Has anyone ever accused you of or should I say ‘complemented you’ for being a generous artist? A generous person? I certainly hope so because generosity is one of the most rarely cultivated qualities I can think of. If you want to cultivate a beautiful life, nurturing generosity in your heart, mind and life is an absolutely essential practice. Generosity is the rare wild flower that blooms after all the spring grasses of good intentions have wilted under the summer heat of our selfish preoccupations.

You and I all know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of another’s generosity. Oh how good it feels to be noticed, appreciated, and gifted by a generous soul. Today, I want to encourage you to be a generous artist. If you’re not an artist, you can certainly practice the art of generosity. I also want to be generous with you.  I have a free gift, a beautiful book meant to be shared with others…

Generosity begins with an abundance mindset that says, “Hey, there’s enough here at the table for everyone, so I’m not afraid to share.” And if there’s not enough at the table, a generous person trusts that God will provide what’s lacking. Allow me to digress: I grew up in an Irish-Catholic family of seven kids. On Friday evenings at the dinner table during Lent, it was a nasty cat fight scrambling to grab that last fish-stick in the pan! I can’t remember giving up selfishness for Lent??

What makes generosity a difficult quality to practice is that generosity requires risk and humility. Generosity risks giving away time, expertise, money, encouragement, and help when it’s human nature to be selfish and to look out for me-me-me first. So, the person who is generous is a risk-taker who believes that more fruit will grow through the scattered seeds of generosity.

And let me tell you, farming is oh-so uncertain. Scattering seeds of generosity requires so much faith, trust and hope into things unseen.

Generosity also requires humility because its very nature does not seek attention or praise for the act of giving. It’s risky to give when others may challenge our motive for giving. Generosity also requires a humble boldness that will give in spite of what others may think of our giving. The spotlight is often shined on the generous giver, which often makes giving an awkward endeavor.

How we give also says a lot about the condition of our heart. If you and I expect a ‘thank you’ every time we are generous or we are rudely offended by someone’s ungratefulness, we have to ask ourselves, “Am I really generous? Did I really give expecting nothing in return? Was ‘giving’ a gift enough or was I expecting something more? Am I acting entitled or truly humble?”

So how are you at cultivating the rare practice of generosity?

Are you generous with praise and encouragement? Are you generous with your time? Are you generous when you’re inconvenienced? Are you generous with your art, skill and craft? Are you generous with your money? Are you a generous artist?

I have a very wealthy friend who’s not an artist, but he’s one of the most generous people I know. He is always asking how he can give more because he knows he can never out-give God. I also know other people who aren’t wealthy in financial terms, but are extremely generous with their time, their art, hospitality, counsel and prayers for others. There’s lots of way to cultivate and practice generosity. Some creativity required.

At The Grove Center for the Arts & Media, generosity is one of our three ‘G’s’. (Grove Gatherings, Getaways, & Generosity). We practice generosity with artists because God has been generous with us. We have a twelve acre organic lemon and avocado grove because someone was generous with us. You can read the Grove Story here. In all of this, our goal is to encourage artists to be generous artists. What would our lives look like if we viewed every day as a gift from God and each moment, a chance to be generous as He is generous?

Since we value generosity, after some thought and prayer, we’ve decided to give away Create: Transforming Stories of Art, Life & Faith for free. It’s not that we have a bunch of money…we don’t. Nor do we believe that you should never get paid for your art or that you need to give everything away for free. We just know this is a very good and very cool book created by artists we respect…we just have to share it!

We also know God is generous. Since we’re made in His image, generosity is simply practicing who He is. In agricultural terms, it’s called sowing and reaping.

Generosity works.

And sow, we’re offer you this beautiful, award-winning ebook. It’s yours for free. Create is filled with wonderful essays, beautiful digital artwork, and compelling videos.

When you get your free copy, all we’re asking is that you be… generous. Share it with your friends. Write a review on Amazon, iTunes, or Barnes & Noble. Share it on your blog or website. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Pinterest. Linkedin. Forward this email to a friend. Scatter some seed. In other words, be generous. Together, we can create a grove of generosity.

Let’s see what happens! (We do love an adventure…)

And if you enjoy Create, we’d like to ask you to consider making a donation to The Grove Center for the Arts & Media. 100% of your tax-deductible donation will go towards our Artist Grant & Scholarship Fund. (Click here to donate via Paypal). Any gift, small or large, is greatly appreciated.

Your generosity will help us be generous with artists! It will scatter some good seed into their lives and help us keep doing what we’re called to do: Cultivating the spiritual growth and creative work of artists.

And cultivating generosity is something we’re always going to keep practicing.

Click here to get your free copy of Create: Transforming Stories of Art, Life & Faith right now.

Questions: Tell me a story when someone was generous with you? As an artist, how can you create a better world by practicing generosity?

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I’ve always told my kids, “If you never ask, the answer is always ‘no’.” I’ve also met many, many artists who are afraid of the art of asking. Asking for the sale. Asking for constructive criticism. Asking for the deal. Asking for assistance. Asking for the interview. Asking for some outrageous type of help from someone far more famous or important than them. As an artist, how well do you excel in the art of asking?

In this insightful TED talk, controversial artist and musician, Amanda Palmer shares her story about the art of asking. She became a Kickstarter poster-girl after walking away from her label and set her goal of raising $100,000 for her next recording project…BOOM! She raised over a million bucks! Read on…

Whether or not you like Amanda’s music, art or antics, she tells some wonderful and poignant stories about the art of asking. If you’re afraid to ask others for anything related to your work as an artist (or if you know someone else…”I have a friend who…”), then take 18 minutes of your time to listen to Amanda Palmer and the Art of Asking.

She just may give you the kickstart you need.

If you want another viewpoint about Amanda’s Kickstarter campaigns, here’s another perspective from one of my favorite magazines, Wired (The Art of Asking Why We Hate Amanda Palmer).

My friends, as artists, if we never ask, the answer will always be a resounding “NO!”. (Click here if you’d like to Tweet this.)

Questions: What did Amanda say in this TED talk that you found inspiring? In what ways have you benefited in the art of asking? What keeps you from excelling in the art of asking?

I’d love your comments and feedback.

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One of the greatest challenges facing followers of Christ today is the challenge of staying spiritually awake. I believe it is the core component to cultivating a beautiful life in Christ. Personally, when I strip away all the layers, conflicts and issues I face, staying spiritually awake–yes, alive and aware to the living, loving presence of God–this is the great challenge to my spiritual life in Christ. I recently wrote about my new favorite book, An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling. In his remarkable first book, Alan quotes from another favorite author of mine, Richard Rohr from The Naked Now. This section about staying spiritually awake I found particularly helpful. I hope you find the following thoughts encouraging as well…

Alan notes that Richard Rohr used a number of phrases to describe the nature of contemplation, of staying spiritually awake. Rohr’s words are in bold print, with Alan’s thoughts following. To stay spiritually awake…

“I drop to a level deeper than the passing show.”
We’re tempted to call that “passing show” real life, but it isn’t really. All of the megaconcerns on the surface level are insignificant in light of the eternal reality God’s people know. Some things that have me incredibly worried here and now would not even register in my consciousness if I were more aware of the Father’s eternal kingdom. To gain that awareness–to be able to live my life on two planes–I can choose to deal with the realities at hand with continual prayer, with a mind and heart set on higher things, with an eternal perspective.

“I become the calm seer of my dramas from that level.”
Some of these descriptions sound like the work I’ve done in therapy where I recognize some of the childish and adolescent emotions within me, becoming separate enough from them to discern them and choose, instead, to live from a mature, adult perspective. I can experience a peace that does not reflect the stir of the surface, but comes from a deeper place.

“I watch myself compassionately from a little distance, almost as if the ‘myself’ is someone else–’a corpse,’ as St. Francis put it.”
To “watch myself compassionately from a little distance” sounds so inviting. It would be dying to the “me” that has been misshapen in this God-disregarding world. I would learn to live less on autopilot. I would learn to care for those immature parts of myself that are anxious and fearful about life. I would make some space within where I could receive God’s affection and take it deeply in.

“I dis-identify with my own emotional noise, and no longer let it pull me here and there, up and down.”
My feelings, though real, aren’t to be my primary reality. My feelings are noisy, they are demanding, they are pushy–but they aren’t the last word. I need not be trapped in emotional noise. I don’t need to try to escape from my emotions or numb myself to them, but I can stop handling the reins of my life other to them. I can choose instead to live my life under the mighty yet gentle reign of Christ.

Alan offers so many wonderful thoughts here. I have picked up this one page several times to reread and reflect on the truth of what he writes. You can purchase An Unhurried Life from the Amazon affiliate link below.

Questions: Can you relate to Richard’s and Alan’s words here? What helps you stay spiritually awake?

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(I often receive email responses to my posts. Though I read and respond to every email, I’d like to ask you to respond here on my blog so others can participate in the conversation.)

See larger image An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus' Rhythms of Work and Rest (Paperback) By (author) Alan Fadling List Price: $15.00 USD New From: $8.64 In Stock Used from: $8.67 In Stock

I am slowly learning the art of letting go. In the past month, my oldest daughter Janae became engaged to the love of her life. I’m learning to let go of my daughter. After three months of hard work cutting down avocado trees at The Grove, I now have weeds to cut and lemon trees to prune! I’m learning to let go of the idea that my work on the property will ever be finished. I am also in the midst of difficult business and creative challenges. I’m learning to let go of certain things I have no control over. If anyone has ever said to you, “Oh, you just need to let it go,” even if you feel like slapping them, there’s still wisdom in their words.

The art of letting go is the scary, but most secure path to true spiritual and emotional freedom. It is an art form, not in the traditional sense, because it requires constant practice, experimentation, and creativity.

To find peace and contentment, we have to ask ourselves, “How do I best cultivate the art of letting go?”

What do I mean by the vague, ephemeral phrase of “letting go”? A few familiar words come to mind…

Surrender. Relinquish. Give up. Abandon. Release. You may have a few words of your own.

You and I live in a world where we are told, trained and indoctrinated to gain, acquire, possess, control and hang onto things that come with the overt message that these things will bring us life! Buy the new car. The vacation home. The new dress. Get the job. Find the right spouse. Build up the nest egg. Be debt-free. Gain the respect and approval of others.

You and I know that there’s nothing inherently wrong in any of these things. They just don’t give us the life our hearts and souls are really thirsting for.

So, when there’s conflict…or when a dream is dashed…or someone disapproves of us…or all that hard work doesn’t pay off…or you discover you’re sick…you can begin to live in one of three extremes…

What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with them? What’s wrong with God?

I don’t find these questions very useful because they put us at odds with ourselves, others or God.

Enter the lost art of letting go.

Why is it a lost art?

Because letting go is a continual learning process. And until we realize that we’re hanging onto something that we thought we’d bring us sort of life or fulfillment, we’re lost. Becoming adept at any art form is a continual process of learning and practice. In our art, our life and our faith.

Life doesn’t always resolve itself. Tension doesn’t always go away.

Which is why trust. Faith. Hope. And learning the art of letting go are so necessary.

There’s great freedom in not having everything all figured out.

If you take the posture of a learner, you position yourself for exciting new discoveries and “Aha!” moments.

And in the eminent words of the great theologian, Forrest Gump, “That’s all I got to say about that.”

Questions: I don’t want to hand out any tips or tricks today…what do you have to say about the art of letting go? What does it look like in your life?

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What haven’t you done in a long time? I recently asked myself this question. I surprised myself with what popped into my mind. I haven’t been to the mission in a long time. The mission I’m referring to is the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Founded by Fr. Junipero Serra in 1776, the “Jewel of the Missions” has long held a special place in my life. It is a timeless place filled with beautiful gardens, amazing old architecture and ruins, quiet fountains and high-quality art. It has been a central place in my quest of cultivating a beautiful life. Raised Irish-Catholic, I used to feed the pigeons there as a kid. Returning as an adult, I came for altogether completely, more urgent reasons. Read on…

It had been a long time since I paid this old friend a visit. Well over a year. Busy and hurried in favor of lesser things, I was like the guy in high school who dumps the beautiful girlfriend while all the other guys are saying, “Whaa?!! What were you thinking!” Today, I want to encourage you to do something you haven’t done in a long time. Something…anything…that renews your heart, mind and spirit.

A bit of backstory is in order. If you’ve read my book, The Longing: Embracing the Deepest Truth of Who You Are, you know that I suffered with chronic pain in my wrists for ten years. Absolutely kicked my ass-umptions about who I thought I was. In the summer of 2000, all that pain culminated in a two and a half month fog of depression, anxiety, and pain as my writing career died a slow, unwanted death. (It was from the seeds of this very broken season that The Longing and the ministry of The Grove were eventually born.)

As part of my restoration process, I began to visit the mission to pray and soak in the beauty of the place. Just sitting alone in the gardens or in the chapel or next to a fountain for an hour or two helped lift the pain and fog that had long overtaken residence in my life like a couple loud and nasty visiting relatives who smoked too much and controlled the TV clicker.

It was two years later in the mission gardens when God spoke to my heart about developing a retreat center for the arts and creativity. It was a calling I couldn’t ignore. Something I’d definitely not planned on or dreamed of. But three weeks later, also very unexpectedly, 12 acres of organic lemons and avocados were donated for developing The Grove Retreat Center (you can read about it here…we have some amazing renderings). The mission gardens became a place where my small staff and I often met to pray, sharing our life and ministry together.

Fast forward to this week. It had been well over a year since I’d visited the mission. I even had let my family membership card expire (How dare…a mortal sin I know!). So it wasn’t until I received a brand spanking new copy of my friend’s new book, An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling, that the idea of revisiting the mission had even entered my mind. As you know, I’ve been a busy bee at The Grove trimming lemon trees, chainsawing down 75 avocado trees, and cultivating what no man is meant to do alone (at least this one).

Alan’s book and Jesus are now really messing with me. I love Alan’s opening line “I’m a recovering speed addict–and I don’t mean the drug.” I so relate to that. In An Unhurried Life, Alan challenges our life-draining culture that is addicted and attached to busyness, speed, and a soul-killing pace of life by offering a needed alternative…

Following Jesus’ rhythms of work and rest.

I am devouring this book and it has provoked me to make a few life-giving changes.

Like asking myself, “What is something I haven’t done in a long time?”

And so I went to the mission. To pray. Unplug. Detach. Commune with God. Listen to a gurgling fountain. Write in my journal. Take photos. Absorb the beauty.

All the rest took care of itself.

How about you? What is something you haven’t done in a long time?

It’s a question worth answering.

Questions: You know what I’m going to say, right? What is something you haven’t done in a long time? And what are you going to do about it?

(The first five people to respond to this question will receive a free copy of An Unhurried Life. This is a great book…below is an Amazon Affiliate link if you’d like to purchase now.)

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Designed to reflect our simple ministry focus of Grove Gatherings, Getaways, & Generosity, you’ll find easy navigation that reflects our work of cultivating the spiritual growth and creative work of artists.

On the new Grove website, you can…

• Discover how The Grove was started (a pretty incredible and surprising story)
• See beautiful renderings of The Grove Retreat Center (our dream for creating a retreat center for art in the Church)
• Learn WHY we cultivate the spiritual growth and creative work of artists
• Learn about Grove Gatherings & register for Grove Getaways
• Read about Grove Generosity, Artist Funding & Creative Coaching
• Donate to the Artist Scholarship & Grant Fund
• Order Grove Resources
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, & our Blog

Our new site is photo-rich with dozens of pictures of our Grove property, Gatherings, Getaways and our artist community here in Southern California. We will also provide regular updates through our Grove Facebook Page. We plan on offering you new resources and support as an artist in the days ahead.

I hope you’ll stop by soon and give us a visit. Let me know what you think of the new site and how we can serve you.

If you like, you can Tweet This now: Visit The Grove Center for the Arts & Media new website. They cultivate the spiritual growth & creative work of artists. (Thanks for sharing!)

Questions: What do you do to cultivate your spiritual growth and creative work?

I’d love your comments and feedback.

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I recently read A Global Perspective, a fascinating interview in the LA Times with theater director, Peter Sellars. Sellars is an UCLA professor of world arts and culture where he teaches Art as Social Action and Art as Moral Action. ​

When asked, “You’ve said that ‘art over the past 25 years has failed to humanize the country.’ How do think it can accomplish that?”​ Read on…

Sellars offers a fascinating response regarding the humanities, justice, creativity, making powerful transformations in our lives and in this world.​

Let’s put it positively, because God knows there’s enough negativity in the world. The humanities were systematically removed from the menu of most Americans. So the result is you get a less humane civilization, and a society where torture is routine and we’re surrounded by every kind of petty and large-scale injustice. And we’ve all learned not to comment on it, not to make an issue of it, just to keep our heads down and keep moving.  And that’s so not American and so looking out for anyone else. And it’s deliberately neutering your own personal justice sensors.​

And of course the humanities are all about activating your justice sensors and also about the empowerment of not just sitting there but actually realizing we’re all on Earth to be creative, to change things, to make powerful transformation in our lives and the world around us. And right now we are in such deep, deep, deep waters, and the only solution are going to be the creative ones. And creativity is the very thing that has been removed from the school system. And that is shocking.”

Questions: Do you agree with Sellars? Why or why not? How do the humanities (literature, art, theater, etc.) humanize us and develop our understanding of justice?

I’d love your thoughts and comments.

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The Sixth Commandment says, “Thou shall not kill.”

Do you have a lurking dream killer in the darkened closets of your heart and mind? The voices of well-meaning (and not-so-well-meaning) parents, friends, colleagues, and critics who squash your artistic dreams in favor of pragmatism.

Beware the lurking dream killers in your life.

You are not alone. Joseph had a whole family of dream killers.

Revisit your dreams today. Re-engage your imagination.

Dreaming and your imagination are gifts from God.

Dream today in massive, biblical proportions.

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In my desire, struggle and journey to cultivate a beautiful life, one of the most helpful things I’ve learned to bring me peace is this simple truth: Leave all outcomes to God. In our work, life and relationships, if we want peace, we need to let go of our illusions of control and leave all outcomes to God.

Thomas Merton, one of my favorite spiritual writers, drives home this point when he writes about work and play. Read on…

In a letter he wrote to a friend, Merton said this…

Do not push too hard with the work, God will take care of everything, and will give you strength to do all that needs to be done. The rest is in His hands. Realize yourself to be entirely in His love and his care and worry about nothing. In these days you should be carried by Him toward your destination, and do what you do more as play than as work, which does not mean that it is not serious: for the most serious thing in the life of a Christian is play. The seriousness of Christian play is the only genuine seriousness.

Did you get that?

The most serious thing in the life of a Christian is play?!

For the uptight, starched underwear, religious legalists, “play” is the domain of the shallow-minded, lukewarm Christian who cares nothing for God’s word, the defense of truth and obligation to duty.

Play and what Merton is getting at, is really something far deeper than religious duty. It is the posture and position of living in complete freedom as a beloved child of God.

Playful trust in our loving, generous Father, who knows all outcomes and holds all outcomes in the palm of His hand, is seriously far deeper than swimming in the shallow waters of control and pride-filled religiosity.

Take a playful approach to leaving all outcomes to God this coming week. You just might be surprised at what will happen.

Questions: What makes it difficult for you to leave all outcomes to God? How do you experience freedom in Christ when you leave all outcomes to Him?

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What you believe matters and what you believe can lead the way to cultivating a beautiful life. If you want to lead and inspire others to action, you need to revisit “Why” you’re doing what you’re doing. Read on…

Here is a wonderful and inspiring TED talk by Simon Sinek. In this 18 minute video, he shows how Steve Jobs, the Wright Brothers, and Martin Luther King, Jr. became great leaders based upon the “Why?” of what they were doing.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy WHY you do it.” Simon Sinek
(Click here if you’d like to Tweet this.)

Here is 18 minutes of inspiration for your coming weekend.

Questions: How did this video challenge what you believe and how you take action on what you believe? How might you become a better leader today?

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