Artistic Afternoons: Make a "both/and" Easter collage today. Write out on small, torn pieces of paper some of the things that are true of this season, for you. These may be one word, or a whole sentence, or even a short poem. Include both the gifts of blooming and flourishing, and the grief-full ones. Once you’ve brainstormed all your words, take some time to consider whether there are one or two you might sketch out (whatever your drawing skills). Then, flip through some old magazines and gather images that speak to both the celebration and new life of Easter, and ALSO the reality that this death that has been defeated is somehow still with us, in so many ways. Cut or tear out any image that carries the light or the darkness of this season for you. Once you have your words, drawings, and collage images, begin to piece them together. Don’t give into the temptation to put all the “good stuff” on one side and all the “hard stuff” on the other. Mix them up, just like real life. Just like Easter. Darkness and death are coming undone, and yet we come across them daily in various ways. So juxtapose them in your collage, and see what newness is created even in that process (and feel free to share your "both/and" collage with us!).

Posted by Jamie Bonilla at 2023-04-10 21:00:30 UTC