photo by Fiona Art courtesy Pexels
Reflections on how the creative arts spoke to and through us throughout the year:
Over the decades, I was joined by many others in attending feasts (karamu) filled with African drumming, dancing, foods, poetry and singing. Many also included marketplaces filled with Afrocentric items and hand-made goods… –Jolyn Washington-Walker (Cohort 9), Reclaiming My Culture Through Kwanzaa
”We’ve braved the belly of the beast, We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace…” –Amanda Gorman, inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, “The Hill We Climb”
“I made a bench too, as a gift for Victor. The inscription on my bench includes that it is: ‘a place to sit together and watch over our family as they grow and flourish. Let it represent a safe place to think and be reminded of how much we love them now and forever.’ (Even as I re-read that here, I cry.)” –Carmen Nieves (Cohort 17), Changing My Focus with Love, Gratitude & Sisterhood
“Over the last year, I’ve watched so many different offerings emerge. People have found creativity in this time. Because we’re home, and we’ve had to be creative in how we work, how we connect, how we communicate. I’ve watched so many creative offerings emerge, and I’m totally inspired by that. It has sparked something in me.” –Kia Levey-Burden (Cohort 8) Interview
“When you find your way to the circle, to the fire kept burning by the keepers of your soul, you will be welcomed…” –United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, “For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet”
“Caminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada más…” –Antonio Machado (1875-1939), Caminante no hay camino
“…that training is the most intricate which leads to the utter simplicity of a tune.” –Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), Journey Home
“…As Zaria starts to run to the door to go inside for dinner, her mother’s vegetable garden comes to life. The vegetables come running and say, ‘don’t start dinner without us!’ and they start to tell Zaria why…” –Erica G. Bradley (Cohort 26), Read Your Greens
“Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing. Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness…” –Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), The Prophet & Time
“…But the heart is restless and rises from the body in the middle of the night…” –Billy Collins, The Night House
“But I can’t seem to sustain the earnest crusader persona for very long. Especially when I’m writing poetry, because I inevitably start writing verses that rhyme. And somehow, as the words tumble out, so does the whimsy…” –Claire Bien (Cohort 6), Embracing A Legacy of Silliness—and Finding Joy
“These are the times when I emphasize the importance of exploration and discovery, being gentle with oneself, working quickly, and focusing on the process rather than the product… they were letting go of at least some of their internal conflict or judgement, shame, perfectionism, and were leaning instead into connection and authentic sharing.” –Linda Anderson Miller (Cohort 7) Interview
“It’s a place for collective experience, expression, meaning, and emotion—that sudden shared awareness, the moment of recognition, or shock, or poignancy, or laughter…” –Nancy Alexander (Cohort 8), From The Heights to The Haven
Curated by The Circle’s creative director & editor, Lara Herscovitch. To reach Lara directly: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org or Lara@LaraHerscovitch.com