Jerry Wennstrom Interview

Anything we do with our heart and soul becomes a spiritual endeavor, in spite of ourselves. ~ Jerry Wennstrom

One of the striking features of my interview with Jerry Wennstrom is it felt we were in the same room even though we were hundreds of miles apart.  There is a sort of innocent intensity about him that charged our entire conversation. He’s at once at ease, yet serious, seemingly going with the flow, yet very precise.

Jerry Wennstrom is an artist, not a spiritual teacher, yet he is obviously a spiritual teacher.  Everyone is a teacher, he says.

2022 Update: Check out Jerry new hardcover book, a beautiful exploration of his art and life called A Second Wind: Art Resurrected.

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Selected Links and Notes from this Episode

• As promised, here is the link to the day-long event with Bob Fergeson and Tess Hughes that I mentioned in the podcast: www.tatcouk.wordpress.com.
• “It is in the defeat that the work really begins.” [4:36]
•  “The gods whisper before they scream.” [7:00]
• “The core of creation is to inhabit the void and to be so available that reality unfolds and you are a willing participant.” [8:25]
• What is true individuality? [12:15]
• Can we practice surrender? [13:28]
• “Death isn’t death, it’s just our idea of what we would be without our identity.” [16:20]
• Jerry Wennstrom’s book is The Inspired Heart. [20:00]
• The difference between discipline and the fierce determination to be with exactly what is. [24:11]
• “If I can be present enough with another human being, it’s always miraculous what comes out of it.” [24:25]
• Creativity is not just making things.  It could also be a creative leap in a conversation, or a leap in being present with someone.  [28:29]
• “If you look at somebody who is running from their pain, that is someone who can’t hold their discomfort.” This is why we have addictions. [35:10]
• “You don’t control the outcome, or what you want.  You control yourself enough to stay out of the way of what’s wanting to come through.” [36:10]
• Suicide and the transformational potential. [37:28]
• “If we just do what we do halfheartedly, then we become a halfhearted human being.” [56:38]
• Is there a shortcut to enlightenment? [57:20]
• Books: A Course in Miracles, Lao Tzu, Yogananda, Memories, Dreams, Reflections.[1:05:50]
• “If we try to copy somebody else’s way, it won’t work for us, but what we can see is the courage it took for others to follow their path.”  [1:06:45]
• Recommended film: Paris, Texas. [1:08:55]
• 2022 Update: Check out Jerry new hardcover book, a beautiful exploration of his art and life called A Second Wind: Art Resurrected.