Creative Thursdays: Confession
Eighth in the series of posts that celebrate creativity and spirituality.
The word confession usually brings up feelings of shame and guilt—something that survivors are familiar with. What was shared yesterday turns this concept of confession upside down and places the survivor in a space to share (confess) in ways that bring healing to both the one who shares and the one who listens. This is exactly what I did when I published my first three books! They are filled with both the hard things that happened and the beauty of healing—something that required agency.
My vision was that my book covers would be a visual representation of healing. This is how that vision became a reality:
The story began over forty-five years ago when my friend, Kay, and I married brothers. We created a cheer to help us remember how to spell McConnaughey. We were excited to be each other's sister-in-law!
For many years Kay worked as a graphic designer for the company that scrapbookers will recognize as MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas). Their adorable stick figures were Kay’s creation. She also did the graphic designs for many of the Happy Planners.
Fast forward to 2018 as I prepared to publish BRAVE. I asked Kay, “Will you design a book cover?” She replied, “I have never done that, but I will give it a try.” I never doubted that she could create something beautiful with my ideas. She has now designed all four of my book covers—with two publishers (Cladach Publishing and Berry Powell Press—where she now works). Every cover visualizes the story embedded in the book and wraps my vulnerable confessions in comforting blankets. They are the gift I send out into the world.
My Confession Practice
My readers are aware of how open I am about my story—not all of it by any means, but a lot of it. My books are public confessions in the best sense of the word, but I was careful in preparing myself for this level of vulnerability. I first shared my story with my therapist, family, and closest friends and asked them to read Brave before it was published. Even before this, my therapist helped guide me in what I chose to share and not share. Publishing involved a very intentional use of agency to tell my story (confess) for the purpose of helping others. Doing this work necessitates continuing to process with a therapist. Yet, sharing (confessing) my story has given me compassion and gratitude for those who choose to share (confess) their sacred stories with me. What an extraordinary thing it is to compassionately love one another through confession.
This helps me to see confession in a completely different way! I think it may be common to go through life living on the surface and not truly sharing ourselves with others. Before I began my own healing work, I was not very aware of my own inner world. (Or maybe that part of me was frozen.) I remember using writing and creativity to make it through what I lived as a child. Somewhere along the line, I seemed to lose that—or leave it behind. I really think that had to do with what I believed God wanted of me as a believer and as a pastor's wife.