We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christine Lee Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christine Lee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Over the years of my practice as an artist, I’ve been fortunate to be a part of many meaningful gallery shows and photographic projects. However, when I think about my most meaningful project I think about the work I do with my clients in a practice called spiritual direction.

Spiritual direction is a historical Christian practice where together we explore where God is inviting you in the midst of your life through one-on-one conversations. It is a space of holy listening. Typically this is an ongoing relationship (like counseling), but unlike counseling the goal is to help you more deeply connect with the Divine and have a better sense of what you’re being invited to through the events of your daily life. This also means discovering where God is in the midst of your arts practice and making.

My work in spiritual direction with creatives and artists (and often, people who didn’t know they were creative at first!) has been incredibly meaningful. I think back to what my spiritual director has helped me navigate in my own life and photography practice, and I am in awe to see how my life has unfolded as I pay closer and closer to the inner wisdom of God in my life. So now, to get to do this same confidential work with other artists, makers, and visual communicators is a profound gift to me. I love witnessing their lives grow and expand as their creative work flourishes.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born into a family of visual creators, writers, and musicians. However, I became a photographer (my primary medium) the day I picked up my family’s Canon AE-1 camera. I was smitten. Over the years, I’ve realized part of what made me gravitate towards photography is my Dyslexia. I am able to see uniquely and communicate with a camera far better than I ever could with a paint brush or pen.

Currently, I make, show, and sell my fine art portrait series work throughout Southern California, and beyond. In my fine art practice I like to make beautiful work about difficult things, such as my portrait series on parental estrangement called, “Portraits on Estrangement.” The series explores the aftermath of estrangement from parents in adulthood.

In addition to working with individuals one-on-one in spiritual direction, I also offer occasional workshops or events crafted to help people re-connect their spirituality to their creativity.

In summary, I like to make stunning photographs that challenge people’s assumptions; and I love helping other artists discover how much the world needs their art, and how much the universe and God are cheering them on to make it.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was a teenager and thought about college (because my parents required it), I thought about art school. However, given that my parents’ primary aim for my college career was gainful employment, they were not on board. So my path through my undergrad degree took a different way forward than I wanted at the time.

For years I assumed my parents were right, that gainful employment was not possible as an artist and I rejected the idea for a long time. My amazing partner challenged this belief I inherited and I pursued photography professionally for the first time in my life. And while it was challenging building a business, I had the time of my life and I loved my work.

I’ve now spent nearly 20-years cultivating a career that embraces who I am uniquely made to be and become. It has taken different shapes and styles over these years, but nearly every shift or change has been in service to allow me to become more and more who’ve I’ve been created to be in the world. And because of walking each day with the support and guidance from those around me who love me, I get to do what I love and help empower others to do the same.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My hope for everyone I encounter is they get to experience a bit of what others have given to me: faith that their creative work is meaningful and necessary for themselves and for the world; that their faith or spirituality is not at odds with their creativity (and if it feels that way now, that can change); and that they are not alone on this wild journey of being a creative person in the world today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://spiritualdirection.christineleesmith.com
• Instagram: @christineleesmithphoto
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyoXYoCpLQJ2IOXsIvr0e7A
• Artwork: https://www.christineleesmith.com

Image Credits
Bio photo: David Fouts All other photos: Christine Lee Smith