Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE is the founder and director of AbbeyoftheArts.com, a virtual monastery and global community exploring contemplative practice, creative expression, and ways to nourish an earth-cherishing consciousness. She is a poet, spiritual director, teacher, pilgrimage guide, and author of 20 books on spirituality and the arts including three collections of poetry. Christine has lived on the west coast of Ireland since 2012 with her husband John. She is a Benedictine oblate with the St. Placid Priory community.