I just discovered this lovely book, The Artist’s Rule: a Twelve-Week Journey: nurturing your creative soul with monastic wisdom by Christine Valters Paintner. I was not familiar with Paintner’s work in the past, but I am looking forward to reading it now! Paintner also has a lovely website: http://abbeyofthearts.com/ where she hosts not only a blog, but several online courses that link creativity and spirituality, including a free course entitled, “Monk in the World,” that encourages you to be more contemplative in your daily life. One thing I love about the book is that her spirituality is solidly Benedictine.
I’m definitely not monk material (there is a big difference between monastic religious life and the active/contemplative religious life), but we share a lot, and many of the monastic practices that Paintner highlights are things that I use in my own creativity, such as sacred rhythms, humility, obedience, etc.
Once I finish the book, I will put up a review. But even at first glance, it looks good for those of us who seek to deepen our connection between our creative and spiritual life. (You can find The Artist’s Rule at our Pauline Book & Media Centers in the US and Canada.) If you’ve read it, or are already familiar with Paintner’s work, I’d love to hear your thoughts about her approach and if it’s helped you grow in your own creativity and artistic vocation.
[...] October, I posted about a new book by Christine Valters Paintner entitled, The Artist’s Rule: a Twelve-Week [...]