Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

  • Welcome
    • Prayer Cycle
      • Introduction to the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle
      • Day 1 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Cathedral
      • Day 2 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Scriptures
      • Day 3 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Saints
      • Day 4 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Spiritual Directors
      • Day 5 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Icon
      • Day 6 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Sacrament
      • Day 7 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Liturgy
      • Prayer Cycle Leader Resources
    • About the Abbey
    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
    • About the Wisdom Council
    • Monk Manifesto
    • Join the Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks
    • Subscribe to Our Love Notes
    • Website privacy notice
  • Books
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
    • Music + DVD
    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
    • Poetry Videos
    • Dancing Monk Icons
    • Other Art Collaborations
      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Walk the Ancient Paths: Pilgrimage
      • Monk in the World (Ireland)
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Poetry and the Sacred Garden of the World (Ireland)
      • Vienna Monk in the World (Austria)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
    • Live Programs and Spiritual Retreats
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color
      • The Way of the Hermit:
        A Spiritual Survival Guide for Dark Times
        with Kayleen Asbo, PhD
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers (Lent 2021)
      • Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life (Spring 2021)
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
  • Calendar
  • Reflections
  • Contact

Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Michele Chung

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Michele Chung's reflection, "Always We Begin Again."

I first learned about this phrase “begin again” right here on Abbey of the Arts. It is the best piece of wisdom for a recovering perfectionist like me. The idea to “begin again” gave me permission to stop the incessant self-criticism and this obsession to dwell on my latest “failed” attempts. It reminded me to focus on moving forward in my journey.

Growth is often a dance that takes three steps forward and two steps back.  Last year, I started a new job, lost the job, and moved out of the house we’ve stayed at for 8 years. Changes abound. After the dust settled, I had more time, and started to draw and paint again. It’s challenging to return to a craft after being away for so long. I’ve forgotten even the most basic skills. While re-learning all of the elementary lessons, doubts crept in. Can I ever recover my muse? Perhaps I was a “one-hit wonder” and my best works were long behind me. I felt defeated. Now then, how do I move forward? Always, we begin again.

Beginning again wiped clean my own expectations and gave me the permission to just be a “beginner.”  As such, I had nothing to lose, and nothing to prove. Eventually, I regained my creative confidence, and entered my artworks into a local art show. Although my works have been accepted by the show in the past, this time, they were rejected. Once more,doubts and disappointments snuffed out all of my creativity. I was depressed, and lost my desire to paint. Every stroke felt like a step towards failure.

What I didn’t realize was that the rejection was a perfect way to work through my tendency to look for outside approval. After the death of rejection, always, we begin again. This time, I had a better understanding of my innate desire to create beauty. I create because it is my pursuit and expression of beauty. People's feedback still affects me, but they no longer hold much importance.

As we begin again, we shed off the burdens of the previous day’s success, failures, compliments and criticisms.  We begin again in freedom to enjoy the journey itself. The journey is made up of many small steps. As I continued to draw and paint, I realized that each of my artwork is a culmination of the many hours I’ve spent in observation and practice. The process involved both successful and unsuccessful moments. However, every step I take, I’m building on top of all of these experiences.  I’ve benefited from my “bad” days as well as the “good” days. Each step contributed to my growth. As I consistently learn to “begin again” I’ve seen breakthroughs and growth in my works – often when I least expect them.

Being faithful is a key element of growth. With any growing process, we can only develop lasting change if we persist and participate in that process. Learning to begin again has helped me deal with disappointments, rejections and burn out. When I feel discouraged, and want to throw in the towel – always we begin again. I can return to that place of being an absolute novice, and enjoy the childlike wonder in discovery and play. After all, it is that curiosity and joy that first drew me into the creative world, and that is a great place to be.


Michele loves creating, reading and learning about all things contemplative. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and a house full of books. Currently, she’s focusing on developing her artistic and writing skills. You can find her writings at mzchele.wordpress.com, and her artworks  on Instragram: @imagochele.

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Leave a Comment April 25, 2018

Upcoming Programs

The Way of the Hermit:
A Spiritual Survival Guide for Dark Times

January 22-24, 2021
with Kayleen Asbo, PhD

The Spiral Way:
Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination

Hosted by the Rowe Center
February 1-21, 2021
with Christine Valters Paintner, PhD

Recent Reflections

  • Humility + Join us today for live prayer! ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales 2: Tús maith leath na hoibre – by John Valters Paintner
  • New Book Club for 2021: Lift Every Voice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales One: Dia dhuit, is mise Hildy! by John Valters Paintner, Your Online Prior
  • Celebrate the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle podcast with us!

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