A Generous Spirit
we are kindred spirits, both in how we think and how we pursue meaning — like someone with their hair on fire pursues a pond. Sarah’s line of questioning is thorough. She does not let you take the easy way out. If you are going to become an artist, if you are going to pursue a life of meaning, you must travel to a place of great vulnerability. But do not worry, you are in the hands of a competent guide who will take you through the beautiful questions one by one. Sarah provides you with her own thoughts and conclusions on what it means to live fully, on the potential of art to heal, and on how it can inspire us to “make sense of our experience.” This book is a beautiful journey through the landscape of an artist questioning her role and contribution to society. The themes presented will probably be familiar to artists and creative people: among others, a deep questioning of the merger of art and commerce, asking how we can use art to better our communities, exploring how we can use art to heal and find meaning, and more. You are in the expert hands of a deeply contemplative and thoughtful soul who will take you thoroughly through this questioning process only to emerge on the other side with some incredible gifts. During the course of the journey you will be exposed to an amazing number of writers, artists, and creative thinkers who will provide you with plenty of research material for your own explorations. As I write this we are living in the midst of a global pandemic. My family and I fled the US to Canada (my home country). We are very lucky to have had a way out. The situation in the US is worsening every day and people are struggling to survive. Wildfires are burning on the west coast causing thousands to flee their homes. People are losing their jobs and not able to pay their rents due the pandemic. The Black Lives Matter protests have grown all over the world. People have taken to the streets to say, “Enough is enough. We will not stand for racism and discrimination any longer!” There is an increased sense of hopelessness and rates of depression are through the roof. The federal government is doing nothing to help the people. None of us could have imagined just a year ago how much the world could change in such a short time. The American dream (which Sarah specifically mentions as distinctly problematic) is literally failing right in front of our eyes. The things that people have been aspiring to for so long (money, success, fame) have proven to be empty and lacking in the meaning that is so needed to have a soulful existence. Now is a time for re-evaluating, and re-imagining a better life. As Sarah says, “many have begun to seek images for a better life, one that is kinder and more sustainable, where there is less 12
