The Art of Calm: Spiritual Exercises for the Anxious Soul

by Roger Hutchison

As anxiety grows as a mental health concern, a practical guide for using art to manage stress.

Honest stories of the author’s descent into fear and anxiety, a diagnosis of mental illness, and how he found his way back to a place of stability and health inform this inspiring guidebook for those struggling with anxiety, fear, and panic. Told with vulnerability and compassion, the author’s story and the practices he provides will inspire and encourage readers who face a diagnosis of anxiety and depression. Reflection questions, journaling prompts, and practices will help readers lead a more grounded and centered life.

Hutchison found photography as a daily practice during his recovery helped him to slow down, see the world through from new perspectives, get out in nature, and live more contemplatively. The exercises and reflections included at the end of each chapter encourage readers to try out a variety of creative practices to find their way to a more centered and peaceful life. Practices range from photography, art, music, and meditation to cooking and hiking and help the reader reset their outlook, and find themselves again amidst inner and outer turmoil. Hutchison's guiding voice will show readers they are not alone.

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 18, 2023

About the author

Roger Hutchison is an author, illustrator, educator, and director of Christian Formation and Parish Life at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas.

In addition to the forthcoming picture book, Sparrow's Prayer, to be released in 2023 from Beaming Books and The Art of Calm: Spiritual Exercises for the Anxious Soul (Working Title) to be released in May 2023 by Morehouse, Roger is the author of seven other books, including My Favorite Color Is Blue; Sometimes: A Journey through Loss with Art and Color; and The Very Best Day: The Way of Love for Children.

Roger's ambition is to use art, color, and poetic language to communicate love and promote healing and hope in today's hurting world.

You can find him online at www.rogerhutchisonbooks.com and on Instagram , where he interacts regularly with his 7100+ followers on topics including art, faith, and mental health.

Reviews

[Ayda Zarrouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"فنّ السّكينة: رحلة العودة إلى الذّات" لـِ Roger Hutchison ..

كتاب مُلهم يدعو إلى التّأمل والتّفكير في كيفيّة تحقيق السّكينة الدّاخلية، ويقدّم أدوات قيّمة تعزّز السّلام الدّاخلي والتّوازن في الحياة ..

يحتوي الكتاب على تجارب شخصيّة مرّ بها المؤلّف، ممّا يضفي واقعيّة وقربًا من القارئ، ويساعد على فهم كيفيّة تطبيق الأفكار المطروحة في الحياة اليوميّة. كما يتضمّن العديد من التّأملات والحكم التي تشجّع على التّفكير العميق وتطوير الوعي الذّاتي ..

[Othy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of like a memoir with activities and prayers. Hutchinson's express purpose is to help people with anxiety and depression feel like they're not alone. He does this by telling his story in little bite-sized nuggets. There is no blaming of God, nor of himself - mental illness is just something that we suffer and can alleviate with certain practices and the knowledge that we aren't alone. I personally found the meditations to be a little sparse, but I know a book like this can help a lot of people.

[Reba Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger Hutchison’s recently released book “The Art of Calm” is the perfect mix of thought-provoking, easy reading, insightful and practical helping bring new awareness to our daily lives.

The book is structured around Roger’s journey following a mental health crisis in 2017 that left him unsure of how to navigate a world that included this diagnosis. “The Art of Calm” shares many of the tools Roger developed on his path to the peace he’s found. As he began his journey to reshape his life around the mental illness diagnosis, Roger says in the book’s introduction that he “began to pay attention to the world in a new and more intimate way.” And this book is kind of an instruction manual on how to do that.

Through 31 short and very readable chapters, Roger offers up his own story overlaid with life lessons helpful to both those struggling with mental health issues and to those who are just seeking to be more present in their daily lives. Each chapter – with titles like “hunger,” “rescue,” “hope,” “awe,” and “truth” – includes an invitation to explore the world in a new way, questions for reflection and a beautiful supplication seeking God’s presence.

There’s a dash of creativity thrown into every chapter’s invitation section, which I particularly loved. And even if you don’t consider yourself a “creative” soul, think again. These gentle invitations include activities like gardening, touching base with old friends, walking and even just sitting in silence.

The title of this book is particularly appropriate focusing on the word “calm.” Every chapter in the book exudes calm. There’s no finger pointing or accusations about people needing to be fixed. The book lays out calm, purposeful pathways acknowledging everyone’s narrative is unique while, at the same time, exploring universal practices of healing.

[Hilary Margitich · Rating 5 out of 5]

As both a progressive Christian and a person who takes a lot of pride in self-reflection and mindfulness, I really loved this book. Roger invites the reader in the way a loving friend would, sharing brave and valuable insights from his own life, and incorporating Christian spiritual elements in a way that is open-minded and exploratory. The length makes it just right for a weekend reading in its entirety, or section by section over a longer span of time, possibly supplemented by group instruction, as the chapters are organized by themes. You will feel at peace after reading this. Just beautiful.

[Haifa · Rating 2 out of 5]

قرأت هذا الكتاب بالعربي تحت اسم فن السكينة
اتوقع ان الكتاب سيفيد اشخاص معينيين ممن يعانون حالياً من اكتئاب اما بالنسبة لي فربما كان الكتاب غير مناسب لي
هو يتحدث عن تجربة الكاتب في القلق وكيف استرد عافيته

[abrar bohamad · Rating 2 out of 5]

قرأت الكتاب باللغة العربية سرد الكتاب جميل و لكنه لم يناسبني

[Alaa Ghouth · Rating 1 out of 5]

قرات الكتاب باللغة العربيه.. للاسف الكتاب مافيه عمق ويمكن ايضا الترجمة كان لها دور في ان لا انسجم مع الكتاب … جذبني العنوان فن السكينة ولكن العنوان اكبر من المحتوى