I am delighted to have a guest post up at Anam Cara, the spiritual direction site run by the delightful Tara Owens.  Tara asked me to write about “art, delight, and the spiritual life” and here is an excerpt: When Tara asked me to write about art, delight, and the spiritual life it was really that word “delight” which shimmered for me. Summer for me is a season of savoring sweetness and delight, of relishing the gift of abundance as I walk through our weekly farmer’s market or watch my dog romp and play in wide open fields or cherish long

The lovely Claudia Mairs Burney who hosted my article on The Artist Begins Again and Again also invited me to an “innerview” on the practice of lectio divina.  Here is an excerpt: What do these sacred words do for the soul? Words can illuminate our hearts; they contain the seeds of invitation to cross a new threshold.  Words ripen within us.  We can receive a word and not realize its full impact for our lives for a long while until one day we suddenly see things differently. I often find lines of poems singing in my heart for months after

Image Journal is one of my favorite resources for integrating art, faith, and mystery. Produced by the fine people at Seattle Pacific University and hosts of the wonderful annual Glen workshop (which I have had the joy of attending twice before), I am thrilled to read this beautifully-written review of The Artist’s Rule in their latest email newsletter: The Artist’s Rule, by Christine Valters Paintner, is a work of deft matchmaking between two human archetypes: the monk and the artist. As a Benedictine oblate and spiritual director, Paintner has the gifts needed to distill the wisdom of an ancient monastic

Claudia Mairs Burney is the Abbess at the lovely Sunshine Abbey where I have a guest post today on the wisdom of beginning again: As artists and creative people we are filled with the best of intentions.  We have big visions and a longing to express ourselves freely and fully. We begin a project – whether writing a book, painting a canvas, or composing a song – with enthusiasm and full of confidence.  Then somewhere along the way we find our energy waning, and the artwork we once felt such delight in has now become a source of vexation.  It hangs over

The lovely Claire over at A Catholic Woman’s Place has posted a review of The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul through Monastic Wisdom and has some really wonderful things to say.  Here is an excerpt: It is one of the best books I have read in the past decade, one of these works which is a seeker’s and a blogger’s dream: it is filled with idea of reflections, meditations, and quotes that trigger self-exploration and self-understanding. I do not want to tell you all that is inside this book. I would like you to be surprised and enchanted by

Stop by my latest guest post at the fabulous Bliss Chick on The Creative Soul as a Monk in the World. Monastic Wisdom to Nurture Creative Rhythms We have probably all had those times when the creative work just isn’t flowing like we want it to and it seems like such hard work to push forward.  I find a great deal of wisdom in monastic spirituality for creative flourishing. The Seasons of the Day The first is an awareness of the seasons.  Monks traditionally pray what is called the Liturgy of the Hours, gathering together up to seven times each

Dana Reynolds is the wise and gracious presence behind Sacred Life Arts and offers so many amazing resources at her site which are in such harmony with the Abbey’s mission. So it was an absolute delight to have the opportunity to be interviewed by Dana. Abbey of the Arts is also the featured resource for the month of August! Stop by her site to see the post or listen to the interview below.  It is about 50 minutes long, so pour a cup of tea and listen for while.  Then make sure to peruse Dana’s other wonderful resources. [audio:http://www.mediafire.com/?o97uus9be0o1raz] Previous Virtual