Spirituality and Art – Devotional Practice

1.      At the end of 3 months, write an essay describing your experience of the practice.  (500-100 words)

I began maintaining a devotional artistic practice at the beginning of July 2018.  As someone who has never been extremely confident in my artistic skills, I was skeptical and had very few expectations on my own ability to follow through and be successful with this, but I knew I wanted to try.  I came to the decision that I wanted to work with Athena as my muse, and signed up for a drawing course called “The Ultimate Drawing Course – Beginner to Advanced” through a website called Udemy.  This course contained 65 lessons that started with the fundaments of lines, values, contrast, and perspective and moved forward into still life, drawing humans, and character design.  Each time that I sat down to do one of these lessons, I would make an offering, either of olive oil or tea and I would say a quick prayer like the one below:

Athena, wise one, goddess of many gifts,

I ask you to be with me in this work.

Guide my hands with your skills.

Grant me the wisdom to see clearly.

Share your gifts of craft with me.

I know I am blessed to have had a deep relationship with Athena prior to this work as I feel that it made my work here so much easier.  Each time I called to Athena, I felt her warmth surround me.  In one specific working, it almost felt like a large pair of wings wrapped around me and keeping me safe, while also guiding my hands in the work I was doing. Giving the offerings and prayers to Athena, I definitely felt her gifts given back to me time and time again.  While I am still not confident in my drawing skills, I definitely felt my artistic abilities grow in other forms, such as my sculpting and weaving.  When I call upon Athena, I can feel my tension ease and I feel more patient than I am by nature. I’ve felt closer to her as well, which is something I am always happy to experience.

During the last few months, I’ve explored quite a few mediums including drawing, sculpey clay, leatherworking, and weaving.  At one point during my studies, my drawing course began to explore two-point perspective in drawings.  After I called to Athena, I had visions of the Parthenon flood my mind, and ultimately that inspired my perspective drawing for my 3 drawings course submission. During another point, I felt drawn to weaving and have been so pleased with that experience.  It gives me such a deep connection to Athena, and is a medium that I really enjoy doing.  It’s meditative and trance inducing, while also so fulfilling. 

I also had the opportunity to visit the Tucson Art museum during this devotional period.  Prior to entering the museum. I made an offering to Athena and asked her to join me during my tour.  I took in all the beauty and then found a bench corner next to a wall filled with masks.  I sat there doodling, trying to mimic the different shapes and patterns of each of them.  It was a great experience, even if the drawings themselves didn’t turn out phenomenal.  I think taking the time to learn and explore has been a perfect way to honor Athena, both as the goddess of wisdom and the patron of art.  I feel like I’ve grown immensely, both in my skill level and in my confidence.  While I don’t know that I’ll ever be an illustrator, I’ve found two separate artistic skills that I feel comfortable working in, and that alone is quite a blessing.