For the 92nd episode of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with playwright Lynn Nottage for a live event was recorded at New York Insight in October of 2018.
Lynn is two time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, and the first women of color to win this prestigious award two times. In this conversation, Sharon and Lynn discuss art as social action and the way that Lynn’s sees her own writing as a way to cultivate more empathy in the world. They also speak about the correlation between the spiritual path and creative process. Learn more about Lynn here: lynnnottage.com
A World That Could Use Some Love
How can bringing love back into the conversation facilitate social change and foster creativity? After a short meditation, Lynn and Sharon reflect on the importance of welcoming love and bringing compassion to the suffering that we experience.
“Love and the community and social change. I think about the seeds of my own practice as an artist, an activist. It’s really tied up with those three notions which come from I guess my mother who is the root for me. who was someone who I loved deeply and who loved community and who was a social activist and believed that in order for us to be in community that we had to figure out a way in which we could nurture that community.” – Lynn Nottage
Bring love to social action with Ruth King on Ep. 87 of the Metta Hour Podcast
The Joy of Writing (24:15)
Lynn talks about the aspects of creativity and collaboration that are integral to her craft as a playwright. She talks about the surrender and empathy necessary to create characters and connect with audiences.
“My exercise as a playwright is to go inside & find out why we hurt. How can I explore that hurt & how does the way in which we hurt impact my life? Whether we’re black, we’re white or we’re Latino.” – Lynn Nottage
Questions From The Heart (35:20)
Is art being used to its fullest potential to support social change? Is there such a thing as appropriate rage? How can we overcome self-judgment and open to creativity? Where do we find the courage to follow our dreams? Lynn and Sharon take questions from their live audience that explores difficulties that arise around creativity, social change and spiritual practice.
