"An artist is not a special kind of person; rather each person is a special kind of artist."- Ananda Coomaraswamy

A friend, mentor, artist and spiritual sage, Sr. Madeleva opened her "Art and Contemplation" class with the above quote. Her down to earth approach to life and warm hospitality created a safe space for childlike exploration. She invited participants to close our eyes, take a few deep relaxing breaths and settle in, as she led us through a guided meditation. Next she read a passage from the book "Care of the Soul" by Thomas Moore.

Thus began our time together with splashes paint onto the desktop followed by swirling our paper to soak up color. Magical shapes formed as colors blended into one another. Interesting patterns emerged to spur the imagination and delight our souls as Sr. Madaleva bubbled over with joyful enthusiasm.

Madaleva shares her wisdom through the lens of art. She cautioned us to never discard something that we were working on because we had made a mistake. I recall her saying that art is a lot like life. It's messy; often things run together and turn brown and mucky like mud. However, she encouraged,  just work with it and don't get give up. If you make a mistake allow it to transform into something of a deeper more beautiful quality. I absolutely love her analogy and find it to be a great spiritual truth that I carry with me. 

Most people have this mistaken belief that being creative or artistic is beyond their reach. I dabble in paint because of the satisfaction that accompanies self expression. I've also learned that it is a journey and with practice and experimentation one's skill gradually improves.  Whatever your passion, be curious, get acquainted and let it teach you something new about yourself. We all have differing gifts that we can intentionally cultivate. 

I have found that writing these little essays for the JSW or offering a comment is a great way to discover more about myself. I often feel as if each one was written especially for me (and I hope this is true for each of you). I reflect on the connections in my own experiences and aspire to integrate the pearls of wisdom into my life. I am grateful to Erie Chapman for creating a forum for meaningful conversation as well as for the friendships and encouragement that has blossomed in this community.

Nurturing something you are passionate about is also a spiritual discipline. What do you do when you are not feeling inspired, when the blank page intimidates rather that excites? As with life, we persevere, we put one foot in front of the other, while honoring our experience, until energy shifts and space opens again for the Spirit to flow through us in an expansive way. 

Liz Sorensen Wessel
Watercolor by Liz