Episode Details

“The privilege of just having the capacity to physically do the art or the music, that’s a huge gift. Because I meet people all the time who have a lot of responsibilities and a lot of setbacks, because I’m in the public health system. So, I get to see people that really are struggling and suffering. And I don’t think all of our suffering is equal. I think there are some people who have to suffer a lot. And it’s not really fair. It doesn’t make any sense. There’s nothing that those people are doing that is making it as though they deserve to suffer. They’re just being human here, and they have whatever setbacks they’re being dealt. And so, I’m lucky that up until now, I haven’t had huge physical setbacks, or if I’ve had financial setbacks, I’ve had safety nets, and I’ve actually been gifted a lot of things in my life in terms of the ability to have time to make art.”

—Jennifer Hamilton

Jennifer Hamilton is a prolific and ignited visual artist, musician, theology scholar, and spiritual caregiver. Her paintings take you on a colourful, embodied, and mystical journey through ritualized inspiration and sacred geometry. Jennifer is deeply connected to the spiritual seekers and artists who came before her. She derives great inspiration from ancient texts and practices, and her special muse Hilma af Klint. In addition to a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Jennifer has her diploma in fashion design and a Bachelor of Theology.

Jennifer could have been a bunch of things when she grew up, and that’s kind of what happened. But these days, she is working as a spiritual caregiver in Montreal hospitals. Her current projects seek to explore this world of spiritual care through painting and ritualized reflection.

Jennifer is also a generous fan of This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life and I think this episode was a dream come true for both of us.

Jennifer Hamilton on This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life

00:00 Intro song and bio

2:34 Quick and very fun break! Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on the platforms. Bonus points for five-star reviews. And please also follow Erica and Jen on Instagram and across the interwebs.

Jenn on Instagram: @vitalonga

Jen’s website: jenniferhamilton.com

Erica on Instagram: @erica.j.schmidt

Erica’s website: ericajschmidt.com

4:00 Interview starts! Question one is about growing up in a small town. Does this cause special person syndrome, as per Erica’s theory? Jen shares about her creative origins, her aspirational art teacher Mona Istrati-Mulhern (worththeirsalt.ca), and Jen’s light responsibilities as a gifted child in Goderich, Ontario. PS, Jen’s Catholic school was called, St. Anne's Clinton | Renewing The Promise - Joyful Disciples (huronperthcatholic.ca), and it’s the reason she’s so great at French!

14:23 Sacred Texts and Art Practices: Jen talks about the rituals and step-by-step “recipes” that guide her art projects.

17:34 Jen describes, Alters of the directions, her most complex “recipe,” where she followed a version of Lectio Divina or “divine reading” a systematic process of reading and r