Call for Submissions: Art’s Open Door

Art is an open door, a thin place, a whisper, a still small voice, or an all-consuming avalanche of grace, and it leaves us different from how it found us.

Again and again, I’ve witnessed how art is a threshold through which we encounter healing, revelation, connection, mystery, grief, delight, and the divine.

For an upcoming summer guest series on Substack here on Art’s Open Door, I’m inviting members of this community to share personal essays about a time when art opened a door for you.

What I’m looking for

A personal reflection (around 1,000 words) exploring a specific experience of encountering art as a threshold for transformation.

You might write about:

  • A song, painting, poem, film, performance, or work of art that changed you

  • A moment of making art that revealed something unexpected

  • An experience of beauty that awakened wonder, grief, healing, or clarity

  • A creative practice that became prayer, meditation, or spiritual companion

  • A moment when art helped you hear, see, or understand something sacred

Your story does not need to fit a particular theological framework.

Art’s Open Door welcomes reflections from a wide range of spiritual perspectives and lived experiences. What matters most is honesty, specificity, and thoughtful reflection on how art became a point of encounter in your life.

What’s In It For You

Writers whose essays are selected for publication will receive:

  • Publication as a featured guest post in Art’s Open Door

  • A thank-you gift: a complimentary digital copy of my new book or Art Is How God Loves Us 

Submission guidelines

  • Approximately 1,000 words

  • First-person, personal essay

  • Previously unpublished preferred

  • Include a short bio (2–3 sentences)

  • If relevant, feel free to include links to your creative work

  • Include a few pictures (that you are legally allowed to use) in your google doc submission

How to submit

Fill out the Google form below and submit a link to your essay in a Google Doc file (make sure you adjust share permissions) in the message box below.

Please also include a note telling me a little about yourself and what drew you to share this story.

There is something sacred about gathering these stories, and I would be honored to read yours!

Questions? Send an email hello@artistsforjoy.org