Join me Creatively this March

There is so much going on creatively for me in the month of March this year and I'd love you to join me at one or all of them.

Praying

We continue our journey through Lent in March. I am sharing my "Resting with God" daily reflections on my socials and sharing with the YouBelong community; if you'd like to have a daily reminder to rest with God then please do join me. These reflections were first written in 2024 and this year I'm reviewing and updating them ready for publication in the near future.

I am also leading prayer and creativity at these events:

"Turning up the Tuned Out" Generous Faith Conference

On Saturday 7th March I am "virtually" speaking about the need for 'angelic' intervention to inspire inclusion and create a church which is truly for everyone; and leading a collaborative creative prayer activity at the "Turning Up the Tuned Out" Generous Faith conference at St John's Waterloo. The conference asks the questions "Is the Church going backwards? Is British society going backwards? How can Christians speak and act in response to current challenges?". The conference prayers will be brought together creatively through the day to create a physical artwork to inspire us all. There are still tickets available here if you would like to join the conference in London.

Our Land Lent Series

Every Wednesday evening through till Easter I will be online at the "Our Land: digging deep in search of common ground" Lent Series at Hodge Hill Church led by Rev Al Barrett. I have created a painting for each session, inspired by the main speakers and their conversation subject; and I'll be writing poems live each evening. At the final session, on Wednesday 1st April, I will be talking about disability, chronic illness and disconnection from the natural world; and how I find connection through creativity. I will then invite everyone to get creative drawing on what they've heard through the lent series. You can join one or all the sessions at this link.

Exhibiting

My paintings are being exhibited at both the events above. But more than that, I have two large exhibitions going on this month. The first is at the Order and Chaos event at St Luke's Church in Reading where I'll be sharing my digital and physical "abstract planets". My new artist assistant Susanna will be representing me on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th, so please do go along and say hi. She will have lots of my physically painted paintings, trays and ornaments for sale, so don't miss the opportunity to grab yourself an Emma original.

Then, on the last day of March and throughout April my brand new solo exhibition "Following Jesus" will be on show for the first time in the Art Space at St Nicolas Earley. This exhibition journeys through Jesus' life, sharing my prayerful visions of his ministry and humanity in a fresh way.

Celebrating

Alongside the "Following Jesus" exhibition I will be launching my brand new book of Christian poetry "Stanzas of Grace and Light". This book of 52 new poems covers the seasons of the year including Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Advent and Lent. Perfect for your morning time with God, to read before bed or share as a family. The official launch will be in person at St Nicolas after the main 10am service on Sunday 19th April and then online at a date to be confirmed.

I will also be celebrating the fact that my sonnet "Reading Campus" has been selected to be a major part of the university's centenary celebrations, being inscribed on the windows of the Minghella Building for all to read. It is an honour to have my words used in this way.

Collaborating

I love collaborating creatively and prayerfully, encouraging others and being inspired in my own creativity. I am doing even more of this as my eye sight gets more challenging and my hands are more affected by Psoriatic Arthritis. If you are reading this and interested in collaborating then drop me a line and let's have a chat.

The wonderful collaboration with Jane Sigrist and Amanda Holt, writing haiku for every Psalm in the Bible has created the first book "Psalms of Lament: Haikus of Hope" available now. But there are 150 psalms in total so there are many more books to come, watch this space.

Painting and Writing

Every day I write poetry, it's my prayer and connection to God, my way of journaling and managing my mental health, and the light in the darkness of the news that can feel so overwhelming. I had hundreds of paintings which never found their poems and writing every day and choosing a painting is a joy.

I am also continuing the #100dayproject where I am painting an eye every day. I have named the project "Reflections of Truth; Vision beyond Sight" and in time it will become an exhibition or book or something. It is the only painting I can manage, and I'm staying a few days ahead just in case I have a bad hand or eye day.

What a month it's going to be, with lots of rest programmed in to make sure I don't break along the way.