An Almost Daily Digest for Creative Souls will be sent to all subscribers on Tuesday or Wednesday of most weeks moving forward.

Read more details about why I’m doing another new thing in the Almost Daily Digest for Creative Souls No. 1.

Thanks for being here. Let’s dive in.

A Morning Ritual for Creative Souls

This section will always appear at the top of each Almost Daily Digest. You are invited to use this ritual, too, as a way to honor the beginning of a new day, as a way to begin again.

1. Light a candle.

2. Take three deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale.

3. Read a poem, quote, prayer, or religious text of your choice.

4. Sit in silence for a minute.

5. Write down three things that you want to give your attention to today.

6. Read a poem, quote, prayer, or religious text of your choice. You can use the same one as before or a different one.

7. Blow out the candle.

8. Do the next thing.

This week I’m beholding one of my favorite poems — “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo — during the opening of my morning ritual.

Since I’ve been rereading “Perhaps the World Ends Here” a lot lately, yesterday I listened to part of the Living Poetry podcast episode I appeared on a couple of years ago to discuss this poem, and I’ll listen to the rest of it today. I’ll share more about lovely our conversation soon.

The Living Poetry podcast by Susan Haroutunian Cunningham is so so good. I highly recommend adding it to your listening lineup. I’m so thankful for Susan’s writing, work, and presence.

Living Poetry: Connect & Belong - Charlotte Donlon, Nov 5, 2024:

This week I’m using this Collect for Grace from the Book of Common Prayer for the end of my morning ritual:

A Collect for Grace:

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My three main things for today are:

1. Mail some things I wish I’d mailed before now.

2. A couple of hours of Art Friends book proposal revisions since the updated proposal is due to my literary agent by December 1.

3. LAUNDRY because I have a whole situation.

AND I did all three of yesterday’s things as well as other work and tasks with plenty of time for rest and leisure, too. Of course, I’m still behind on so many things. But it’s fine. I know I will always be behind on some things as long as I’m leading an interesting life and honoring my body, mind, and soul. I’d much rather lead an interesting life while honoring my body, mind, and soul than have a manageable to-do list.

Flourish Anyway® Today Reflection

Stay tuned for these almost daily reflections about flourishing anyway that are coming soon.

Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment Offering

November 11: Creative Nourishment and Reflection for For Veterans Day featuring art by Käthe Kollwitz, a poem by Robert Frost, and a series of Veterans Day interviews.

Take More Retreats

If you want to try a 40-minute Micro Solo Retreat today, here’s a flow to try.

I’m going to have at least one 40-minute Micro Solo Retreat today. I’ll probably choose a novel by Edith Wharton for the 10 minutes of rereading. We’ll see. I might choose something else.

A Daily Dose of Art

A Daily Dose of Art for November 11

“Not for Keeps” by Robert Frost and woodcuts by Käthe Kollwitz, thanks to SDW Daily Nourishment. I’ll be lingering over this poem and art throughout the day.

The Great Belonging Project

The Great Belonging Project: Day 11 (Because today’s date is November 11.)

A quote from The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other:

On many of these depressed days, I forced myself to grab my iPhone and earbuds, crank up the music, and go outside. After walking just one block, I was always more alert and had an improved outlook on life. With Beyonce’s lyrics and impressive range as my walking partners, I navigated the twenty-minute loop around my neighborhood, sometimes adding subtle dance moves along the way. Some studies show listening to music can release dopamine in our brains and improve vigor, while reducing depression, tension, and anger. I suppose there are worse ways to self-medicate than listening to R & B.

Announcements, Resources, & Recommendations

All paid subscribers here at Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls have access to Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls at least six times most weeks.

This week’s Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls Sessions:

Sunday, November 8: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Monday, November 9: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Monday, November 9: noon-1:15 p.m. CT
Tuesday, November 10: 7-8:15 p.m. CT
Wednesday, November 11: 7-8:15 p.m. CT
Friday, November 13: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Friday, November 13: 3-4:15 p.m. CT
Sunday, November 15: 6-7:15 p.m. CT

More legit announcements, resources, and recommendations coming soon.

For now, if you’re a writer with a soul, please buy my book. I think you’ll like it.

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, creativity coach, and faculty member for Alma College MFA’s spiritual writing pathway. Her writing and work have woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018), a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), and a life coach certification (2026), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sustainable and nourishing practices so they can make their art, do their work, and love their people.

A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in 2026. Some volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art —will also be published in the coming months.

As the founder of several initiatives—including Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Parenting with Art®, Belonging Through Art™, and Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™—Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Writer’s Digest, Literary Hub, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte’s latest work, news, and insights, subscribe to her Substack Weekly Roundup Series and visit Flourish Anyway®, Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.

Here’s a full list of Charlotte’s email offerings:

—Flourish Anyway® Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls Roundups go out most weeks. This replaces the former general update email newsletter sent via my charlottedonlon.com website.

In addition to this Substack Weekly Roundup, I have two more subscription options:

—Spiritual Direction for Writers® updates go out every week or two to people who have subscribed via spiritualdirectionforwriters.com and focus on SDW offerings, announcements, and other writerly things. You can subscribe here for all things SDW.

—Take More Retreats updates will start going out every Friday to people who have subscribed via takemoreretreats.com and will focus on Take More Retreats offerings, book announcements, and pitch and submissions windows. You can subscribe here for all things TMR.

Some of the headings below will appear in every Almost Daily Digest. Some will appear less often. Some might make a monthly appearance. I get to make the call. And I get to change my mind. So, who knows how well this paragraph will hold up.

Here’s What My Process Looks Like: I’m viewing this as an experiment that I’m trying for a few months or so. Maybe it will stick. Maybe it won’t. Anyone who has followed my work for more than a year knows that I often try new things and am always willing to quit them if they don’t work out as I prefer or if I realize I got too far ahead of myself. (It happens to the best of us.)

While working on these entries, I listen to good music and type up the things that have energy for me and pull together the links and whatnot. This is how I have fun. I don’t take recreational drugs. I play with ideas and put myself in the way of a ton of good art and good words. I am a dork but it’s fine.

This is also my work. This is literally what I do for 30-ish hours each week. I write. I meet with spiritual direction clients. I lead retreats and workshops. I edit manuscripts and book proposals. I provide helpful resources for people who care about faith, art, belonging, and the imagination. I try to promote and market my writing and work. I’m not very good at that part but I do it in ways that I enjoy which is so much better than doing it in ways that I don’t enjoy.

You may be thinking but Charlotte you do so much how do you do so much why are you doing this too now?

Like I said, this is my work. This is literally what I do for 30 hours or more each week.

My kids are grown and out of the house. This is huge. HUGE, I tell you.

My husband and I have a great marriage, so there’s rarely drama to process or energy that needs to go towards navigating marital strife. Tim brings me coffee every morning. He’s kind. He’s my best reader who says things like “I have no idea what that means. Most people won’t know what that means. You need to revise that.” He loves God. He’s never voted for Trump. I’m winning in this department, and I know this is a huge gift with regard to how much energy and capacity I have for my work and writing. I honestly don’t talk much about Tim and our marriage because it feels like I’m bragging. But damn did I score in this department.

I go to therapy regularly. I meet with my spiritual director regularly. I am in a really healthy place and I’m so freaking proud of myself for how I inhabited my book launch and book tour and the intensity of the past few months. As someone who lives with bipolar disorder, this is so important. If I were to have another manic episode, the past few months would’ve been a great time to have one. But I didn’t. I made choices that honored my body, mind, and soul. I did what I knew would help me stay healthy. And I returned to my book just about every day to remember those things that help me stay healthy. Because I am a human and because life doesn’t always unfold as we prefer, I had two pretty big book launch related freak outs (which were warranted!). I lost my shit, emoted all of the emotions, pulled myself back together, and did the next thing.

I have two or three hours of silence and solitude every day. Seriously.

I do my main nourishing rhythms most days and for some reason I end up with more time to do other things. I don’t know why but the time math gets weird when we give appropriate attention to our bodies, minds, and souls. Time expands. I don’t nourish myself so I can turn around and write or work or care for others. I nourish myself because I am a human and all humans are worthy of body, soul, and mind nourishment. BUT when I am nourished, it affects my energy and capacity and how much writing and work and caregiving I have time for.

Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment is so close to being self sustaining in a way that makes it so so so easy for people to access those offerings without me doing anything else. This is also huge. HUGE, I tell you. SDW Daily Nourishment is one of my most consistent, best, beloved offerings. I have been building this offering for five years.

So, one reason I can do this is because I have been doing stuff like this for so long. For so many years. And I have so much good stuff out there to share and offer to others who care about art, faith, belonging, and the imagination.

I don’t read a bunch of Substack newsletters or emails from others because I need to have a ton of silence and solitude and prefer to create my own stuff instead. And I prefer to read poetry or novels or whole memoirs. I prefer to watch good TV or not-so-good TV.

I am behind on so many things and I don’t feel bad about it. Maybe I should feel bad about it? I mean sometimes I feel bad. I’m not completely heartless. But here’s the thing. I’d rather publish Take More Retreats Volume One (and subsequent volumes) six months later than I initially planned than never publish Take More Retreats Volume One (and subsequent volumes).

Sometimes my brain works really fast which allows me to do a lot of work and writing in a short amount of time. I am able to harness that energy to do stuff like this. I am also able to harness my slower brain energy to do things like this. Listening to good music helps me do things like this when my brain is not at top speed. Good music makes just about everything better. (Right now I’m listening to Iron & Wine.)

Also I discovered Cook Unity. Or they discovered me. These meals are delicious. I order eight meals every couple of weeks so I have more time to do stuff like this. If you want to check out Cook Unity please use my referral code because I think I’ll get a credit or something. Cook Unity fed me well during those short periods of time in October in between all of the book launch things. I had more time on the sofa because I wasn’t cooking.

I am willing to try this and kill it later because I’m an adult and I cand kill it if I want. It might not always be fun but it could still be good. If it’s ever not fun AND not good, I’ll take a break and recalibrate.

Thanks for being here. Let’s dive in.

A Morning Ritual for Creative Souls

This section will always appear at the top of each Almost Daily Digest. You are invited to use this ritual, too, as a way to honor the beginning of a new day, as a way to begin again.

1. Light a candle.

2. Take three deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale.

3. Read a poem, quote, prayer, or religious text of your choice.

4. Sit in silence for a minute.

5. Write down three things that you want to give your attention to today.

6. Read a poem, quote, prayer, or religious text of your choice. You can use the same one as before or a different one.

7. Blow out the candle.

8. Do the next thing.

This week I’m beholding one of my favorite poems — “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo — during the opening of my morning ritual.

This week I’m using this Collect for Grace from the Book of Common Prayer for the end of my morning ritual:

A Collect for Grace:

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

While I’ve used this ritual for a couple of years, I have only recently added the element of making a list of three things I want to give my attention to.

My three main things for today are: 1. The follow-up email for those who attended the retreat this past Friday. 2. The resources for those who attended the Advent Mini Retreat this past Saturday. 3. A half hour or so of journaling and reflection on The Great Belonging: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life’s birthday. (Happy birthday, first book!)

Of course, there are a dozen other things I want or need to do but I can only do one thing at a time and I can only do so much while maintaining my sanity and overall sense of wellbeing. Maybe I’ll move a few other things forward today. Maybe I’ll fumble those three things mentioned above.

We’ll see.

It’s super important for me to honor my capacity and energy and nourish my body, mind, and soul instead of being in hustle mode. I haven’t been in hustle mode in years. Life’s too short to inhabit hustle mode.

Also, sometimes I wish I was super rich and could hire someone to work with me on all of these things. I keep telling God I’d definitely be a lovely, kind, reasonable super rich person who would be generous and support writers and artists with real money along with everything else but God has yet to make this happen.

Flourish Anyway® Today Reflection

Stay tuned for these almost daily reflections about flourishing anyway that are coming soon.
Today you get all of those words up top instead.

Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment Offering

November 10: When Writing Helps You Discover What You Know

“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” - Joan Didion

And here’s a quote from Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life on why we write:

One of the reasons we write is to belong...

When you write—and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a novel or a poem, a diary entry or a Substack note—you gain greater self- awareness and self- knowledge. You discover more commonalities between yourself and others. You discern a broader invitation into new and different realms of the world. You realize the divine is more present and approachable. Gaining a greater sense of belonging remains my first reason to write and continues to pique my curiosity when discussing this vocation and calling with others.

That said, belonging will never be the only reason to write. One reason Toni Morrison wrote was because she learned at a very early age about the power of words. Rebecca Solnit writes because she refuses to be silenced by others. Another reason I write is because I enjoy it. It’s fun.

Take More Retreats

This is one of the things I’m super behind on. The for real book launch for Take More Retreats Volume One is going to be in March. (The book can currently be purchased at takemoreretreats.com and a few select bookstores.) I’m currently accepting pitches and submissions for Take More Retreats Volumes Two, Three, and Four. I need to adjust those due dates because I’ll extend all of them because, like I said, I’m behind on this. I also want to send a weekly email with TMR updates to the TMR subscribers but I have not started that yet. Will I start this Friday? Maybe! Hopefully.

If you want to try a 40-minute Micro Solo Retreat, here’s a flow for you:

A Daily Dose of Art

Lee Krasner’s collages and a new book by Lauren Winner.

The Great Belonging Project

The Great Belonging Project: Day 10 (Because today’s date is November 10.)

I’ll share more on TGBP in the coming days! Love this project so much although the web version needs some tidying up. It’s also going to be another Guidebook for the Soul Series soon. (Or not so soon? We’ll see!)

Happy birthday again to The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. You are such a good little book that has bestowed beautiful things on your readers and me.

Announcements, Resources, & Recommendations

More legit announcements, resources, and recommendations coming soon.

For now, if you’re a writer with a soul, please buy my book. I think you’ll like it.

If anything I’ve shared is helpful or interesting please tap the heart at the top or bottom of this post. These things matter for those of us who want to keep writing books. More hearts for all!

1. Right Now(ish) >

>>> Our cold mornings are back, so daily fire time has returned. Sitting in silence during those early hours of the day is one of my most favorite things this time of year.

>>> I made a playlist of songs by Alabama artists on Election Day to pass the time and it worked. I love this playlist.

*

>>> SDW Stuff

A million gazillion thanks to everyone who’s provided a review of Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life.

If you’ve read the SDW book, could you please please please leave a review? I know everyone is exhausted but I’d appreciate any help in this area. Even one or two sentences (or just a rating) on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Barnes & Noble makes a real difference. You can post the same review on multiple sites.

2. Looking Forward >

>>> Lauren Winner’s new book, The Entangled Word: Keeping Company with Scripture Through the Church Year, is coming out this week. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is thoughtful about the church year or who’d like to be more so. (I’ll share more about this book soon!)

>>> Here’s a lovely poem that we used in yesterday’s Advent Mini Retreat with Wellspring Mother Artist Project for anyone who might want to prepare for and think through how they want to inhabit Advent.

The Risk of Birth
By Madeleine L’Engle

This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war and hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out and the sun burns late.
That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honor and truth were trampled to scorn—
Yet here did the Savior make His home.
When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn—
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.

>>> I am so close to catching up mailing all of the things that need to be mailed. To those of you who are waiting on mail, thanks so much for your patience. I am so bad at mailing the things.

>>> Here are the Co-Writing for Creative Souls Sessions for this week. These sessions are a perk for paid Substack subscribers. Learn more here.

Sunday, November 8: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Monday, November 9: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Monday, November 9: noon-1:15 p.m. CT
Tuesday, November 10: 7-8:15 p.m. CT
Wednesday, November 11: 7-8:15 p.m. CT
Friday, November 13: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Friday, November 13: 3-4:15 p.m. CT
Sunday, November 15: 6-7:15 p.m. CT

3. A Look Back >

>>> During the Advent Mini Retreat yesterday afternoon, everyone did a 20-minute micro solo retreat in the middle of our group mini retreat and here’s what some of the participants shared in the chat when I asked what they noticed and received during the 20-minute retreat:

“Shifting my belief from anxious anticipation to hopeful expectation.”

“I have everything I require, especially if I stop to receive it.”

“I don’t have to solve it all right now. What’s one step I can take?”

“Can I welcome what this advent may want to birth in me”

“Seeking and embracing stillness when it visits.”

“I’d like to reduce the outside noise in my life and spend more time in silence before God.”

“I desire more simplicity and emptiness around me in my daily environment.”

“Rest is possible even in little rich chunks and my ideas can take form and happen even in 20 minutes repeated each week.”

“To choose others in my quiet and hopeful attention.”

“To slow down enough to notice what I can consent to from God.”

“Taking time to behold is different than consuming something.”

“Resting, pausing is possible when I take a moment for it.”

“Connecting with nature creates sanctuary for me.”

How great is that?

>>> I highly recommend very short solo retreats—especially as a practice during the full holiday season. If you want to have a 40-minute solo retreat, try this flow:

10 Minutes: Move your body, walk, stretch, etc.
10 Minutes: Reread a portion of a favorite novel
10 Minutes: Write or journal about your desires and/or goals for the rest of 2026
5 Minutes: Check in with your body. Do you need a bit more movement? A cup of tea? A sandwich?
5 Minutes: Take notes on anything that comes to mind about this mini retreat

Here’s an excerpt from Take More Retreats Volume One about how I usually move through my micro retreats:

I take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and six-count exhale, read a prayer or poem aloud, and set my timer for 40 minutes. Then I do 10 minutes of reading, writing, walking, and praying. I close with a minute or so of silence and another prayer or poem. If I don’t have 40 minutes for a micro-retreat, I’ll use 20 minutes or 10 minutes to retreat. Ignoring everyone and everything else while giving myself what I need or want in the moment for any amount of time is always a good idea. How soon can you schedule a 40-minute micro solo retreat? Can you have one now? Later today? Tomorrow? If you’re able, start with some of my favorite basic nourishing rhythms: read, write, walk, and pray or meditate for 10 minutes each.

Buy Take More Retreats Vol 1

If you try the 40-minute micro solo retreat flow above, let me know how it went!

>>> Also. Let’s normalize taking our coffee for a walk around the block.

And that’s enough for now.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to nourish ourselves every single day. Thanks so much for being here!

💚 Charlotte

Subscribe now

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, creativity coach, and faculty member for Alma College MFA’s spiritual writing pathway. Her writing and work have woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018), a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), and a life coach certification (2026), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sustainable and nourishing practices so they can make their art, do their work, and love their people.

A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in 2026. Some volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art —will also be published in the coming months.

As the founder of several initiatives—including Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Parenting with Art®, Belonging Through Art™, and Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™—Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte’s latest work, news, and insights, subscribe to her Substack Weekly Roundup Series and visit Flourish Anyway®, Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.

Here’s a full list of Charlotte’s email offerings:

—Flourish Anyway® Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls Roundups go out most weeks. This replaces the former general update email newsletter sent via my charlottedonlon.com website.

In addition to this Substack Weekly Roundup, I have two more subscription options:

—Spiritual Direction for Writers® updates go out every week or two to people who have subscribed via spiritualdirectionforwriters.com and focus on SDW offerings, announcements, and other writerly things. You can subscribe here for all things SDW.

—Take More Retreats updates will start going out every Friday to people who have subscribed via takemoreretreats.com and will focus on Take More Retreats offerings, book announcements, and pitch and submissions windows. You can subscribe here for all things TMR.

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction, Belonging through Art™, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Charlotte Donlon, Spiritual Direction for Writers Book Launch, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment, Take More Retreats Volume One, 40-Minute Micro Solo Retreat, Music by Alabama Artists, The Entangled Word by Lauren Winner, Lauren F. Winner

The leaves are finally changing in Birmingham. Here’s something I posted on Substack Notes a few days ago about noticing the leaves along with a quote from the SDW book:

While driving to and from therapy this morning, I saw that the leaves are finally changing with some fall energy intensity here in Birmingham. They’re turning gold and red a…

Read more

My husband’s surgery went well on Friday. It was the most minor of all the procedures he’s had this year. He took a walk yesterday and doesn’t have a lot of pain. It’s so weird that most people who know him and work with him and see him often would never know about everything he’s had to deal with over the past couple of years. I guess that…

Read more

If anything I’ve shared is helpful or interesting please tap the heart at the top or bottom of this post. These things matter for those of us who want to keep writing books. More hearts for all!

In addition to the essay below that I wrote in 2020, the following resources will help you engage with All Saints’ Day and the liturgical year:

1. Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life has a lot of suggestions for inhabiting the church year and living a liturgical life.

2. The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other also has a lot of suggestions for inhabiting the church year and living a liturgical life.

3. Spiritual Direction for Writers® Free Daily Nourishment Offering: All Saints’ Day with Guidance from Lauren Winner

4. Spiritual Direction for Writers® Free Daily Nourishment Offering: All Souls’ Day with Guidance from Lauren Winner

5. Victoria Chang on memory and grief.

6. Here are four paintings of saints for you to sit with or use for visio divina using the questions below.

• Saint Francis of Paola (by Kehinde Wiley)

• St. Jerome (by Caravaggio)

• Saint Sebastian (by Euan Uglow)

• Saints Christina and Ottilia (by Lucas Cranach the elder)

The visio divina reflection questions below can be found in Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life:

• How do you feel while you’re looking at this art?

• What part of the image or object first captured your attention?

• How does the painting awaken your senses?

• How does the painting make you feel less lonely or more lonely?

• If you were in the image, where would you place yourself?

• What does the painting want to tell you about yourself, others, and the world around you?

• What thoughts and feelings does the painting stir in you?

• What worries arise?

• What longings surface?

• What memories come to mind?

I enter the nave of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church right before the service begins. I slip into the end of a pew beside a man I don’t know, surrounded by others I don’t know. I am younger than most of those present. I face a dozen or so women and one man who appear to be in their fifties and sixties in the pews opposite mine. The lights are dimmed, but the afternoon sun shines through stained-glass windows. Three windows on the wall in front of me depict scenes from Jesus’ life and ministry. A tall, brass candelabra in the center of the wooden chancel floor holds a single white candle, its flame flickering. The organist plays a prelude. No one stirs.

It was All Saints’ Day 2019, and I had come to sing hymns and recite prayers and remember those who had died. I had no idea that we were months away from a global pandemic that would affect millions of people across the world and take the lives of more than 215,000 Americans. I didn’t know my father would be one of those who died from complications of COVID-19. I didn’t know I would be adding him to the list of those whom I will remember on November 1, 2020.

My dad wasn’t Episcopalian or Anglican. For several years when I was growing up, my father, mother, brother, and I sat in the last row in the sanctuary balcony at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where my dad volunteered to oversee the sound system. Whenever we sang congregational hymns, he swayed slowly from side to side because he wasn’t great at standing still. I’d join him sometimes in his movement right to left, right to left, like human metronomes as we sang familiar hymns like “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “Amazing Grace.”

We sang those hymns while my dad was dying.

My mother, her sister, and my dad were in his hospital room in Panama City, Florida. My husband, children, and I called in from our home in Birmingham, Alabama. My brother and his family joined from their homes in distant parts of the country. Together, we cried, prayed, and sang. With broken hearts, we helped usher him into the everlasting. My dad was sedated and couldn’t respond to our tears, words, prayers, and songs, but the nurses and doctors told us he could hear us. We hoped he could hear us.

All of us who grieve loved ones who died in 2020 because of COVID-19 or any other reason carry a common sorrow. We share similar expressions of lament. We belong to each other in our grief.

The faith practices, prayers, and traditions of All Saints’ Day reinforce the theology of the communion of saints by reminding us that as members of the body of Christ, we belong to each other and to God in this life and beyond. This day reminds us of the truth of Romans 12:5, “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others,” and Ephesians 4:2–4: We must continue “bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called.”

A bulletin insert provided by The Episcopal Church explains how we set aside All Saints’ Day to “remember and commend the saints of God,” especially those who aren’t recognized at other points in the church year. Over time, All Saints’ Day came to be a day of remembrance and honor for the dead: “all Christians, past and present; all saints, known and unknown.” We sing hymns reserved for this day. One such hymn includes these lyrics: “Who are these like stars appearing, these before God’s throne who stand? Each a golden crown is wearing; who are all this glorious band? Alleluia! Hark, they sing, praising loud their heavenly King.” I love the image of the saints as stars and a heaven that’s brighter now than it was a year ago. The idea of a heaven that grows brighter every hour, every day takes away a bit of the sting of death.

The theology of the communion of saints and All Saints’ Day also sustains me in my grief. I read Scriptures, pray prayers, and recite creeds with members of my congregation and others around the world and know their moments of faith carry me when I’m unable to travel the road of suffering on my own. I hear about others who have lost loved ones this year, and I know I’m not weeping alone. My prayers ferry others when their enormous sense of loss interferes with their ability to believe God is still good. And their prayers ferry me.

All Saints’ Day reminds us that the gospel joins and connects those of us who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. The gospel and who we are in Christ proclaim we are children of God. And if we are all children of God, we are all siblings in God. We have the same spiritual DNA, the same family stories, and the same family name: Beloved. Regardless of whether or not we observe feast days and liturgical seasons from the church year, all Christians—all who have died, all who live, and all who are yet to be born—belong to each other as surely as we belong to our triune Lord.

The liturgy also gives me hope. Hope has been pretty hard to come by this year. But on this feast day, God reminds us of our ultimate destination. Having hope in the eventual full realization of the kingdom of God doesn’t take away our sorrow and grief, but it becomes a sort of comrade. It takes our hand and leads us toward what’s true. Yes, we have lost so much, and we will continue to experience loss. But we have also received good things, and we will continue to receive good things. In Christ, we receive God’s presence, comfort, love, grace, and mercy. We receive the ability to empathize and sympathize with others who are where we have been or where we are now. We receive assurance that this place we inhabit isn’t our final stop.

We might find comfort in one of the Scripture readings from All Saints’ Day on November 1, 2020 (which is also one of the readings for today, November 1, 2026). Revelation 7:13–17 (NRSV) speaks of our shared script and what will eventually become of all who are included in the cast. It sets the stage and outlines the plot:

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;

for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

When we are citizens of the new heaven and new earth, we will be united in ways that are no longer overflowing with mystery. We will receive permanent shelter from our God. Our appetites will be forever satisfied. Our thirst will be eternally quenched. Our Shepherd will guide us toward everlasting life. And all of our tears—including our tears of grief and lament for our loved ones who have died—will be wiped away.

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, creativity coach, and faculty member for Alma College MFA’s spiritual writing pathway. Her writing and work have woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018), a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), and a life coach certification (2026), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sustainable and nourishing practices so they can make their art, do their work, and love their people.

A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in 2026. Some volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art —will also be published in the coming months.

As the founder of several initiatives—including Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Parenting with Art®, Belonging Through Art™, and Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™—Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Brevity, Literary Hub, Writer’s Digest, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte’s latest work, news, and insights, subscribe to her Substack newsletter and visit Flourish Anyway®, Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.

Subscribe now

Key Words: All Saints’ Day, Essay by Charlotte Donlon, “I Lost My Dad to COVID-19. The Theology of All Saints’ Day Sustains Me”, Visio Divina, Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other, Charlotte Donlon Writer, Charlotte Donlon Spiritual Director, Fourish Anyway, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls

If anything I’ve shared is helpful or interesting please tap the heart at the top or bottom of this post. These things matter for those of us who want to keep writing books. More hearts for all!

1. Group Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls with The Threshold Center

Any time The Threshold Center invites me to lead anything, I say yes, of course.

Here’s what The Threshold Center believes about the importance of thresholds: “Thresholds are liminal spaces where we transition from one reality, one chapter, or one physical space to another. Some thresholds we anticipate, while others arrive unexpectedly.”

Group Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls is a nourishing break from the chaos with a sacred community of people who care deeply about personal and world turmoil AND want to show up for their ART, WORK, and RELATIONSHIPS anyway.

• You will leave the session with a greater sense of connection to yourself, others, your creativity, and the presence of the sacred

• You will be more comfortable navigating this world without letting its chaos take you off track from your personal desires and goals.

• You will be more prepared to embrace the Flourish Anyway® mindset through choosing small, real moments of flourishing even in hard seasons.

What to expect in a program session:

-Two participants will have a 15-minute 1:1 spiritual direction conversation with Charlotte with time to process with the group.

-We will engage with an intentional liturgy that includes silence, conversation, listening, encouraging, stillness, and togetherness

Dates and registration details:

• Three Online Sessions

  Nov 3, Nov 10, Nov 17

  1:00pm - 2:30pm (online)

• Registration is required. The fee is $99 and includes all 3 sessions. Scholarships are available.

• For details and to register, click here.

  ---

  Charlotte Donlon | Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

  ---

  2. Autumn Rhythms & Rituals: A Retreat for Creative Souls

Another offering with The Threshold Center is a 3-Hour Retreat taking place next Friday, November 6 from 9 a.m-noon.

Participants will explore rhythms for the season of autumn that sustain rather than deplete, rituals that cultivate meaning rather than mere habit, and retreat practices that make space for the creative work you long to do.

• Autumn Rhythms & Rituals: A Retreat for Creative Souls with Charlotte Donlon

  The contemplative writer Thomas Merton reminds us that “there is in all things an inexhaustible sweetness and purity, a silence that is a fount of action and joy.” What if autumn itself became our instructor? How might falling leaves, cooling afternoons, and lengthening evenings form and inform our creativity?.

What to expect in a program session:

• Each hour includes 20–30 minutes of contemplative practices, brief teaching, and group discussion

• We’ll behold poems, art, and music made by Birmingham writers, artists, and musicians as we explore what it means to live a sustainable, soulful creative life.

• The remaining 30–40 minutes are open for your own retreat rhythms

• Optional journaling and creative prompts provided

Dates and registration details:

• Nov 6 (9:00am–noon)

• Registration is required. The fee is $75 per person. Full and partial Scholarships are available.

• For details and to register, click here.

What to Bring:

Please bring a journal or notebook and a pencil or pen.

• Bring any creative work you may want to give time and attention to that can be done easily at a table.

• Bring headphones or airpods since some of the prompts might include listening to music.

• Wear comfortable clothing and bring whatever you need for an outdoor walk if you’d like to take one during the individual time.

Snacks and beverages will be provided.

• (Optional)Bring your lunch if you’d like something more filling and satisfying.

3. A FREE Session on Establishing Personal Rhythms for Group Retreats

I recently had a lovely conversation with Breelyn, the founder of RVA Readers and Writers, The Richmond, VA community of readers and writers that gathers to chat about books of all genres + meets to do all things book-ish. We hit it off immediately and concocted a 60-minute session that will meet online (while many book club members will be joining together from their retreat!). Our time together will help the retreatants prepare for their weekend retreat and help other particiapants be more thoughtful about how to care for themselves personally during any group experience, conference, retreat, etc.

Here are the details:

Establishing Personal Rhythms for Group Retreats with author Charlotte Donlon: Join us for a 60-minute session on how to inhabit group retreats and gatherings in ways that honor your body, mind, and soul. We’ll explore rhythms and rituals for rest and creative flourishing so you can receive good things and get the most out of your group retreat experience.

All are welcome to join us for this free gathering.

To register, you must first join RVA Readers and Writers via the Bookclubs website and platform. This link should take you there. Please let me know if you have technical difficulties.

Subscribe now

4. Becoming & Beholding: An Online Advent Mini Retreat for Mothers & Artists

During this 90-minute mini-retreat with Wellspring Mother Artist Project, I look forward to exploring Advent rhythms and rituals for creative souls and helping participants think about how to inhabit the season of Advent in ways that nourish their bodies, minds, souls, and creativity.

Also, everyone is welcome. I will make sure those who have a broader view of the work of care and spiritual mothering feel comfortable and included. We will also look at different stages of motherhood, including mothering and caring for adult children, etc.

Here are more details:

Are you longing for a meaningful, soulful Advent—but know that you usually get too caught up in the rush, chaos, and overwhelm of December? If you’ve ever set beautiful intentions for the season only to watch them unravel in the reality of busy schedules and endless to-do lists, you’re not alone. What if, this year, you could show up as you are and discover new ways to flourish in your creative practices and other areas of life, even when life feels far from peaceful?

Wellspring: A Mother Artist Project invites you to participate in a 90-minute online workshop led by Charlotte Donlon for mothers who want to Flourish Anyway® during Advent. Using Charlotte Donlon’s frameworks for spiritual direction, practices for belonging through art, and ideas from her new book, Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life, we will explore how you can nourish your heart, soul, and mind with rhythms, rituals, and a regular mini-retreat practice during Advent.

You will learn more about how to:
-Belong to Yourself, Others, God, and Your Creativity During Advent

-Become More of Who God’s Forming You to Be During Advent

-Behold More Goodness During Advent

-Bestow More Gifts, Beauty, and Creativity During Advent

DETAILS:

REGISTER HERE

WHEN: Sat, Nov. 7

TIME: 10-11:30am ET

WHERE: on Zoom

COST: sliding scale, $35-75

$75, includes a copy of Charlotte’s new book, Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life, as well as a full in the mail Wellspring Visio Divina kit

$50 includes a Visio Divina kit in the mail

$35 includes a digital Visio Divina kit

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, and gatherer whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging, artful encounters, and spiritual growth--even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018) and a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sanctuaries of acceptance and connection. In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in September 2026. Three volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art—will also be published in 2026 and 2027. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Writer’s Digest, Brevity, Lit Hub, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

We have a few new folks along for the ride, so I’m re-sending a version of this recent update. I want to make sure everyone has all the scoop for Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls sessions. Our next session is today and starts at 10 a.m. CT—in about 20 minutes.

I’m so thankful to have these windows of time to chat with people in th…

Read more

If anything I’ve shared is helpful or interesting please tap the heart at the top or bottom of this post. These things matter for those of us who want to keep writing books. More hearts for all!

1. Right Now(ish) >

>>> Tim and I saw You Can See Everything yesterday afternoon and OMG. I could’ve sat through several more hours of that situation. Whew. Highly recommend.

>>> I’m listening to the band Alabama again for the first time in several years. Here’s an IG post with some music thoughts and memories.

>>> I’m excited about the reading and conversation with poet Hallie Waugh tomorrow night here in Oklahoma City. I flew in today and look forward to our gathering! If you’re in the area you can register here.

>>> I am loving this painting that’s in the Roll Call: Two Hundred Years of Black American Art exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art. It’s Love by Mary Whitfield.

“Born in Birmingham, Mary Whitfield moved to Los Angeles with her family as a child. She began painting in the early 1970s, drawing inspiration from stories her grandmother shared about the American South. Whitfield often depicts faceless figures, suggesting both people she never met and stand-ins for broader experiences. In Love, a woman holds a baby as children gather nearby, capturing a quiet moment of care, family, and connection.”

*

>>> SDW Stuff
There’s lots of good stuff coming in the next few weeks—see below!

Cara Meredith was so kind to share a short chapter from the SDW book about bestowing through action.

Nicole Gulotta shared a lovely lovely lovely conversation she and I had about befriending time, belonging to creativity, and more for her Slow Writing podcast.

Also I had a great conversation with Kevin T. Johns last month on the spiritual side of beating writer’s burnout.

And I had another lovely conversation with Nicole Meier on creating a compassionate writing practice—even when you’re not writing.

And more podcast episodes are coming soon!

Can You Share a Book Reivew?
If you’ve read the SDW book, could you please please please leave a review? I know everyone is exhausted but I’d appreciate any help in this area. Even one or two sentences (or just a rating) on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Barnes & Noble makes a real difference. You can post the same review on multiple sites.

2. Looking Forward >

SO MUCH GOODNESS IS COMING SOON. Join us!

Nov 3, Nov 10, Nov 17: Group Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls (Birmingham & Online Options)

Nov 5 OR Nov 6: Autumn Rhythms & Rituals: A Retreat for Creative Souls (Birmingham)

Nov 7: Becoming & Beholding: An Online Advent Mini Retreat for Mothers & Artists

*
Here’s the schedule for Co-Working & Co-Writing for Creative Souls for this week. Please note the schedule is a little different due to my travel and work schedule this week. These sessions are a perk for paid Substack subscribers. Learn more here.

Sunday, October 25: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Monday, October 26: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Monday, October 26: noon-1:15 p.m. CT
Tuesday, October 27: 7-8:15 p.m. CT
Wednesday, October 28: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Wednesday, October 28: 10-11:15 a.m. CT
Thursday, October 29: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Sunday, November 1: 3-4:15 p.m. CT
Monday, November 2: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Monday, November 2: noon-1:15 p.m. CT
Monday, November 2: 7-8:15 p.m. CT

3. A Look Back >

Earlier this month, Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts hosted a mini-retreat with Dr. Natalie Carnes and me at the home of Dr. Lauren Winner.

For three hours, students, faculty, and staff gathered alongside Durham community members to explore their writing as an invitation to spiritual nourishment.

The evening included guided meditations, applied writing work, and visio divina exercises centered around visual art by Durham-based artist Ernie Barnes as well as lyrics from an Iron & Wine song with connections to Durham.

Here’s some feedback from a few participants:

“I loved the community of women sharing their creative processes together. The space was so beautiful and infinitely improved the event compared to if it was held in the divinity school.”

“This event met me at a most vulnerable time, creatively, physically, and spiritually. I felt safe and seen as a writer at the mini retreat.”

“The workshop allowed time for putting spiritual practices into action.”

“Good food, a beautiful house, people who were open, conversation, and books!”

Amen to all of that!

And that’s enough for now.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to nourish ourselves every single day. Thanks so much for being here!

💚 Charlotte

Subscribe now

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, creativity coach, and faculty member for Alma College MFA’s spiritual writing pathway. Her writing and work have woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018), a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), and a life coach certification (2026), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sustainable and nourishing practices so they can make their art, do their work, and love their people.

A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in 2026. Some volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art —will also be published in the coming months.

As the founder of several initiatives—including Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Parenting with Art®, Belonging Through Art™, and Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™—Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte’s latest work, news, and insights, subscribe to her Substack Weekly Roundup Series and visit Flourish Anyway®, Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.

Here’s a full list of Charlotte’s email offerings:

—Flourish Anyway® Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls Roundups go out most weeks. This replaces the former general update email newsletter sent via my charlottedonlon.com website.

In addition to this Substack Weekly Roundup, I have two more subscription options:

—Spiritual Direction for Writers® updates go out every week or two to people who have subscribed via spiritualdirectionforwriters.com and focus on SDW offerings, announcements, and other writerly things. You can subscribe here for all things SDW.

—Take More Retreats updates will start going out every Friday to people who have subscribed via takemoreretreats.com and will focus on Take More Retreats offerings, book announcements, and pitch and submissions windows. You can subscribe here for all things TMR.

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction, Belonging through Art™, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Charlotte Donlon, Spiritual Direction for Writers Book Launch, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment

The Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls have been so lovely this week. I’m so thankful to have these windows of time to chat with people in the Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls community, engage with the familiar liturgy, and catch up on a few things amid the busyness of the book launch events. Thanks so much for your presence …

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I’m so sorry I messed up my time zone math on Wednesday. I told myself to remember I’m an hour ahead. The Google calendar did that work for me, then I did the work too. So I was an hour late. I apologize to anyone who tried to join the Zoom on Wednesday night and eventually realized it wasn’t happening.

I had to change some things around due…

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I had some flight delays that resulted in an overnight stay in Detroit with a flight tomorrow morning instead of earlier tonight.

Below is our updated Co-Working & Co-Writing for Creative Souls schedule for this week. Please note some of this week’s sessions are at different times than usual due to my travel and work schedule.

Also, our 2-hou…

Read more

Below is our Co-Working & Co-Writing for Creative Souls schedule for this week. Please note some of this week’s sessions are at different times than usual due to my travel and work schedule.

Also, our 2-hour Saturday session this month will be on Saturday, October 24 from 10am-noon.

Join us!

Read more

Below is our Co-Working & Co-Writing for Creative Souls schedule for this week. Please note some of this week’s sessions are at different times than usual due to my travel and work schedule.

Also, our 2-hour Saturday session this month will be on Saturday, October 24 from 10am-noon.

Join us!

Read more

1. Right Now >

>>> Today is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Here’s today’s SDW Daily Nourishment with art, poetry, and reflection questions to help you explore how pets help you feel less alone.

>>> Below is a St. Francis-ish chapter from my first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.

Our Pets Who Bring Us Joy From The Great Belonging By Charlotte Donlon

2.82MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

>>> Here’s a lovely sermon by Amy Peterson.

>>> Here’s a painting by Joan Mitchell that she named after a beloved dog:

George Went Swimming at Barnes Hole, but It Got Too Cold, 1957

*

>>> SDW Stuff
There’s lots of good stuff coming from Spiritual Direction for Writers®, including a FREE Lament Writing Practice for Black Mothers from Tanya Davis. Read the most recent SDW email newsletter here for all the scoop.

>>> This Is Me Begging You To Post a Review of the SDW book
If you’ve read the book, could you please please please leave a review? I know everyone is exhausted but I’d appreciate any help in this area. Even one or two sentences (or just a star rating) on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Barnes & Noble makes a real difference. You can post the same review on multiple sites.

2. Looking Forward >

A few days ago I signed with a literary agent to represent me for the Art Friends book that’s in progress, and I’m so thankful for how all of this worked out.

His name is Don Pape. He invited me to discuss the SDW book with him for all of the writers he represents in August, and it was fantastic. (You can watch that Zoom gathering here if you want!)

Through the interactions I had with him as we prepared for the Zoom conversation and followed up afterwards, I was able to see a bit about how he approaches his work and really liked his vibe and his focus on community. So I sent him a query letter and book proposal in late August. We had a Zoom call on Thursday that went really well, and here we are. I’m really excited about doing the book proposal tweaks he suggested and moving through the next steps with Art Friends.

*
Here’s the schedule for Co-Working & Co-Writing for Creative Souls for the coming week. Please note the schedule is a little different due to my travel and work schedule this week. These sessions are a perk for paid Substack subscribers. Learn more here. (I’ll send the Zoom link and a reminder to our private group chat later tonight!)

Monday, October 5: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Monday, October 5: noon-1:15 p.m. CT
Tuesday, October 6: 7-8:15 p.m. CT
Wednesday, October 7: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Thursday, October 8: 3-4:15 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 10: 10-11:15 a.m. CT

3. A Look Back >

Several Decembers ago, I had a pretty significant encounter with the poem “When You Return” by Ellen Bass and, as of today, you can read about that experience over at Feminism and Religion.

*
Also. Four or so years ago we began saying a few sentences together at the end of SDW Co-Writing Sessions. We continue to say these words together at the end of the Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls Sessions. These three sentences always give me a little burst of gladness. Maybe they’ll do the same for you:

May we remember our sources of gladness and joy.
May we receive plenty of gladness and joy.
May we be consoled in the secret symmetry of our souls.
(h/t to John O’Donohue for that last line.)

That’s enough for now.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to nourish ourselves every single day. Thanks so much for being here!

💚 Charlotte

Subscribe now

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, creativity coach, and faculty member for Alma College MFA’s spiritual writing pathway. Her writing and work have woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018), a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), and a life coach certification (2026), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sustainable and nourishing practices so they can make their art, do their work, and love their people.

A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Here Below Books published Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in 2026. Some volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art —will also be published in the coming months.

As the founder of several initiatives—including Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Parenting with Art®, Belonging Through Art™, and Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™—Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte’s latest work, news, and insights, subscribe to her Substack Weekly Roundup Series and visit Flourish Anyway®, Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.

Here’s a full list of Charlotte’s email offerings:

—Flourish Anyway® Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls Roundups go out most weeks. This replaces the former general update email newsletter sent via my charlottedonlon.com website.

In addition to this Substack Weekly Roundup, I have two more subscription options:

—Spiritual Direction for Writers® updates go out every week or two to people who have subscribed via spiritualdirectionforwriters.com and focus on SDW offerings, announcements, and other writerly things. You can subscribe here for all things SDW.

—Take More Retreats updates will start going out every Friday to people who have subscribed via takemoreretreats.com and will focus on Take More Retreats offerings, book announcements, and pitch and submissions windows. You can subscribe here for all things TMR.

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction, Belonging through Art™, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Charlotte Donlon, Spiritual Direction for Writers Book Launch, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment, SDW Book

Join us!

Monday, September 28: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Monday, September 28: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Wednesday, September 30: 6-7:15 p.m. CT
Friday, October 2: 7-8:15 a.m. CT
Friday, October 2: 3-4:15 p…

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1. Right Now >

I keep re-reading the poem “Autumn” by Grace Paley so I used it in today’s Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment offering: Autumn Again with a Poem by Grace Paley

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Because I’m behind on so many things, I’ve decided to work on stuff as I have energy and just begin again in the middle of wherever I am however many times necessary until I catch up. (See “Begin Where You Are” AND “Begin Again Through Returning” in Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life in case you want to see how the book applies to my real life every damn day.)

Today I had energy to publish THREE(3!) Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkups.

And yesterday I had energy to fill in all of the SDW Daily Nourishment holes. How great is that?

Maybe one day soon I’ll have energy to do another mailing. (If you are an SDW Insider and I now have your mailing address, or if you are not an SDW Insider but you’re also waiting for something from me via USPS, please know I’m trying to get to the post office this week. Fingers crossed! I apologize for the delay.)

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NEW: As I mentioned above, we have THREE(3!) NEW Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkups:
> > > Hannah Rowen Fry on More Belonging, Less Empire, and Feel-Good Shows with an Ounce of Cynicism: Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series No. 5

> > > Kortney Garrison on Late Summer Produce, a Prayer Practice, Bruce Cockburn’s Charity of Night, and More : Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series No. 6

> > > Jenna K. Funkhouser on The Space Beyond Words, Finding Home, More Spaciousness, and Less Preoccupation: Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series No. 7

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has participated! If you’d like to participate, please complete this Google form.

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THE SDW BOOK
Did you know I have a new book out? I do!

Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life will help you have a nurturing creative practice that enables you to make your art, do your work, love your people, AND move your book manuscript forward (or give attention to your other big creative projects!) without losing your mind or soul by:

✔️embracing your writerly identity
✔️honoring your full self
✔️believing All of Life Is the Writing Life
✔️establishing nourishing rhythms
✔️practicing meaningful rituals
✔️having more (doable + affordable) solo retreats

Here are some things you can do to support this book (and me!):

• Read the book and write a review. Even one or two sentences (or just a star rating) on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Barnes & Noble makes a real difference. You can post the same review on multiple sites.

• Tell five people. Word-of-mouth is still the most powerful publicity there is, especially for a non-famous author. A personal recommendation means more than any ad.

• Use my book at your book club and/or writing group. If you’re part of a book club, library gathering, or community group, I’d be happy to visit virtually or in person.

• Post a photo with the book or a reel about your comments and tag me @charlottedonlon on Instagram, Threads, Facebook, or Substack.

• Come see me in person! I’d love to sign a copy for you at one of my upcoming events in Durham, Memphis, or Oklahoma City.

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AND FOR YOUR ONLINE PERUSAL…

I wrote about three books that made Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life possible. You can read about those three books here:

Here Below Books

The Writing (and Reading) Life

New and Forthcoming from Here Below…

Read more

2 months ago · 5 likes · Here Below Books

2. Looking Forward >

I’m excited to be a member of the Alma College MFA faculty for their new Spiritual Writing pathway.

More personal thoughts and details coming soon right here in this Substack newsletter.

For now, here’s scoop on how to learn more about an upcoming virtual open house:

For anyone who’s interested in learning more about the Alma College MFA in Creative Writing program and the new Spiritual Writing pathway, please join us for a virtual open house on November 19 at 7pm ET.

You can learn more about all of Alma College MFA’s new pathways and register for the virtual open house gatherings here.

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AND.

It is such an honor to do this work with those who have gathered around Spiritual Direction for Writers® over the past several years.

And I’m excited to continue enlarging the circle with Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, the broader spiritual direction framework I use to support writers, artists, professors, pastors, therapists, and other thoughtful people who want to pay attention to their creativity and soul while navigating the real demands of everyday life.

Please note this Flourish Anyway® Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls Roundup will be the only weekly newsletter I have for now. The SDW and Take More Retreats email newsletters will go out once or twice a month moving forward.

Learn more about Group Chats & Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls here.

I’m loving the group chats and Co-Working + Co-Writing sessions!

Become a paid subscriber to enter the chat, join us for Co-Working & Co-Writing for Creative Souls, and connect with others who care about encounters with art, faith, doubt, and mystery.

Subscribe now

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ALSO.

The Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner is leading a retreat near at Lake Logan near Asheville Oct 2-3. Learn more about A Sparked Imagination: A Retreat for Creatives and register for the retreat here.

3. A Look Back >

I really wish I had more time and energy to reflect on the past few weeks since the book has entered the world. But I have to be super intentional about rest and downtime right now, so I’m not pushing myself to do more than I can handle.

But I re-read the section below from the SDW book earlier today as I was desiring more time for personal reflection and was reminded that Angela of Foligno waited a whole year before reflecting on an important event. I really don’t want to wait a year to reflect on the past few weeks, but I will if I need to.

For now, I wait. I do one thing at a time. I begin again right in the middle of where I am. And I keep trying to get plenty of rest, too. (Because I live with bipolar disorder and mania is not an option right now. Also, it’s just nice to inhabit a book launch and book tour events and whatnot without losing your mind and soul, even if you don’t live with a mental illness diagnosis.)

Also, sometimes I wish I had a personal scribe!

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An Excerpt from the “Behold Through Reflection” chapter in Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life

Every significant writing experience and spiritual encounter deserves to be witnessed and integrated through intentional reflection. Whether you’ve just completed a weekend workshop, emerged from a weeklong retreat, finished writing a memoir, or are getting closer to being done reading this book, taking time to reflect on what you’ve learned and received allows you to savor insights that might otherwise be lost. We are usually too quick to move on to the next thing without pausing to ponder what we just wrapped up. Some experiences might need a half hour or maybe even a few slow days of reflection to uncover their underlying meanings like letting tea steep to release its full flavor.

A full year passed before Angela of Foligno, a Franciscan penitent who lived in the latter part of the thirteenth century, began an intense season of reflection about a spiritual experience with a scribe and collaborator called “Brother A” in her writings.1 Brother A had witnessed Angela’s intense public display of grief during her pilgrimage to the Basilica of Saint Francis when she lost profound consolation and intimate presence of the Trinity and transitioned into the difficulty of desolation and divine absence. Angela caused such an emotional disturbance in the basilica that the friar asked her to leave and return to Foligno. Months later, when Brother A was reassigned to Foligno, he tracked down Angela and asked her to explain what had caused the shrieks and cries during her time in Assisi. Thus began Angela’s process of sustained reflection, as well as a collaboration with Brother A, who served as her scribe and confidant. The writings eventually made their way to various communities and individuals, providing spiritual nourishment to many. According to Diane V. Tomkinson, “Angela became a revered spiritual teacher for other friars and penitents who gathered around her in the decade or so prior to her death in 1309.”

Her words are still studied today, and several people have noted the spiral nature of her prayers and overall journey. Tomkinson observes, “The intrinsic spiral pattern of Angela’s prayer offers a vision of Christian spirituality in which loving relationship with God cannot be separated from right relationship with all other creatures, each of which is valued as a particular expression of the infinite All Good.” Brother A’s curiosity and questions prompted Angela to reflect and record her spiritual insights that have encouraged many throughout several generations. The account of her mystical prayers and intimate divine encounters provides a “distinctive spirituality of communion that offers a fruitful pattern for contemporary pilgrims.”

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That’s enough for now.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to nourish ourselves every single day. Thanks so much for being here!

💚 Charlotte

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Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, and gatherer whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging, artful encounters, spiritual growth, and how to Flourish Anyway®, even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018), a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), and a life coach certification (2026), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sanctuaries of acceptance and connection.

A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life is slated for release by Here Below Books in September 2026. Some of volumes of Charlotte’s “Guidebooks for the Soul”—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art —will also be published in the coming months.

As the founder of several initiatives—including Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Parenting with Art®, Belonging Through Art™, and Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™—Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.

For those interested in staying updated on Charlotte’s latest work, news, and insights, subscribe to her Substack Weekly Roundup Series and visit Flourish Anyway®, Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.

Here’s a full list of Charlotte’s email offerings:

—Flourish Anyway® Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls Roundups go out most weeks. This replaces the former general update email newsletter sent via my charlottedonlon.com website.

In addition to this Substack Weekly Roundup, I have two more subscription options:

—Spiritual Direction for Writers® updates go out every week or two to people who have subscribed via spiritualdirectionforwriters.com and focus on SDW offerings, announcements, and other writerly things. You can subscribe here for all things SDW.

—Take More Retreats updates will start going out every Friday to people who have subscribed via takemoreretreats.com and will focus on Take More Retreats offerings, book announcements, and pitch and submissions windows. You can subscribe here for all things TMR.

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction, Belonging through Art™, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Charlotte Donlon, Spiritual Direction for Writers Book Launch, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls, Kortney Garrison, Hannah Rowen Fry, Jenna K. Funkhouser, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment, SDW Book, SDW Book Launch, We Need More Reflection, Here Below Books

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Jenna’s Links:

jennafunkhouser.com

1. How do your creativity and spiritual life help you belong to yourself, others, your places, and the divine?

   To me, both poetry and spirituality attempt to clothe with words what is beyond words. In this way, it's hard to imagine trying to separate their influence within me: this practice of attentiveness to others and the world. Places exist within us beyond words: grief, awe, hope, joy. The more we welcome both our sacred unknowableness and our deep belovedness, the more we can respond to ourselves, others, and other places with a hospitality and curiosity of belonging.

2. How have your creative expressions and spiritual practices helped you become more of your full self?

   Both of these practices have taught me attentive witness, curiosity, holding space for both/and, and I suppose a sense of attunement towards the world and others outside of my normal patterns of assumptions and language. Beyond this, it seems to me that we don't just shape our creative work: it shapes us. We write not just because we have something to say, but to find the thought we wouldn’t say without our searching. We write to teach ourselves what we know, circling again and again around the catch in the thread of our being in the world, believing the question can only be answered in the asking. In the same way, the regularity of a spiritual practice is meant to make us more and more deeply at home in the world and in ourselves, finding doorways in everything.

3. What do you behold regularly that nourishes your creative soul? (Nature, art, music, TV shows, etc?)

   I try to get out for a walk each day in my neighborhood - I love the blend of nature and community I briefly join on those strolls. Nature is an incredible healer, but there's also something beautiful about being reminded that I am part of this vast ecosystem of humankind, with all our gorgeousness and foibles. I also spend time each week with another writer or artist with whom I feel some sense of kinship - whether it's a good novel, another poet, a sculptor or painter, an anthropologist or a mystic. My last poetry collection was primarily ekphrastic, and in a way that is how I try to encounter the world.

4. What good things are you bestowing on yourself, others, your places, and the broader world?

   I hope the words I write; but along with that, the self it forms me into.

5. What do you want more of for your creativity and spiritual life?

   Spaciousness

6. What do you want less of for your creativity and spiritual life?

   Preoccupation
   

7. Is there anything else that you'd like to share that defines or represents this current season for you creatively and spiritually?

   My next poetry collection titled "Selves / Seeds" is so amazingly aligned with some of these questions, I was tempted to quote from poems to answer them. It releases in early 2027 from Kelsay Books and is the fruit of a several-year journey tracing the luminous, equally among awe and grief.
   
   Thank you for the chance to ponder these questions - I look forward to reading how others have responded!

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Learn about the purpose of the Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series here. And if you’d like to participate and be featured in this series, please complete this Google form. I’ll reach out within a week or so to let you know when your checkup responses will be published.

Want to Connect with Other Creative Souls & Feel Less Alone in Your Creative Practice?

Become a paid subscriber to participate in Group Chat for Creative Souls with at least three prompts and facilitated group chats each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

AND

Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls at least five times each week. Co-Working + Co-Writing schedules will be sent out every Sunday for the upcoming week.

Learn more here.

Thank for being here. Please let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com but know it may take a week or so for me to respond. This is a lovely and full season for me, but I also need a lot of rest, solitude, and breaks from email.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to reflect on our creativity and spiritual life.

💚 Charlotte

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Director, Creativity Coach, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Belong Become Behold Bestow, Art and Faith, Art Faith Mystery, Jenna K. Funkhouser, Spacious Spirituality, Poetry, Poetry and Faith

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Kortney’s Links:

kortneygarrison.com
Substack
Instagram

1. How do your creativity and spiritual life help you belong to yourself, others, your places, and the divine?

   I have been putting up late summer produce: roasting Hatch chile peppers and freezing them to add to soup all winter, picking plums from neighborhood trees and making jam, making freezer meals for busy winter dinners.
   
   This work connects me to the bioregion where I live, to time and the shifting seasons, to my family and all the ways we care for each other, and strangely enough to my creative work. All the time I spend prepping meals now is paid back tenfold during the coming seasons when my attention will be more scattered.

2. How have your creative expressions and spiritual practices helped you become more of your full self?

   My first full length poetry collection is coming out. It’s named The Fixed Hours, for the monastic practice of prayer at fixed times throughout the day. I have been trying to say an office everyday this summer–just 1 not 7! I am keeping this rule very haphazardly. But even so, it is a way to stay connected to the new book as I wait for the publication date.

3. What do you behold regularly that nourishes your creative soul? (Nature, art, music, TV shows, etc?)

   I live pretty far north, and it stays light late all summer. Last night before bed we put on an album (Bruce Cockburn’s Charity of Night), and it was dark enough to light candles. I’m looking forward to lighting candles at dinner.

4. What good things are you bestowing on yourself, others, your places, and the broader world?

   My daughter is returning to college, my son is starting his first job as a dishwasher, and my 13 year old has started taking showers without me hounding him. Glory be!

5. What do you want more of for your creativity and spiritual life?

   Sleep! I often don't sleep very well. If I’m up at night, that means my morning writing will be shorter. Last night I slept till 6 am, and I feel like I could take on anything! It’s only 6:45 though, so I should probably pace myself!

6. What do you want less of for your creativity and spiritual life?

   Worry that I am not doing enough. I have strong rhythms and routines that support both my work as a home educator and my writing practice. I can attend to those knowing that good things will come. Even when progress is slower than I would like.
   

7. Is there anything else that you'd like to share that defines or represents this current season for you creatively and spiritually?

   The season feels very much in flux–school is starting, the light is changing, but it’s still warm. The demands on my time will soon take an uptick. I am looking forward to an at-home retreat this week. So the season is whispering, Almost, almost!

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Learn about the purpose of the Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series here. And if you’d like to participate and be featured in this series, please complete this Google form. I’ll reach out within a week or so to let you know when your checkup responses will be published.

Want to Connect with Other Creative Souls & Feel Less Alone in Your Creative Practice?

Become a paid subscriber to participate in Group Chat for Creative Souls with at least three prompts and facilitated group chats each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

AND

Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls at least five times each week. Co-Working + Co-Writing schedules will be sent out every Sunday for the upcoming week.

Learn more here.

Thank for being here. Please let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com but know it may take a week or so for me to respond. This is a lovely and full season for me, but I also need a lot of rest, solitude, and breaks from email.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to reflect on our creativity and spiritual life.

💚 Charlotte

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Director, Creativity Coach, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Belong Become Behold Bestow, Art and Faith, Art Faith Mystery, Kortney Garrison, Kortney Garrison Poet

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Hannah’s Links:

hannahrowenfry.com
Instagram
Facebook

1. How do your creativity and spiritual life help you belong to yourself, others, your places, and the divine?

   Creativity is how I bear the image of the God who made me. It's through creative practices that I can, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, return to my faith and embrace the truth of God about him, myself, and others.

2. How have your creative expressions and spiritual practices helped you become more of your full self?

   For me, creativity is a spiritual practice. It's one of the things I can control in a world where there's so much beyond my influence. Focusing on what I can control helps me better understand how to navigate the things I can't, and ultimately helps me better understand my place in the world. Like when I stand on the edge of the ocean, I feel appropriately big and small at the same time. I know the role I play. I become more grateful for my life.

3. What do you behold regularly that nourishes your creative soul? (Nature, art, music, TV shows, etc?)

   The warmth of the sun, the feeling of grass on my feet, noticing the many shades of green that exist in one field. Working in spaces full of energy, like planes, trains, and airports, neighborhood coffee shops, museums and art galleries, and any happy hour bar before the dinner rush begins. Feel-good shows with at least an ounce of cynicism, like Derry Girls, Ted Lasso, and any of Adam Sandler's movies. Feel-good music with at least an ounce of cynicism, like Taylor Swift.

4. What good things are you bestowing on yourself, others, your places, and the broader world?

   Simplicity, both as a spiritual practice and a lifestyle. For me, this looks like giving permission where it's needed, and correcting a lot of harmful or unclear theology that plagues Christian culture.

5. What do you want more of for your creativity and spiritual life?

   I'm grateful to have multiple spaces of belonging in my life, communities of misfits and curious folks. Knowing I'm not alone is what I want for myself and others.

6. What do you want less of for your creativity and spiritual life?

   Empire, systemic oppression, for people to feel alone.
   

7. Is there anything else that you'd like to share that defines or represents this current season for you creatively and spiritually?

   n/a

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Learn about the purpose of the Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series here. And if you’d like to participate and be featured in this series, please complete this Google form. I’ll reach out within a week or so to let you know when your checkup responses will be published.

Want to Connect with Other Creative Souls & Feel Less Alone in Your Creative Practice?

Become a paid subscriber to participate in Group Chat for Creative Souls with at least three prompts and facilitated group chats each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

AND

Co-Working + Co-Writing for Creative Souls at least five times each week. Co-Working + Co-Writing schedules will be sent out every Sunday for the upcoming week.

Learn more here.

Thank for being here. Please let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com but know it may take a week or so for me to respond. This is a lovely and full season for me, but I also need a lot of rest, solitude, and breaks from email.

Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway and take some time to reflect on our creativity and spiritual life.

💚 Charlotte

Key Words: Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Flourish Anyway®, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Director, Creativity Coach, Spiritual Direction for Creative Souls™ Checkup Series, Belong Become Behold Bestow, Art and Faith, Art Faith Mystery, Hannah Rowen Fry, More Belonging, Less Empire