Hello! My name is...

I'm Mary and I'm a creative soul, laughing!

Hello! My name is... Mary.

I am a painter who writes.

I am a writer who paints.

I am an ordained priest who prefers to preach in a meadow.

I am a creative soul, laughing.

I’m curious to see how the Divine shows up in and through creative expression both on the canvas and in real life. I love exploring how our spiritual connections can be the fuel that energizes creativity and leads to our greater flourishing.

Maybe you already know all that about me, but I thought I would reintroduce myself and let you know what you can expect now that I’m on Substack.

What you’ll find here:

I write a couple of times a month about the process of creating and the process of living as though everything is sacred. 

Sometimes, my writing explores the discover of new paths back to an authentic, healthy relationship with the Divine, and select bits of goodness that feed my soul. Other times, my writing explores the ups and downs of being a visual artist. Warning: it can be a bumpy ride!

Here are my goals:

• To empower souls to turn toward that which is deepest within us, rather than waiting for permission and approval from external sources, and

• To inspire budding creatives to dive in and find out how good it feels to play with art materials and colors that light us up! You don’t need anyone’s permission to do that either!

I believe that through creative expression, we can find our own voice and learn to express it in a joyful and soul-nourishing way.

What you won’t find here:

I’ve excommunicated myself from the institutionalized church so you won’t find a bunch of rules or doctrine or dogma here. I’m also done throwing rocks in their direction because that is a giant waste of energy. What you will find here are questions, and an openness to wonder and awe. These words from Mary Oliver’s “At the River Clarion” express my sentiment well:

I don’t know who God is exactly.
But I’ll tell you this.
I was sitting in the river named Clarion, on a water splashed stone
and all afternoon I listened to the voices of the river talking.
Whenever the water struck a stone it had something to say,
and the water itself, and even the mosses trailing under the water.
And slowly, very slowly, it became clear to me what they were saying.
Said the river I am part of holiness.
And I too, said the stone. And I too, whispered the moss beneath the water.

If this post landed in your inbox, thanks for the love! If you just found me here, you are most welcome to follow along by subscribing via the button below. I promise you loads of encouragement to tend your soul in a colorful and life-giving way! Please share this with anyone else you think would resonate with my words. 

Thanks for being here!

Join the conversation! Let me know in the comments what kind of encouragement you’d like for your creative spiritual journey.

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