. They exchange a few words but it is really the invitation to sit for a minute, to share silence, that helps to re-center and calm Lewis. He tells how he goes on to enter the conference with a calm and clarity he lacked before this encounter.
Being a calming presence is at the core of any training I’ve been part of on Trauma Informed Care. Deep breaths, companionable silence, and slowness are gifts we can offer when those around us feel agitated and upset.
Being able to offer this calm presence requires that we cultivate it in ourselves; art and nature are where I find I am building this skill most right now.
I find I’m diving deeper into single details, like getting to know one flower or leaf in all its complexity.
Here are two practices that have allowed me to do that recently - cyanotype sun printing and morning sketching in my journal...
Visit my instagram account @kathrynconeway for more examples of practice.
I'm spending some time in August exploring new formats for my screen prints and plan to have a shop update the first of September.
Thank you
for reading and being a part of creative community through this newsletter.