I am delighted to share the latest review of The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom at the wonderful site Spirituality and Practice. Here is a brief excerpt:
Evidencing the same creative flair we saw in her book of spiritual insights into the elements, Paintner has now fashioned a twelve-week journey on the interplay between creativity, the contemplative path, and monastic wisdom. . . Paintner wants us to experience the joys of our inner monk and artist. These two parts of ourselves share a capacity for seeing the world beyond surface appearances; nourishing wonder, awe, and holy curiosity; living on edges and border spaces; and serving the mysteries of the world. . . Paintner has a firm grasp of the material presented here and a vibrant and multidimensional creative ability that brings it all to life. Her mystical perspective is very appealing. She ends the book on a high and holy note:
“The way of the monk is to bring full presence to each breath, gesture, moment, action, or encounter. The path of the artist is to find beauty in the world and to give it form and expression. When we weave them together we create a life full of richness and possibility.”
