Kortney Garrison is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Elemental and Every Broken Year. She lives at the confluence of the Willamette River and the mighty Columbia where she homeschools her children and teaches humanities. Her new collection, called The Fixed Hours, is forthcoming from Fernwood Press.
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Kortney’s Links:
kortneygarrison.com
Substack
Instagram
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.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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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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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