From her prayer journal, dated April 14, 1947:
"I must write down that I am to be an artist. Not in the sense of aethetic frippery, but in the sense of aesthetic craftsmanship; otherwise I will feel my loneliness continually--like this today. The word craftsmanship takes care of the work angle & the word aesthetic the truth angle. Angle. It will be a life struggle with no consummation. When something is finished, it cannot be possessed. Nothing can be possessed but the struggle. All our lives are consumed in possessing struggle but only when the struggle is cherished & directed to a final consummation outside of this life is it of any value. I want to be the best artist it is possible for me to be, under God.
I do not want to be lonely all my life but people only make us lonelier by reminding us of God. Dear God please help me to be an artist, please let it lead to You." (29)
Flannery O'Connor, Prayer Journal. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books, 2013.
I need to finish reading this Journal of hers.
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness! So much to think about here...
ReplyDeleteWhat does she mean, People make us lonelier by reminding us of God? I will have to ask God.
Thank you for posting this.
I know! Her entries in this journal are very short, but very thought-provoking. I took that line to mean that while we can have very good relationships here on earth, they can also fail us, or fall short of the soul-communion we desire, and that can only be filled by God. But I'm sure there is a lot more to mine in that line.
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