The Artist Transformed

The Artist Transformed: Sufi Views on the Development of the Self and Art, examines the significance of Sufi doctrine and practices for men and women, particularly artists, in the post-modern era. Taking as a starting point the chapter Beauty of the Outward and the Inward, the author takes the reader through an in-depth study of the spiritual doctrines of Sufism, The Descent of Being and The Sufi Path of Return, to the Sufi spiritual methods in The Art of the Path and then to the final chapter The Artist Transformed. The sources of the book are the Qur an and Hadith literature, the teachings of past and present day Sufi masters and the direct experience of the author herself. The transformative methods of Sufism, originating as they do in another epoch, hold certain keys which can enable the contemporary artist to enter the stillness of his or her own inner space in readiness for inspiration, thereby enriching both his life and art. The addition of detailed footnotes and reference material make this book a valuable resource not only for artists but also academics and general readers of Sufi texts.