What a joy it was to return to General Theological Seminary in New York City last weekend. Our family lived there for three years while Kevin completed his Masters of Divinity. From 2004 - 2007 Emily and Margaret attended Public School #11 in our neighborhood, learned to read a map in Central Park and rode the subway with ease. I frequented the Met and MoMA, painted and collaged with old prayerbooks and figured out how to get groceries without a car. We ALL learned a lot - about ourselves, about the Episcopal Church, about living in small oasis in the midst of a big city.
Last fall at a GTS alumni gathering, I showed my visual journals to a friend who now works there. I told her how meaningful and cathartic the process has been for me and we thought it might be a good fit for the GTS Center for Christian Spirituality. I visited and talked to the Deans and TaDa! I became an adjunct professor!!
Last fall at a GTS alumni gathering, I showed my visual journals to a friend who now works there. I told her how meaningful and cathartic the process has been for me and we thought it might be a good fit for the GTS Center for Christian Spirituality. I visited and talked to the Deans and TaDa! I became an adjunct professor!!
Visual Journaling as a Spiritual Practice is a one credit course with three required books (Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon, Journal Fodder 365 by Eric M. Scott and David R. Modler, and Spirit Taking Form: Making a Spiritual Practice of Making Art by Nancy Azara.) It centers around a 3-day weekend intensive session that involves discussion and mixed media work inspired by specific prompts. Students wrote an essay before our weekend together that responded to this quote by John Updike: What art offers is space, a certain breathing room for the Spirit. They also have new prompts and have to complete a new journal page each week until May.
We discussed the value of using the arts in personal spiritual practice, in conjunction with liturgy, for spiritual direction, or as a congregational activity.
I'm happy to say that I think I converted my first class of Art Evangelists!
I'm happy to say that I think I converted my first class of Art Evangelists!