Karen Kinney is an award-winning author, internationally-exhibited artist, and teacher. At her core, she is a mystic and guide, channeling wisdom through her creative work. For over 20 years, she has practiced and studied contemplative spirituality and this is the basis from which her creativity is birthed. She uses a multitude of mediums as vessels for inspiration, truth, connection and beauty.
Her most recent book, five-time award winner Doorways to Transformation: Everyday Wisdom for the Creative Soul, is a companion for personal and spiritual growth and includes meditations to bolster your creative spirit and your larger life. Her first book, The Reluctant Artist: Navigating and Sustaining a Creative Path, is a guide to fully owning and nurturing your creative work and has been taught at UCLA and the University of Hong Kong.
In addition to writing books, Karen's articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications including Common Dreams, Cultural Daily, A Loved Life, Abbey of the Arts, Collective Wisdom, and Spiritual Media Blog.
Karen's current passion and work centers on the divine feminine. She authors a quarterly newsletter that explores spirituality and transformation from a feminine perspective, and is writing a new book that explores this topic in depth. You can read more about her journey here.
As a speaker, Karen has taught around the world, including at Cambridge University, the University of Hong Kong, and the San Miguel International Writers' Conference in Mexico. She helps people find greater levels of creative freedom and speaks about inner transformation, the sacred feminine, and the innate connection between spirituality and creativity.
She has pursued a multifaceted art career and her work resides in numerous private collections, including those of Stanford University, actor Bob Odenkirk, and NPR's Guy Raz. Her art was purchased for the Lionsgate film The Lincoln Lawyer, and she has designed installation work for the Los Angeles International Airport and painted murals in LA and Mexico.
Karen is originally from Chicago and obtained a Masters degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She made California her home for 17 years and is now based in Mexico City.
In this conversation with Leslie Zehr, we discuss my early background and journey to becoming an artist and writer, how the divine feminine intersects with my work, insights from my latest book Doorways to Transformation, and being a channel for our creative work.
In this radio interview with Sandie Sedgbeer, I share ten books that have influenced me spiritually and informed my life's journey and sense of vocation. We also discuss living into a calling, my work in the world, and where I'm headed next.