When the smallness of my vision Dampens all hope inside, I simply watch And these clumsy feet keep moving. When what could have been Turns bitter and dusty from wear I feel the tiniest move as a miracle. When the bit is cold in my mouth and When daylight reveals only a potholed Road, justContinue reading “epiphany 2026”
Category Archives: creative practice
an elemental year: Sashiko
This piece was originally written as a ‘monk in the world’ piece for Abbey of the Arts here. I am currently spending a year exploring the elements in the company of the Kinship Photography Collective. My practice group (a special mix of people who are able to meet on zoom during the day in the U.S. andContinue reading “an elemental year: Sashiko”
building joy
In the summer of 2023 I was awarded a bursary from DAiSY (Disability Arts in Surrey) to become artist in residence at the New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, Surrey. The brief was to be in an ‘open studio’ situation, welcoming the gallery’s visitors and answering any questions they might have about my work and about creativityContinue reading “building joy”
day 13: for play
I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic and she said yes I asked if it was okay to be short and she says it sure is I asked her if I could wear nail polish or not wear nail polish and she said honey she calls me that sometimes she said youContinue reading “day 13: for play”
day 12: for wisdom
In a vast untouched area like ours, you can hear what you need to hear. You can see for your own good. Messages come through your touch. You are soaked, submerged, immersed; full to the brim with beauty. Each visit can be a final answer, but the next visit brings you something else. It neverContinue reading “day 12: for wisdom”
day 10: for beauty
If anyone happened to be near the fountain which Scripture says rose from the earth at the beginning of creation … he would approach it marvelling at the endless stream of water gushing forth and bubbling out. Never could he say that he had seen all the water … In the same way, the personContinue reading “day 10: for beauty”
day 3: for change
The ancient Christian monastic traditions, especially desert, Celtic, and Benedictine, offer great wisdom for the journey of unfolding. They understood that the soul’s ripening is never to be rushed and takes a lifetime of work. The gift of the contemplative path is a profound honoring of the grace of slowness. We can grow impatient whenContinue reading “day 3: for change”
heart of stone
Once again it is my honour to contribute a reflection to the ‘monk in the world’ blog of the Abbey of the Arts. This piece was first published on May 15, 2024 (although it was written in May 2023). all words and images by Kate Kennington Steer I arrived at February 2023 in a post-viralContinue reading “heart of stone”
well or w/hole (part iv)
I meant to write this in September 2023, but it is now February 2024. I am recovering from a reanimation of the chest infection I caught before Christmas, but it has wiped out this month. I am attempting not to fight the bouts of vertigo and dizziness which sideswipe me, even as I sit perfectlyContinue reading “well or w/hole (part iv)”
well or w/hole (part iii)
(This is the third instalment of ‘well or w/hole?’, and it might (?!) make more sense if you read the other two instalments first. You can find them on the Blog Feed.) Let’s follow the water… One line of research around the bright-+/well project led me to think about the ‘well’ in the name BrightWellContinue reading “well or w/hole (part iii)”
image into ikon 