Contemplative Practice: Divine Drawing
This contemplative practice for divine drawing is inspired by a chapter from Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. The chapter is titled “Drawing What’s in Front of Us,” and it’s in the “Belonging to Our Places” section of the book.
You can also listen to Charlotte guide you through this exercise in her guest appearance on episode 31 of the Creative and Free podcast.
Divine Drawing
Needed: Pencil/pen, a few sheets of paper(blank is preferable)
Time Required: Take 20-30 minutes to complete this exercise.
Reminder: Pray as you do this exercise and try to notice your surroundings.
Write down seven things that you see right now.
Write down seven colors that you see right now.
Write down seven words that come to mind while noticing and giving attention to surroundings.
Write down three memories that come to mind that are connected to the space you are inhabiting.
—If in a new space, free write for a few moments.
—If nothing comes to mind, write “I don’t know” continuously until something comes to mind.
Take a few deep breaths.
Ask God to show you what you need to see right now.
Pick something around you and draw it.
This can be an entire section of the room or a single couch cushion.
Include as many details as possible.
The focus is not on perfecting the drawing, it is on noticing surroundings.
Recommended: pray or journal after this exercise.
Learn more about The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.
Read summaries from Charlotte’s appearance on the Creative and Free podcast here.
Thanks so much for your interest in this Our Faith in Writing contemplative resource for divine drawing. If you share any portion of this divine drawing spiritual practice online, with a friend, a spiritual direction client, or a writing client, please link back to my website Our Faith in Writing and credit me, Charlotte Donlon, as the original creator and writer of this contemplative resource.
I’m happy to share this contemplative resource with others who will find it useful, but I also want to protect my spiritual and creative work as much as possible. If you have any questions about how to honor my spiritual and creative work, please email me. I’m happy to discuss different ways to do this and to provide permission for wider use. My email address is charlotte@charlottedonlon.com.
*Many thanks to Lydia Estes for her help with creating this contemplative resource!
*Thumbnail image by KOBU Agency on Unsplash.
Charlotte Donlon helps her readers and clients notice how they belong to themselves, others, God, and the world. Charlotte is a writer, a spiritual director for writers, and the founder of Spiritual Direction for Writers™ and Parenting with Art™. She is also the founder and host of the Our Faith in Writing podcast and website. Her 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 from Seattle Pacific University where she studied creative nonfiction with Paula Huston and Lauren F. Winner. She holds a certificate in spiritual direction from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. To receive Charlotte’s latest updates, news, announcements, and other good things, subscribe to her email newsletter.