Meet Diana McLean

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diana McLean. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Diana, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Creativity is a spiritual practice for me. One of the ways I keep it alive is by dabbling in lots of forms of creative expression that are not writing, because writing is my primary form of creativity and a big part of my professional life, both as an author and as a minister. Some of the arts and crafts I enjoy as creative spiritual practices are needlework, collage, and painting dot mandalas.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a Unitarian Universalist minister and an author. My writing has always been a part of my ministry; I earned an MFA in Creative Writing prior to attending seminary. I am currently working toward a Doctor of Ministry in Creative Writing and Public Theology. My first book, Love is the Why: Heart-Centered Poems from a Queer Woman Minister, was published last August by Tehom Center Publishing. It is grounded in a theology that centers love, as is my ministry. I currently serve a small congregation as their contract minister, and share an entrepreneurial ministry with spouse, Rev. Shay MacKay, who is also a Unitarian Universalist minister. Through that ministry, Sacred Depths, we offer retreats, workshops, and spiritual direction, as well as a growing list of books. We are currently working on a book that offers a sample of Sacred Depths and our mission to support people in their journeys to deepen connection to the sacred within and beyond themselves through creativity and contemplation.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three elements most impactful in my journey have been creativity (both in terms of creating written and other artistic works, and in terms of thinking “outside the box”), my love of words (both reading and writing them), and my awareness of my call to ministry.

My advice for anyone interested in a career in writing is to find a publisher who not only publishes the kind of writing you want to do, but is also a good fit for the kind of person you are. For me, that means working with Tehom Center Publishing, which is committed to publishing queer, feminist, and BIPOC authors whose work is often overlooked by mainstream publishing.

My advice for anyone discerning a call to ministry is to spend a lot of time in self-reflection and meditation or prayer; to talk to ministers in your faith tradition; and to volunteer for as many roles in your faith community as you can (not all at once!) to give yourself experience with many aspects of congregational life.

Whatever your career path, I encourage everyone to approach creativity as a form of play and also a spiritual practice: a way to spend quality time with yourself and with the holy, however you define that.

How would you describe your ideal client?

My ideal client is a spiritual seeker—someone looking to deepen their relationship to the sacred as they understand and experience it. They might or might not have any religious background; what makes them a good fit to me is their desire to delve more deeply into their own spirituality.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sacreddepths.com
• Other: https://open.substack.com/pub/dianakay

Image Credits

For first image only (headshot):

Michael Spigarelli