Linda Schierse Leonard is a philosopher, Jungian analyst, teacher, and author of three books including Meeting the Madwoman. In the opening pages of this terrific work, she states: "Creativity is an adventure of the soul in its quest for meaning in this earthly life." In order to make the most of who we are and what we have been given, it is necessary for us to square off with the characters and archetypal patterns that are part of our nature. This inner work of confronting the divine and the demonic within is the spiritual practice of imagination.
Leonard has divided The Call to Create into four sections dealing with the seeding, the caring, the blossoming, and the harvesting. Some of the helpers inside who bring out the best in us are the Muse, the Sower, the Witness, the Adventurer, and the Celebrant. A few of the hinderers who block our creative ways of living are the Cynic, the Perfectionist, the Escape Artist, and the Conformist.
One of the marvels of this book as well as Leonard's last work is her melding of sophisticated psychology with illustrative material from contemporary movies. On these pages you will find illuminating commentary on Antonia's Line, Red, Blue, Dead Man Walking, and The Conversation. Leonard's literary interests also shine through her assessments of Colette, Franz Kafka, Anna Akhmatova, and Rainer Maria Rilke. Anyone interested in the relationship between imagination and the wellspring of creative living will want to savor this multi-dimensional and soulful volume.