Contemplation is the inhale, and creativity is the exhale. Author and spiritual director Kayla Craig shares how we can make space for both.
Her devotional, Our Daily Breath, guides readers through contemplative prayer practices designed to renew creative energy in a loud, distracted world.
Stephen Roach and Kayla explore why cynicism comes so easily, and how stillness opens the door to compassion, nuance, and hope. Kayla shares the research behind mindful breathing and why it matters for artists, musicians, and makers.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
Creativity begins with attention, and contemplative prayer trains you to notice what is already sacred in ordinary life.
Why being nourished from the inside out gives you something to offer when the world's pain shows up.
Creating from abundance, not scarcity, gives your work more weight, so caring for your soul becomes part of your craft.
ABOUT KAYLA CRAIG
Kayla Craig is an author and spiritual director who writes prayers and devotions for people living full, noisy lives. She studied contemplative spiritual formation and spiritual direction at Columbia, where her instructor trained under Thomas Keating. Her new book, Our Daily Breath, gathers 365 prayers and practices and draws on more than 400 citations from contemplatives, poets, and artists. She is a mother of four who knows quiet is aspirational, which shapes how practical and accessible her approach to prayer is.
RESOURCES & LINKS
Our Daily Breath Devotional: 365 Prayers and Practices That Whisper Peace in a Shouting World by Kayla Craig — the devotional discussed in this episode
Thomas Merton — monk and poet quoted in Kayla's devotion on stillness
Thomas Keating — contemplative teacher who shaped Kayla's spiritual formation
Breath by James Nestor — journalist's exploration of breathing, including the rosary study
Centering prayer, welcoming prayer, and breath prayer — contemplative practices Kayla recommends