Clarifying Our Callings and How I Created a Corner of My Own

May 01, 2021 by Charlotte Donlon

In this post which was originally shared via an email for my newsletter subscribers, I share why it’s good to focus on the foundations of vocational callings, include a visual diagram that can help you clarify your vocational callings, provide a few ideas for creating a writing corner, and ask for a favor. I hope reading this will provide some ideas that will help you in your faith and your creative work and/or lead you to other ideas that might be helpful.

Six of the Books I Wrote About in The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other

January 04, 2021 by Charlotte Donlon

Sometimes we can feel very alone in our vocations, faith, and the full spectrum of emotions we experience during various seasons of life. Books and reading help soften the ache of our isolation and broaden our understanding of the things of our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies.

I'm so thankful for all of the books and writers and artists who have mentored me and taught me through their words and work. It was a delight to include some of their writing in The Great Belonging.

Why Our Hairstylists Help Us Feel Less Lonely

April 22, 2020 by Charlotte Donlon in Notes & Musings

I wrote this piece a year ago for The New York Times, but the editor killed it several months later. (One reason I think she killed it is she wanted it to be more about mental illness and I wanted it to be more about loneliness. Loneliness can be a symptom of mental illness, but it's not a form of mental illness.) I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of loose-tie relationships like those we have with our hairstylists. The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine have definitely affected our sense of loneliness and belonging. I imagine many of us miss our hairstylists, our bartenders, and our servers at our favorite restaurants, and the ways they help us feel like we belong.