We held our first Seasonal Creative Circle on May 30th. In the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere of the Gingins parish room, 8 of us gathered for a creative retreat of three hours to explore the theme of blessings through reflection, conversation, and artistic expression.
Together, we explored poetic blessings while reflecting on our understanding of blessing. We shared favourite blessings and discovered Blessings for the Good Road, an adaptation of the Beatitudes by a First Nations Indigenous community. Its beautiful imagery and evocative language inspired us to creatively compose some blessings for the circumstances of our world today, as well as our own poetic adaptations of the Beatitudes, exercising both imagination and creative freedom.
After a refreshing apéro, we moved from the creative poetry circle into a collage-making circle. Using a variety of materials, participants illustrated a cover for their book of blessings, bringing words and images together in an expression of gratitude and hope.
There was community, sharing, creating, and eating. What more could one ask for in three hours?
We look forward to another seasonal creative circle at the end of summer, when we hope to explore the theme of “Creativity in Times of Change.”
