Writing as a practice is something that doctorate students are advised to develop. Write everyday, we are told. I do my most productive writing when I am overflowing with feeling. The feelings can be happy, sad, angry or full of awe and wonder. Given that I am a depth psychologist (Depth PhD, 2007) one might understand that my practice is a regular part of a life in service to hosting feelings and bringing them into awareness and dialogue..
Right now I probably have hundreds of short and long pieces, journal, prose and poetry, in folders in all my writing places.
When a fellow aluma approached me about the possibility of contributing to a collection of writing pieces by black women depth psychologist I smiled and thought . “Oh my goodness , what should I select. ?”Notice not write but select because there was a treasure trove from which to select. Just as we learned to trust and expect, during our time at Pacifica , thought opened to psyche and she guided me to two pieces , an imaginal dialogue I had written several years earlier when I was addressing a challenging work situation and a poem I had written to the father that had abandoned me. I unearthed them , dusted them off and sent them on. This little history is an affirmation to the adage, be prepared.when opportunity presents itself.
As far as writing goes one has to find one’s muse, in my case emotions, and write.
It is also helpful to find like souls to accompany you as an alum of Pacifica. Many years ago I had gone to a Jungian Conference and met a fellow black alumna from Pacifica. She and I have been friend ever since; she is the one who first contacted me about the book opportunity. She is also the person who introduced me to a group of black woman who had graduated from Pacifica. In our first gathering we decided that we certainly were the black divas of depth. Strongs feelings, easy with our self confidence, intellectually curious and -I assert- extremely talented.
~ Patricia Taylor
PhD Depth 2007
Contributor, “Seeing in the Dark: Wisdom Works by Black Women in Depth
