One Quote + One Note + One Question January 8, 2024
One Quote
Catherine Repko’s body of work focuses on childhood memories with her three sisters. Much of her work channels feelings of nostalgia, which may at times be, as she puts it, “missing something that wasn’t even ever there.”
- Catherine Ricketts, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment for Monday, January 8, 2024
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One Note
Last night, while I was preparing the email with the SDW Daily Nourishment offerings from Catherine Ricketts for today, I appreciated her attention to nostalgia and exploration of Repko's words—that nostalgia is "missing something that wasn't even ever there." I watched the video of Repko in her studio that Ricketts shared in the "Want More?" section, in which Repko speaks about her work, inspiration, and the desire to find meaning in hazy memories connected to her source material while also creating something "new that is completely mythologized."
I took 15 minutes this morning to do today's Pause, Prompt, and Practice. I looked at both works of Repko's art that Ricketts linked to, and then I answered these three questions from Ricketts:
- What do these paintings make you feel?
The paintings make me feel curious. I want to know what the characters are doing, seeing, thinking, feeling. I want to know what the girl with the braid is contemplating. And why do I think she's contemplating something? The first painting and its title make me think of strawberries. The second painting and its title make me think of a father telling a story with his family gathered around listening, adoring him and his stories.
- What do these paintings make you remember?
The first painting makes me remember feelings of childhood loneliness. The girl with the braid does that, mainly because her back is to me. She is unknown and unseen. The second painting reminds me of childhood holiday gatherings, with relatives telling stories, joking, and laughing.
- What do these paintings make you long for?
The first painting makes me long for more knowing and more being known. The second painting makes me long for more gatherings with people who like to tell stories.
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At One O'Clock Central this afternoon, I will sit at my kitchen table and write a letter to my childhood friend Kellie. I will write about how I miss weekends at the lake with her family.
Sleep was always easy at the lake.
And there was that time we were sitting on the porch swing in the dark and listening to the radio when we heard the song "Red Red Wine" for the first time, and we looked at each other and knew it was a moment; this moment of being together on that night in that place and hearing that strange and catchy song for the very first time.
But I just looked it up, and now I know that UB40's "Red Red Wine" came out in 1983, and that night on the porch, that moment with the song happened in 1988 or 1989. Or was it more like 1987? So, maybe the song was UB40's "Love Shack," or perhaps it was a different song. Or there wasn't a song? Or. I may have gone to the lake with Kellie in 1983 once or twice, although most of my visits happened from 1986 to 1989.
I know this much: There was a particular night. There was a specific song. And we were both there.
Until next time,
Charlotte
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One Question
What do you miss right now that may not have ever been there?
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One Link to Sign Up for SDW Daily Nourishment
One Link One More Time to See Today’s Daily Nourishment Email
One Link for More Information about Catherine Ricketts
One Link for the January 27 Online Seminar for Moms Who Write
Please note all are welcome to register. There will be sessions for all caregivers and for people who have suffered lament and loss around motherhood and parenthood. Recordings will be available for everyone who registers. There are paid and free options. More details coming soon for my vision and hopes for this gathering.
One Link for the Thoughtful Readers Gatherings Where You Can Sign Up for the May 5 Event Featuring Cathering Ricketts and Her First Book
There are free and paid options for this gathering, too.
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 was The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Her next book on Spiritual Direction for Writers will be published by Eerdmans in 2024 or 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.