Christine Valters Paintner is an artmonk

[part of the “__ is an artmonk” series]

One of the Art Monastery’s spiritual teachers, Dr. Joel Levey, just forwarded me a link to the Abbey of the Arts, the “virtual monastery” of Christine Valters Paintner OblSB, PhD, REACE.

What I read on Paintner’s site resonates with so many of the conversations we have been having at the Art Monastery Project for the past three years (not to mention, this morning). More importantly, it gives those conversations acute clarity and voice. It gives me, in the words of Joel’s partner Michelle, “truth bumps.”

This feels deeply timely for us artmonks. We just wrapped a 4-day visioning retreat and are stepping into a 7-day silent Jesuit retreat on the Rule of St. Augustine this Saturday. We’ve been sharing resources on various monastic rules (of Augustine, Benedict, etc.), with a view to concocting our very own Art Monastic Rule.

Did I mention that she has written books called:

• Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness,
• Lectio Divina: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
• The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom?

Or that she is offering a course called “Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist” that begins January 17th 2011, the day we wrap up our second Artmonk Retreat in Joshua Tree, CA (which is being led by Joel & Michelle Levey)?