Hi! I'm Mary.
I am a creative soul, laughing!
I'm also a mixed-media artist, teacher, a certified spiritual director, and a priest ordained in the independent catholic movement. 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 greater flourishing. Although my official title is “spiritual director,” a better description of my role is an anam cara, which means “soul friend.”
After receiving my certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Ignatian Spiritual Institute at John Carroll University in Cleveland Ohio, I went back to school to dig deeper into my understanding of how God shows up in our lives. I earned a Masters’ Degree in Theology at John Carroll, and taught college level courses on the intersection of creative expression and spirituality.
I invite women to release toxic theological beliefs, find a new path back to an authentic, healthy relationship with the Divine, and embrace what feeds their soul. I work with women one-on-one to sort through old beliefs and embrace new understandings using a framework based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. I bring creative expression into the spiritual journey, when appropriate, as a way to gain clarity.
Click here to schedule a complimentary thirty-minute time to talk with me about where you are on your spiritual journey and where you want to go.
My art retreats and online offerings offer a mix of self-reflection and artful play designed to guide women to deeper levels of self-trust. During my offerings, women are empowered to turn toward that which is deepest within them rather than waiting for external permission and approval. We explore compelling concepts that make our minds come alive and then drop into our heart space to create images that bubble up from those concepts. Good stuff!
When I’m not making a colorful mess in my art studio, you can find me hiking to waterfalls, snap-chatting with my four grown children, or reading in my pjs on rainy days.
I believe that through creative expression, women find their own voice and learn to express it in a joyful and soul-nourishing way.
creative soul, laughing
Why is creative expression so important to me?
It has something to do with endless piles of laundry…
Many, many years ago, in the basement while folding laundry (seems I was always folding laundry), I was finally able to name the feeling that I had been carrying with me for so long: DESPAIR.
I dragged that feeling with me as I carried the clean laundry back up the stairs and filled the dresser drawers again. I dragged it behind me as I vacuumed the floors and put away toys. Despair was in my shopping cart at the grocery store and packed in the bags I loaded in my trunk. It was on the countertops, wiped clean again and again after every meal prepared and eaten.
I wondered if this was all there was to life. The heaviness of despair sapped my energy; I was always tired. It sucked all the joy out of my days. Nothing stayed clean. Nothing stayed finished. No one stayed fed. The next morning, it started all over again. I felt like I was walking up a hill of sand. Every step seemed to bring with it a bit of a backwards slide.
My naming the feeling of despair allowed me to see beyond it. Surely, there was more to life than laundry. There is more to life than motherhood. There must be more. More joy. More aliveness.
And then, I discovered a measure of creative joy through scrapbooking and art journaling. Creativity brings me joy!
- Creating gives me that sense of more.
- Creating stays done!
- Creating brings me an opportunity to play and try new things!
- Creating allows me to make my own decisions without checking with anyone else first (it’s only paper!)
- Creating fills me up like a delicious big meal.
- Creating nourishes my soul, allows me to tap into my inner wisdom, and discover images and metaphors that bring clarity on my spiritual journey.
That’s why I try to engage in creativity every day! If it helped me find my way out of that feeling of despair, maybe it can help you too.
If you want to figure how to weave more creativity into your day, have a look around my website, connect with me on social media, or contact me below and let me know how I can help you get started!
a couple of fun facts about me!
Kaba
I have the world’s cutest dog. I may be biased. Kaba is a miniature labradoodle. He’s been with us for 12 years and is still excited to see me every time I come home. He is my morning walking buddy.
I’ve rediscovered poetry
I love reading it, not so much writing it. Especially poems by Mary Oliver. And Julia Fehrenbacher and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. Some poets can say so much with such few words, it is amazing. I also love incorporating text elements in my artwork, either like this example, or by using old book pages as collage bits.
I love hiking!
We’re taking a break on a hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. I love the smell of forests! I’m always lagging behind because I stop to take pictures of all the mountain views and colorful wildflowers.
For too many years, I avoided moving my body. Now, after have a couple of major joint replacements, I have embraced movement as an important part of self-care, and try to get out for a hike or a bike ride a couple of times a week.
Questions? Comments?
Click below!