The exercises below outline ways in which to connect art, music, poetry and outreach in your writing and spiritual growth.
1) Create a spiritual time-line, or map. Depending on how you think, you may want to write a list, or draw a map with the twists and turns represented, with symbols and perhaps a key and some color.
2) Listen to a piece of music and respond. It may be different than you typically listen to, something new. If you are interested in feelings, you may want to listen to non-vocal music. You might also want to listen to different versions of the same piece of music, such as Handel’s Messiah. You could also paint, or use colors to explore your feelings to the music.
3) Represent, either by drawing or sculpting, one or more of the gifts that God has given you. You could also explore the question, “What did God make specifically for you to enjoy, completely for your benefit?” Write about your experience of creating a representation of God’s creation.
4) Draw an icon of someone in the Communion of Saints who is important to you. As an alternative, you could study a Russian or Greek icon, and respond in writing.
*5) Father Bob Gilroy, SJ, whose art is used throughout this site, has a lovely site “Prayer Windows,” where he outlines different activities you can explore to use art as prayer. You could follow his suggestions, and then follow up the experiences in a journal. You could also follow his “retreat” in a “journal retreat.” His art is available at Trinity Stores.
https://www.trinitystores.com/store/artist/Bob-Gilroy
6) Write a letter, with pen and paper, to someone you have not connected to in a while, or someone you don’t typically write to. Alternatively, write a thank you note.
7) “Pilgrim,” an on-line, Catholic, literary journal posts poetry, articles and art. Respond to any of the art or articles that grab you.www.pilgrimjournal.com/
© 2012 Marilyn MacArthur, all rights reserved
Writing to Pray 