Having Wings is a community-sourced advent anthology created / edited by Amy Bornman (of All Well Workshop), and it contains a drawing I made and words I wrote this advent season. Amy’s thoughtfulness in her creative process and beautiful handsewn creations have been inspiring as I consider my work (“art” and otherwise), and how it intersects with the values by which I hope to live. So when she announced an invitation to participate in this gathering of poems for the hoping, waiting season of advent, I wanted to contribute.

Most of my drawings this year have been unplanned curves filling sketchbook pages, as I try to get outside of a systematic mindset when it comes to making. Searching for the intuition I hope I have, and maybe starting to find it in this practice. After filling untold sketchbook pages with these swirling lines, I started noticing forms that reminded me of art historical Madonna and Child paintings. (A lovely google image search: “abstract madonna and child”.)

The drawing below came out of this noticing, in response to Amy’s prompt to poetically consider advent. It is included in Having Wings, along with some words of reflection. I have never called myself a poet, or my words poetry, but now here they are called that alongside the poems of a lot of other people. So maybe they are. Or maybe I wait in hope + trust that they one day could be.

If you’re interested in reading this community collection of advent poems, head to the All Well Workshop website to purchase. ($8 + shipping)