Human effort + the muse: two deacons discuss the creative act
It isn't merely a matter of discipline
Notes from Anna
Dear writers,
Much ink has been spilt over the relationship between human effort and divine inspiration, between refined technique and receptivity to the muse. I don’t have anything particularly ingenious to add to that discussion today, but I do want to contextualize the conversation that is the subject of today’s newsletter.
In his book The Matter with Things, Iain McGilchrist says this of creativity:
“You can’t make the creative act happen. You have to do certain things [e.g., acquiring knowledge and practicing techniques], otherwise it won’t happen. But it won’t happen while you are doing them. They create the terms on which the thing will arise. It’s a question of how we dispose our consciousness – that is, how we attend. Attention is a creative act, and creation is really about the induction of a highly attentive state. It is like an ear that is listening and receptive, without actually having anything at all clear yet to hear. You’ve got to have some intimation of what it is that’s coming, however, because otherwise it couldn’t come. On the other hand, you can’t actually close down too precisely on what sort of thing it is, because if you do, you will undoubtedly close down on something else. It involves remaining open, and yet being able to receive something which is, in the end, quite specific and particular. (In this, it is somewhat like prayer.)”
As always, Iain McGilchrist does a phenomenal job synthesizing what exactly is happening in the creative act, particularly in how he speaks of acquiring skills, practicing attention, and at once apprehending an idea while not controlling it.
This is the preface for two related talks from our recent summit, Spiritual Renewal and the Creative Life. These talks are conversations between our Dean, Dn. Nicholas Kotar, and our guests, Dn. Seraphim Richard Rohlin and Peco Gaskovski. This month, we’ll share our conversation with Dn. Seraphim, and next month, you can look forward to the thematically-related talk with Peco.
Get ready for a narrative on discipline and inspiration, which frames Dn. Seraphim’s reading of an epic poem on “the patron saint of atheists.” In the Q&A, you’ll hear why AI is so seductive for writers (hint: it’s a synthetic substitute for prayer), why journaling is a helpful habit for aspiring novelists, and why writers sometimes need to just fly to Scotland and get on a train to Oban.
Enjoy!
Recent Publications from Our Grads
Last month, we highlighted some of our instructors’ recent projects for your enjoyment. This month and next, we’ll feature recent work by our grads.
From our 2023 Graduates
Sherry Shenoda, award-winning poet
“Grandfather’s Watch,” a poem published through Verily magazine, read by the author here. Learn more about Sherry here.
Vesper Stamper, award-winning author and illustrator
A Knot Is Not a Tangle, written by Daniel Nayeri and illustrated by Vesper Stamper. Learn more about Vesper here.
A.J. Prufrock, author of thematically-rich fairy tales
The Strange Experiment of Thuria von Mulligan, a fairy tale in the tradition of George MacDonald (recent interview here). Learn more about A.J. Prufrock here.
Anna Vander Wall, author of dark academia mysteries
Death and Devices published by Wood Between Worlds Press. Learn more about Anna here.