| This research study explored the creative process and activities of religious leaders who engage in art-making as a spiritual practice. The primary goal of the research was to provide a "thick description" (Geertz, 1973, pp. 3-30) of the experience of art-making as a spiritual practice, per se, as well as to identify how these spiritual leaders understood the effect of the practice upon their leadership. A qualitative study, employing phenomenological, heuristic research methods, the data consisted of hour-long interviews with five spiritual leaders, which were then placed into conversation with journals kept by the researcher, who is also an artist and spiritual leader.;The findings suggest that the practice of art-making serves as a vehicle for personal and communal spiritual development for these religious leaders. The practice requires discipline, preparation, and immersion in process. It involves practicing presence, attending, and embracing vulnerability. Engaging in creative activity as a spiritual practice produces spiritual and bodily shifts which heighten an awareness of interconnectedness. Thus, it makes space for encounter---with oneself, God, and others. Furthermore, the practice of art-making influences how these spiritual leaders understand and embody transformational leadership. |
