The Wilderness and the Desert of the Real

by Geoff Hall
Part 1 in the 4-part series Spiritual Direction in a Postmodern Landscape

Some of the greatest detractors from our work as artists are those who share redemption’s story. “You should quit and get a proper job!” is my favourite. However, between the calling and our release into the public domain comes The Wilderness! It is a journey marked by attrition and disorientation as we struggle to make sense of our calling in a dry and weary land. This is not the end of it, but preparation for the public, cultural domain. The good news is there are guides who can help us navigate the terrain.

The artist wants to get to the marketplace to participate in the conversation. The theologian wants to control the conversation. The artist wants a free-forming discourse on the plastic horizon. The theologian wants to measure the distance to the horizon and make sure nobody goes beyond it.

From the editor
The Wilderness and the Desert of the Real is a necessity for the modern spiritual thinking artist. Geoff thoughtfully dives into the unexplored recesses of the artist’s art and the relationship between the spiritual artist and the church, charting previously unpublished territories in this deeply soulful essay.

Table of Contents

Introduction	10
Cast of Characters	13
Direction through a Weary Land	17
At Work in the Digital Babel	21
The Desert of the Real	25
Synthetic Spirituality	31
Notebook	34
Also in this series	52
About the author	54