Creativity, Metalsmithing, and Labyrinths with Rev. Robin McGauley

Episode 8 of the Spirituality for Normal People Podcast features an interview with United Church minister Robin McGauley. Robin is a metalsmith, makes amazing art and jewelry, and is also a Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, a faculty member of the Expressive Arts program at the Haliburton School of Art and Design, and a graduate of the Jubilee program in spiritual direction.

We discuss a quote on Robin's website but never get around to actually saying what it is. Here's the quote from Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore

Some things are best done in the dark, including the transformation of raw material into tools and pieces of art. There is a smith in our soul who works the failures and successes of everyday life into eternal shapes that make us who we are. It's not extraordinary, this dark place of heat and hammering, but rather an unspectacular scene of hard work. You might think of your dark night as such a place and realize the importance of keeping it stocked and fired and dim. Your job is to provide the setting and let the divine smith do his work.  

• The importance of craft, artistry, and creativity


• Claiming being creative as part of ministry


• The Metalsmith as a metaphor how God relates to us in times of difficulty or depression.


• Walking through times of sadness


• The “doing” and “being” involved in spiritual practices


• Using a long commute for meditation and prayer


• Noticing God, embodiment, and the incarnation


• What are Labyrinths and how they can be helpful for Spiritual Life

Full show notes, links and resources can be found here