Flourish Anyway® Today: Another Beautiful Cohort of Creative Souls
Last night was the first gathering with my Spiritual Direction for Writers® Summer Intensive Cohort, and I continue to be amazed at the wonderful people who are a part of my community of creative souls.
They are brilliant and kind. They are good listeners. They share interesting insights. They are hilarious. They hold space for joy and despair, belief and doubt, courage and fear.
I’ve said this often, but I’ll say it again: I feel like more of who God made me to be when I’m writing and when I’m practicing spiritual direction.
Gatherings like the one I lead last night with people who are drawn to my work continue to be a deep source of validation and encouragement.
I do good work. People receive good things from my offerings. And I benefit so much more than any of my clients because I have the honor of using my gifts and embracing my passions and following my interests and witnessing the brilliance of so many beautiful creative souls.
Vocational satisfaction can be hard to experience. But I get to do the work that I desire most. I get to hang out with fantastic people. I get to watch the divine do mighty things in the lives of others as they discover how to flourish anyway in their work, art, relationships, places, and more.
What a gift. What a grace.
Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway today and all days.
💚Charlotte
P.S.
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See my most recent doses of art at A Daily Dose of Art.
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Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, and gatherer whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging, artful encoutners, spiritual growth, and how to Flourish Anyway®, even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018) and a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sanctuaries of acceptance and connection.
A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.
In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte's first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life is slated for release by Here Below Books in September 2026. Three volumes of Charlotte's "Guidebooks for the Soul"—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art—will also be published in 2026.
As the founder of several initiatives, Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.
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Flourish Anyway® is Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.