Oxford Quakers on Art | Oxford Quaker Forty-Three Newsletter

Trio Watson

Today I wrote a poem. I’m quite pleased about that – it looks as if my Embarrassingly Bad First Novel won’t materialise until I’m in my 60s, which makes this poem a seismic Event! I’m travelling unknowingly (the only way) into a new phase of my life, after Clear Space for Me (which offered a decluttering service to others) is now closed. The Me is now myself – what will I do with it?

So last week’s meeting for worship, where many ministries responded to my initial one about Good Art, was a real flagship meeting. I’ve been asked to say a little more about the ministry we shared, for people who weren’t there. A number of Friends felt the meeting had been very nourishing,

I started by asking, where does Good Art come from? From mental suffering, as Mark Rothko and Virginia Woolf would perhaps say. I didn’t want that for myself, so I’m aiming for a sense that good health creates a context for happier art, that nourishes. Brian Eno (a contemporary musician) says that Good Art comes from nowhere – we all have it in us, just as much as Beethoven did. And what would we mean by ‘Art’ anyway? Surely even small acts of thoughtfulness or kindness would qualify.

Someone spoke about the effectiveness of art, to help us see beyond our everyday circumstances and view the world more richly.

Someone spoke about whether the early Quakers were right to have been alarmed that art would bring about unhealthy passions. This seemed unfair, they said – surely anything that wakes us up inside is God-given.

We heard about children and opportunities they might have to use art in learning. There was a sense among some schools of thought that children should not be interrupted while they explored their own creativity. Other people we heard of had not seen this perspective, insisting that schoolwork should always be tidy, and children hit with a ruler if their exercise book was not up to scratch. To me that seems such an obvious kiss of death for creativity, what on earth did they think they were achieving?

We heard that learning can be idiosyncratic, and accuracy is sometimes best achieved after a quality of inspiration and joyful spirit had already arrived. “Dance first, learn accurate steps later.” This resonated with a lot of people over coffee. I’m hoping I haven’t missed anyone out in this article.

I found myself very comforted that the abstract paintings I do, the crappy poetry, and the not-happening-novel are all part of a ‘dance’ that was so warmly welcomed by the meeting. It felt OK to be on my creative journey, with so much openness and willingness around me. I had journalled, photographed my body of existing ceramics and paintings, and other bits and pieces of artwork, and made a few basic decisions during the pandemic. Then the doorway was open wide in front of me.

I don’t really like to say, “I am an artist”, or writer, or whatever, because that seems to say to the person hearing me, “and you are not.” Absolutely no one has the right to say that. It’s a different thing to set a small number of very specific goals. So, mine are to rent creative space 2 days a month, and each day I am there, to produce something shareable that will fuel conversations, relationships, and the flow of ideas. After 2 years of this, the impacts are huge, and much broader than I expected.

Seven artists from Oxford Meeting are having an exhibition of work from 20-29 May in the Meeting House. I feel that the work we are doing leading up to the show is all bathed in your love, and that’s amazing. Thank you.

Photo by Trio Watson

This Month’s Forty-Three Newsletter Contents

Back to March 2023 Newsletter Main Page

Forty-Three Newsletter • Number 527 • March 2023
Oxford Friends Meeting
43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW

newsletter@oxfordquakers.org

Friends Sharing with Friends