"The Inspired Heart"

Book review by Peter Shepherd

When I was in my early twenties, I remember understanding well the song by Cat Stevens that spoke of ties and possessions: "Well I ain't got nothing, but it don't worry me, I came to this life like a free walking tree; no need to be tied, no need to be–they call me Jzero." Several times in my life I've been through that scenario, having lost everything–but in retrospect, gaining everything. It gives you a new start.

Jerry Wennstrom was born in New York in 1950. "I don't have much of an impressive bio," he admits. All I could do was paint, and because there was nothing else that I could do very well, painting was what I most identified with as a human being. It didn't hold though. I let it all go, became nothing, and found everything."

After destroying all of his art and giving away everything he owned, Jerry began a life of unconditional trust, allowing life to provide what was needed. He lived this way for 15 years, wandering, seeking and listening, and then finally began his art again, from a very different perspective. His book, 'The Inspired Heart - an Artist's Journey of Transformation,' tells of a life driven by a singular requirement: to remain fearlessly attuned to the heart.

"It was a powerful, holy experience that left me shaken and empty, but exhilarated," says Jerry of the destruction of his works. Free to seek and discover a meaning to his life, Jerry found plenty and writes movingly and profoundly about his journey.

I like to read the last page of a book first, then go back and take my time, knowing how things turn out. Jerry just trusted how things would turn out. Anyway, these are excerpts from the last page, as he sums up...

"We are at a rare time in the history of our world. Consciousness is attem[ting to come through the spirit of our lives. It brings with it all that we need to live out its gift. At the same time, our old ways of being on the planet are beginning to fail. Our social forms and structures are radically changing and breaking down. Our mopther, the Earth, is ailing! We are truly in uncharted territory.

"Perhaps the Holy Fool in us trusts that this, too, is God. The light could not exist except in relation to the dark. When we hold this Fool's vision, we can begin to see that where we stand now is holy ground, perfectly in place under our feet, ready for our next step in a meaningful direction. This unknown, mysterious universe will show us the way that it needs to go!"

And, "A time may come when you are asked to let go of everything you think you are and all that you think you possess. If you can give yourself to this process, what will emerge will be a truer self in a truer world. All that is most important to you, all that seemed to be impossible or gone forever, will be sanctified and returned to you. This is the wisdom of the Holy Fool!"

What comes before is an inspiring read.

A video of Jerry's life and work, "In the Hands of Alchemy," is available from Parabola. Jerry is available for film showings, speaking engagements, and workshops with his wife - singer and adult education teacher, Marilyn Strong. His web site is JerryWennstrom.com.