One Quote + One Note + One Question January 21, 2024
One Quote
Do you ever wonder if it’s all a huge waste of time? It’s not. Trust me. I have seen (and experienced!) what happens when people don’t honor their creativity. That book you’ve been stealing time to write in the spaces between your day job and family responsibilities and all of the other roles you fulfill day after day will probably not be a breakout bestseller, but the creative work you’re doing still matters. Yes. It’s true. Your art matters.
-Charlotte Donlon
*
One Note
Sometimes making art can feel like a huge waste of time. But I’m more convinced than ever that it matters.
All of it matters. The creative process. The art we make that no one knows about. The art we make that a few people know about. How making art transforms us. The lessons we learn when we don’t make the art we need to make.
Until next time,
Charlotte
*
One Question
When do you catch yourself wondering if something you love to do is a huge waste of time and how do you respond?
*
Charlotte Donlon’s writing and work are always rooted in helping her readers, audience, and clients notice how art and other good things help them belong to themselves, others, the divine, and the world. Charlotte is the founder of Thoughtful Books Etc.™, One O’Clock Central, Spiritual Direction for Writers® , Spiritual Direction for Belonging™, and Parenting with Art™. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Her next book on Spiritual Direction for Writers will be published by Eerdmans in 2025. Charlotte’s essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and a certificate in spiritual direction. To receive Charlotte’s latest updates, news, announcements, and all kinds of good things, subscribe to Thoughtful Readers Etc. + Five Good Things.