Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess at Abbey of the Arts, a virtual global monastery offering retreats, prayer services, books, and resources to nurture contemplative practice and creative expression. A writer, poet, spiritual director, and teacher, she earned her PhD in Christian spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley and is a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant and Educator (REACE). Paintner is the author of over twenty-five books on spirituality, including The Artist's Rule and Breath Prayer. She and her husband, John, live on the west coast of Ireland, where together they shepherd Abbey of the Arts and lead online programs.