The Story of art + soul
"The great work before us is to learn to understand what around and about us and what within us must live, and what must die."
(Clarissa Pinkola Estes)
For nine years, art + soul was a largely an in-person, local, exploratory incubator for intersecting spirituality and creativity. art + soul offered classes, workshops, some retreats and did several interactive public art installations on an eclectic variety of themes illuminating the human spirit. It had a physical space called The Nest on the third floor of an historic church which was packed with creative supplies where people could share quiet, curious space with other creatives.
In March 2020, the day we had an art show opening scheduled at The Nest, the world shut down. The Nest and in-person events simply shuttered. Yet, the first two years of the pandemic surprised us; people were actively seeking authentic, creative, spiritual and meaning-making community in our collective isolation. art + soul grew to be a virtual gathering place for people from all over the world. This virtual gathering hub continues to grow.
And now, as the world continues to navigate change after change, grief after grief, possibility upon possibility, art + soul has shape-shifted. These are the pressing spiritual/human questions that are forming the next chapter for art + soul: In the midst of this shaky ground, all that we do not and cannot know or understand, in the face of such deep Mystery, what is your center? What holds and sustains your spirit's well-being,? What must live in and about and around you, around us, and what must die?
In October 2022, art + soul was retired. In early 2023, I will be launching a virtual community for nurturing the many languages of spiritual imagination. Sifting through many ancient sources of wisdom to both ground and hold, this virtual community will be attentive to emerging or unexpected edges of where the bones of old stories may become the seeds for new ones: new meanings for words, alternative dialects, images and practices of Spirit that call us forth into the wisdom necessary for engaged spiritual well-being.