Life as a Spiritual Path

Life is a spiritual path.  You may have heard people describing how they began their spiritual path, or found a spiritual path, but in reality, they’ve been on that path all along.

You cannot be on any other path except that of spirit, for, as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin noted, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Who is more spiritual?  A devoted monk or a successful businesswoman?  A member of the clergy or a wilderness teacher?  ”Spiritual” is not something you do, it is something you are.  And we are all spiritual beings, regardless of the occupation in which we work or the belief system we’ve chosen.  We are always on a spiritual path.

(This post originally appeared in ACM)

Creative Spark

Unleash Your Inner Artist

A 12-Week Course

based on The Artist’s Way

March 1 – May 24

“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” ~ Rumi

Whether you are an entrepreneur, musician, lawyer, writer, stay-at-home parent or currently unemployed, creativity plays a vital role in your life’s work.

  • Maybe you’ve longed to visit the museums of Paris.
  • Maybe you’ve secretly written poetry for years and are feeling the urge to send it out to the world
  • Maybe you’ve been dreaming of starting your own business.
  • Maybe you’re a manager hoping to inspire your team
  • Maybe you’ve found yourself in need of inspiration these days…

Within each of us, there resides an inner artist.  While some may have been dormant for years, it is not too difficult to brush aside the ashes and discover the still-burning ember that you can use to ignite newpassion and enthusiasm in your life.

Your artistry could be speaking or sculpting, making business decisions, acting or writing…  It doesn’t matter what form of expression you choose; what is imperative is that you express.

Creative Spark: Unleashing Your Inner Artist is a 12 week course that will walk you through The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.  This book sat on my shelf for YEARS before I finally worked my way through it in 2006.  Since then, my whole world has changed, and I wish I would have picked it up sooner!  Now you can join me on a journey to discover your imaginative, inspired self. The work is still yours to do, but I’ll provide support and answer any questions along the way.

See my Courses page for full course description & registration information.

Sunday, February 21st is the last day to lock in your early-bird rate!

MFA Notes: Jack Driscoll

Jack Driscoll described what he attempts to do through writing, “To speak what it feels like to be human.”  As far as I’m concerned, he could have ended his craft talk there and left us with the inspiration and invitation to go forth and attempt it for ourselves.

He encouraged us to “undress” our characters, literally (if that happens to be part of the story) and metaphorically.  To allow the inner-workings of a character’s heart and psyche to be communicated to the reader.  We must know them that intimately.

Jack presented the 3 Ms as a way to avoid writing flat, insipid characters:
1.    Motivation
What compels them? Does the story make it clear why?
2.    Motion
The way the character takes aim at whatever stands in her way.
3.    E/motion
Desire/Trouble/Redemption