Drawing to God: Art As Prayer, Prayer As Art

Drawing to God: Art As Prayer, Prayer As Art by Gerding, Jeri. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781893732247.

Art has always been a major part of Jeri Gerding’s life, whether teaching it in the classroom, practicing it as a lifelong hobby or using it as a psychotherapist to encourage her patients to translate their emotions into images. Because of that, Gerding always wanted to incorporate art with another passion of hers, prayer. In Drawing to God, Gerding shows those with or without a talent for art how to use drawing and painting as a way of opening to God. Gerding says art reveals new insight about what is presently of concern, and where we may be blocked in terms of personal and spiritual growth. With 15 art exercises, Gerding focuses on activities that increase awareness of our inner selves, others and God in the natural world. Drawing to God encourages us develop a prayer life through visual symbols difficult to put into words. The activities are simple and samples of artwork are provided. Art is not meant to be a primary form of prayer. It is meant to augment whatever an individual is practicing. Art helps us confront the uncertainty in our prayer lives and surrender to a process we cannot control. Because of this, we are able open up and make new discoveries about ourselves and our relationship with God. Drawing to God provides another method of prayer in which intimate thoughts and feelings can bring us closer to God. Gerding helps us release imagery from the unconscious in order to reveal parts of ourselves and God previously hidden from view.