Sacred Presence

I've recently started a new artistic journey having been chosen as an artist in the 2016–2017 cohort of The Collective as a part of The Sanctuaries. It is a 7-month program focused on developing a deeper understanding of the important intersections of the arts, justice and spirituality. Every Monday night I have the privilege of sharing a space with 13 other artists — artists who only in our second week have already inspired and contributed not only to my art but to my whole self.

"How does you spirituality impact how you show up in the world?"

We were presented with this question; the topic of the week was "Sacred Presence."

The topic of spirituality has always been a concept I continue to struggle with. I've always told people, "I'm spiritual but not religious." It just always seemed like the right things to say. Now I'm not even sure if that is wholly accurate.

I wrote vigorously the reflections the rest of the group had in response to this question. After hearing everyone speak on it, I felt a fullness throughout the remainder of the evening — full of questions and endless curiosities.

However, I do know that a significant part of why I feel so disconnected from my spirituality is because of how I've relied on others' ideal of perceptions of self and the world to shape and affirm how I exist in it. I've grown to be digitally connected but have not stopped to ask "how connected am I with myself?"

One of the things that I've committed following some initial reflections from the session is a decision to remove myself from FaceBook. It is a small step but one that I hope to bring some sense of peace, clarity and focus.