With spring in the air and Easter on the horizon, progressive spiritual folks need a creative reminder that resurrection existed long before religion baptized it and called it holy. I’d contend today’s political climate is a constant reminder that we need to return to the cycles of nature to ground us in the here and now, beauty and resurrection, year after year.
That’s precisely what Sarah Greenman does in The Creative Alchemy Cycle, a bestselling book that is today’s focus for Belief Behind the Book.
Belief Behind the Book is a feature that gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the beliefs—or what I call “the WHY”—behind books written by progressive spiritual leaders. Inspired by the Ministry from the Margins Books program, Belief Behind the Book shines a spotlight on why authors write the books they write, offering practical tips for readers to apply to their own belief systems.
“The Creative Alchemy Cycle” is a year-long journey that will deepen your relationship with the natural world, shake up limiting beliefs about your own creativity, and inspire you to make your personal mark.
At a time when we are experiencing shock waves of collective grief from racism, sexism, late-stage capitalism, colonialism and compounding climate loss, Greenman lays out a nature-centered approach for embodied healing, joyful expression and meaningful action.
Her work offers a radical invitation for readers to tap their creativity as a force for social change. With deep permission and generous guidance, Greenman reminds us why creativity is a powerful tool for healing, justice, joy and collective liberation.
Sarah Greenman is an artist, storyteller, playwright, facilitator, mother, and community organizer. Her work has appeared in various publications, including The Huffington Post, Advocate, Texas Monthly, D Magazine, Curbed, Elle Décor, Spirituality & Health, Houzz, Apartment Therapy, and Country Decorating.
Her plays have been produced in New York, Seattle, Dallas, Berkeley, and Oakland. She lives in rural Oregon.
When asked why she wrote “The Creative Alchemy Cycle,” Greenman responded:
“I wrote ‘The Creative Alchemy Cycle’ to help us all wake up and get free. The Cycle is a response to an inner question I’ve been carrying my entire adult life: What is mine to do? (My friend and author Tracy Brown was the first person who helped me to articulate this question in this particular way.) As an avid journal keeper, I have dedicated volumes of writing to this inquiry. And while the answer shifts depending on context and need, it’s always rooted in creativity and right-relationship. The inquiry I offer in these pages invites us to intentionally hone our creative impulses with a focus on justice, right-relationship, and personal innovation.”
Justice. Right-relationship. Personal innovation. I think we could all use more of that!
When asked her practical advice for readers, Greenman reminds us to use our gifts fully in the present, saying, “Breath, nourishment, belonging, and joy are not negotiable. They are your birthright.”
So, step out into nature. Honor the creative spirit inside you. And use that creativity for the global good.
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Award-winning author of ten books, including The Authorpreneur Handbook. Founder and CEO of Tehom Center Publishing, a nonprofit press publishing feminist and queer authors, with a commitment to elevate BIPOC writers. Rev. Dr. Yarber’s work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPo, NPR, The Advocate, Ms. Magazine, the television show Tiny House Nation, and more. She travels the world speaking, preaching, publishing, and writing, but she can always be found at www.tehomcenter.org
