Welcome to The Sacred Art of Living

Last updated on: January 25, 2016 at 4:32 am by Christine Valters Paintner

Welcome to The Sacred Art of Living 2016-01-25T04:32:42-06:00 Christine Valters Paintner

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I am transitioning here on Patheos from my previous infrequent column (Seasons of the Soul) to a more regular blog presence here under the name The Sacred Art of Living. This was actually the first name of my very first blog I started ten years ago and which eventually morphed into my current website Abbey of the Arts. I am delighted to have an opportunity to reclaim this name and identity as a part of my shift, and to make a commitment to sharing reflections here more often. I am also grateful to the editors at Patheos who will be importing some of my old columns into this space.

The regular practice of art-making helps us to cultivate creative ways of being in the world. Ultimately, our greatest creative act is the living of our daily lives. Creativity is about making space and listening deeply to our lives and the world around us, seeing beneath the surface of things to the depth dimension of the world, opening ourselves to the newness that stirs there, cultivating a sense of spontaneity and playfulness, and giving form in a loving and intentional way to our commitments.

Our whole lives are the arenas for creative work and living by giving expression and voice to the vision and newness being birthed within us when we make space to breathe deeply—in our jobs, our relationships, our leisure time, and longing for justice.

My hope is that the regular reflections offered here can help nurture awareness of the ways in which creativity is an essential and life-giving practice that requires spaciousness, attention, and intention for it to flourish, as well as a degree of surrender of our control over the process, listening to intuition and the wisdom of our bodies and feelings, acknowledgement that it is a lifelong journey and process, and a community that helps us to discern the creativity that is waiting to be born into our lives.

There is much wisdom in our spiritual traditions that can help us to cultivate creative ways of being in the world and this will be a place to develop those resources and connections.

What are the practices and resources that help you to nurture the creative life?

Blessings on the unfolding of your creative journey!

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