An Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing
Seminar Date & Time: Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 1-7:15 p.m. CT on Zoom
First, An Apology
Have you ever messed up when you didn’t mean to? But you were rushing for whatever reason and didn’t take the time to slow down and communicate about something the way you should’ve communicated about it?
I apologize for how I rolled out the Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing scheduled for Saturday, January 27th from 1-7:15 p.m. CT. I should’ve been more thoughtful and inclusive on the very front end and I failed to do that.
I have hosted Group Spiritual Direction for Writers sessions in the past for moms who write, so I borrowed that language with a plan to explain more about how all are welcome and motherhood is complex but words matter and I should’ve called it An Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing from the very beginning.
Please forgive me for not handling this well, for making people feel excluded, for not being careful with my words and others’ hearts. And many thanks to a sweet client and SDW Member who was honest with me about my failings. I’m so thankful for the people who are drawn to Spiritual Direction for Writers®. Y’all make me a better writer, a better spiritual director, and a better person.
My Vision for An Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing
My vision for this online seminar is for moms and all caregivers and all people to be inspired, to receive nourishment, to feel safe, to have opportunities to explore various aspects of motherhood and caregiving and writing. I’m also offering a session at the end for anyone who has experienced loss and lament in ways that are connected to motherhood.
I want everyone to feel less alone in their writing and work and whatever season of life they find themselves in right now.
All sessions will be recorded and available to everyone who registers for at least two weeks. So, if you’re interested in what’s going on during the Online Seminar for Writing and Motherhood, but can’t attend for whatever reason, please register so you can have access to watch the sessions when you have time to do so.
All Are Welcome. Come as You Are.
I want everyone who does participate to feel welcome to show up however they feel comfortable. Cameras on or cameras off. Participate in the conversations or skip it. When there are opportunities for participants to ask questions or share, anyone with their camera off won’t be called on, no questions asked. The chat will be open for comments from all.
If participants need extra breaks, I want everyone to feel free to take extra breaks. If anyone needs to come to a few sessions and miss other sessions, that works too. We will be offering so many wonderful things, but I want everyone to feel the liberty to show up and engage in ways that are best for them.
If you are interested in joining us and have any specific questions about the material or schedule, please email me at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com.
We have two paid and one free option for registration to accommodate all who are interested in joining us.
More Details about the Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing
Most mothers and caregivers who write wish they had more time and fewer interruptions for their creative work.
Spiritual Direction for Writers® invites you and a guest to honor the struggles, joys, and all of the familiar complexities for those who hold space for these two roles with our Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing.
We are thrilled to have Seminar Sessions led by Catherine Ricketts, Tanya Davis, Jamie Quatro, and Marlena Graves.
Charlotte Donlon will be leading sessions for all caregivers and anyone who has experienced loss and lament in ways that are related to motherhood.
Register Here for An Online Seminar for Motherhood and Writing
(Please Note: There are two paid options and a free option available for this retreat. Those who wish to pay are welcome to do so by paying the full price or using the code J3VQ9SN for half off.
Use code FREE2024 to register for full seminar access at no cost. If you choose the free option and would like to pay what you can, you can Venmo any amount to Charlotte at @CharlotteDonlon. Another way to support SDW financially is to become a SDW Member. Learn more about SDW Membership here.)
Seminar Date & Time: Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 1-7:15 p.m. CT on Zoom
Join us for six Seminar Sessions carefully curated for thoughtful contemplation, excellent teaching from brilliant guest writers, meaningful conversations, plenty of breaks, and access to recordings for at least two weeks.
Session Leaders and Topics
Session One: Catherine Ricketts on Ambition, Writing, and Motherhood
Session Two: Tanya Davis on Why the Daily Mundane Matters
Session Three: Jamie Quatro on Writing, Calling, and Letting Go of Guilt
Session Four: Marlena Graves on Spiritual Formation for Moms and Caregivers Who Write
Session Five: Charlotte Donlon on Spiritual Direction for Caregivers Who Write
Session Six: Charlotte Donlon on Lament, Loss, and Creativity
The Format for the First Four Sessions
—Writing Exercise or Contemplative Practice (10 minutes)
—Teaching (10 minutes)
—Facilitated Conversation with Charlotte (10 minutes)
—Q&A and Group Discussion with Participants (10 minutes)
—Break with Optional Writing Exercises and Contemplative Practices (15-20 minutes)
The Format for the Fifth and Sixth Sessions
—Writing Exercise or Contemplative Practice (10 minutes)
—Teaching (10 minutes)
—Facilitated Conversation, Group Discussion, and Journaling and Contemplative Prompts (20 minutes)
—Break with Optional Writing Exercises and Contemplative Practices (10 minutes)
—Closing Conversation and Prayers/Meditations (10 minutes)
Anyone who registers will have access to all session recordings for full two weeks beginning at 8 a.m. on Sunday, January 28, 2024.
Please Note
Every registration includes spots for up to two people. We’re in this together, so invite a friend to attend and/or receive access to the recordings. Please include both email addresses at checkout if that information is available. The additional email address can be provided later, as well.
All are welcome. Every person from every stage of the writing life and any point of the faith/doubt/mystery spectrum is invited to join us for this online seminar. Spiritual Direction for Writers® has a reputation as a safe place for all to come as they are.
Everyone who registers will receive more details and the Zoom link 24 hours before the event begins.
Please learn more about our Guest Facilitators below:
More about Tanya Davis
Tanya Davis is a wife, mother, grandmother, philanthropist, and author whose life’s
work is giving and pouring into the lives of others.
Twenty years ago, Tanya, her husband Stephen and their seven children established the
William & Mary Davis Foundation with the mission of providing opportunities to those
who reside in under-resourced communities and advocating for those whose voices are
not heard. They also support organizations that align with their mission. The foundation
provides financial support, and educational experiences for individuals for the purpose
of empowerment-financially, emotionally, spiritually.
The foundation supports organizations that embody this mission including Daystar
University (Nairobi, Kenya), Fox Valley Christian Action, Young Life Teen Mothers,
Orange Hands, Women at Risk International, and By the Hands, Haymarket Center, MFS,
GEMS of St. Sabina, East Tennessee Freedom Schools, Chicago Foundation for Women,
DuSable Museum, and many others.
Tanya’s desire to enrich the lives of others also led her to launch Purpose by Design, a
mentoring retreat for girls in under-resourced communities, in 2010. Each year, Tanya
and a group of volunteers host 10-20 girls for a long weekend of enrichment workshops
– from health and wellness to college prep and goal planning. Recently, the organization
formed a partnership with Foolproof to provide financial literacy empowerment for
young women.
Tanya has authored three books, May I Please Speak with My Father, I Don’t Want to
Shame My Daddy’s Name, and Urban Monks and Mystics (co-author). She also has
served as publisher for numerous other books on a variety of topics, and guest
contributor for online organizations.
Tanya holds a bachelor’s degree in counseling from DePaul University with an emphasis
on Narrative and a master’s degree in Narrative Medicine from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
She believes in the power of story and being an active listener in another person’s story
is how we will grow in our empathy and love for each other. She has facilitated narrative
workshops that bring people together to share their stories.
More about Urban Monks and Mystics: Find Inner Peace Without Joining a Monastery by Tanya Davis
FIND INNER PEACE AND GET CLOSER TO GOD...WITHOUT JOINING A MONASTERY
In the midst of this chaotic world we are developing self-care protocols and gaining inner peace like monks and mystics of old.You can change your lifestyle and feel the peace and tranquility of a monk or mystic in the midst of a hectic urban environment. Instead of trouncing off to a monastery or medicating to relieve the symptoms of modern life, why not dig deeper and develop positive habits to cope with every day stresses and transform your interior life? This book integrates positive psychology and spirituality to show you how to integrate Scriptures, experiences with God and self-care protocols to achieve grace, solace, and inner joy.
More about Marlena Graves
Marlena received her M.Div. from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York and his pursuing her PhD in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH where she is researching the influence American culture has on Evangelicals’ view of immigration, race, and poverty.
Are Evangelical views and behavior really ensconced in biblical teaching or are Evangelicals, white Evangelicals in particular, more influenced by cultural forces of which they are unaware? Marlena has been on the pastoral staff at several churches, worked at non-profits, been on the residence life staff at a university, and worked for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) – for and with migrant farmworkers in the Midwest and South and the minority community in Toledo, OH.
She continues to labor alongside others for justice, for human rights. Since 2015, she has been an adjunct professor at Winebrenner Seminary in the areas of discipleship and spiritual formation. She has written for a wide variety of venues like Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics Blog (now CT Women), Womenleaders.com, and Our Daily Bread where she was a bylined regularly contributing writer. And also for places like, Think Christian, Faith Street, Relevant, and publications by (in) courage and the Zondervan Women’s Study Bible.
Marlena is a former member and board member of the Redbud Writers Guild. Currently she is a board member of Evangelicals 4 Justice, works in partnership with Freedom Road, and also belongs to INK: A Creative Collective. As a Puerto-Rican influenced by many streams of the faith, she feels as if she dwells on the borderlands of Evangelicalism.Make it stand out
More about Bearing God by Marlena Graves
When the priest read this Gospel story in Mark 4, Marlena Graves didn’t see herself as the terrified disciples, lacking faith. She wasn’t Jesus, peacefully sleeping through the danger. She wasn’t the wind or the waves. According to Graves, “I was the boat! And then it occurred to me that, like Jesus’ mother, Mary, I, too, am a God bearer.” Journey with Graves and discover these things: We are all vessels that carry Jesus as we journey throughout our lives. Boats are made for the water―they have a mission―and that mission always involves others. Jesus is not disturbed by any storms (or our reactions to them). Our lives, which carry Christ and the gospel, are to bring salvation to others, especially those who have been thrown overboard in life. There is a destination―life with God―at the heart of spiritual formation. As we bear God and go out to sea, God is also bearing us into oneness with him. Bearing God is a short and enthralling read that will awaken you as a disciple of Jesus to a sense of adventure in your calling. Using the metaphor of Christians as vessels for Christ, Bearing God is packed with inspirational lessons and principles to help readers grow in their spirituality. An ideal discipleship resource for churches, small groups, and personal devotion.
More about Jamie Quatro
Jamie Quatro’s novel Fire Sermon (Grove Press) published in 2018. Selected as one of the Top Seven Novels of 2018 by The Economist, and named a Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, LitHub, Bloomberg, and the Times Literary Supplement, Fire Sermon was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book, Indie Next pick, and New York Times Editors' Choice.
Quatro's story collection, I Want To Show You More (Grove), was a New York Times Notable Book, NPR Best Book of 2013, and was chosen as a favorite book of 2013 by James Wood in The New Yorker. The collection was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award, the Townsend Fiction Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize.
A contributing editor at Oxford American, her fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Review of Books, and elsewhere. Recent essays have appeared at The New Yorker, Oxford American, and as part of the Greenpeace Climate Visionaries series. Quatro is the recipient of fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo and teaches in the Sewanee School of Letters MFA program. She lives with her family in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
More about Jamie’s Newest Book Coming out in September
A new novel, Two-Step Devil, will publish with Grove Press in September 2024.
More about Cat Ricketts
Catherine Ricketts is an essayist, songwriter, and professor. Her nonfiction on the arts, grief, joy, and spirituality appears in the Kenyon Review Online, the Ploughshares blog, The Christian Century, Image, The Millions, Paste, and NPR-affiliate The Key. She studied writing at the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MFA in nonfiction from Seattle Pacific University. Her first book, a work of literary nonfiction on motherhood and artistic practice, is forthcoming from Broadleaf Books in 2024. She teaches at Villanova University.
Find her on Instagram at @bycatherinericketts, or stay in touch via her newsletter.
Catherine is available for freelance writing in arts journalism, literary criticism, and personal essay. She regularly speaks on podcasts on the subjects of grief, addiction, faith, and the arts. She teaches workshops for new and experienced writers in spiritual nonfiction, writing about the arts, writing through grief, personal essay, and memoir.
The Mother Artist: Portraits of Ambition, Limitation, and Creativity by Catherine Ricketts. (Coming April 2024)
Are caregiving and creative labor fundamentally at odds? Is it possible for mothers to attend to both?
Few women artists feature prominently in the history of art, and even fewer who are mothers. How are motherhood and artmaking at play and at odds in the lives of women? What can we learn about ambition, limitation, and creativity from women who persist in doing both?
Forged in the stress of early motherhood, The Mother Artist explores the fraught yet generative ties between caregiving and creative practice. As a young mother working at a museum, essayist Catherine Ricketts began asking questions about the making of motherhood and the making of art. Now, with incantatory prose and an intuitive gaze, she twines intimate meditations on parenthood with studies of the work and lives of painters, writers, dancers, musicians, and other creatives. Ricketts takes readers through the studios of mother artists, placing us in the company of women from the past and the present who persevere in both art and caregiving. We encounter Senga Nengudi's sculptures, which celebrate the pregnant body, and Toni Morrison's powerful writing on childbirth. We behold Joan Didion's meditations on maternal grief and Alice Neel's arresting portraits of mothers and babies. And we observe the ambition of sculptor Ruth Asawa, the activism of printmaker Elizabeth Catlett, and the constancy of writer Madeleine L'Engle. The Mother Artist welcomes us into a community of creatives and includes full-color images of their work.
Part memoir, part biography, and part inquiry into the visual, literary, and performing arts, The Mother Artist contends that a brutal world needs art made by those who have cared for the vulnerable. This book isfor mothers who aspire to make art, anyone eager to discover the stories of visionary women, and all who long for a revolution of tenderness.