A Guide to Beauty for the Spirit: My Top Picks for Inspiration and Renewal
There is a quiet but powerful truth: beauty saves us. Not in a flashy, superficial way, but in small, steady ways that restore our souls when life feels heavy. Beauty interrupts chaos with a glimpse of order, reminds us of goodness in times of sorrow, and calls us back to wonder when we’ve grown weary or numb.
Yet beauty is often dismissed. We label it “non-essential,” something to be appreciated when we have the time, money, or energy. In a culture that prizes efficiency and productivity, beauty can feel impractical. But the reality is the opposite: beauty is nourishment. Without it, we grow brittle and disconnected. With it, we are grounded, refreshed, and opened to God’s presence in new ways.
The good news is that beauty doesn’t require luxury or grand occasions. It shows up in a shaft of sunlight, a melody, a well-chosen word, or a carefully tended garden. Beauty is available to all of us ~ but sometimes we need guides to help us notice, receive, and cultivate it.
That’s where books come in. Below are some of my favorite companions for rediscovering beauty as a spiritual practice. Each one offers a doorway into seeing and experiencing beauty not as a luxury, but as a daily necessity.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.
The program begins with Cameron’s most vital tools for creative recovery. The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a “Creative Cluster” of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors.
A revolutionary program for personal renewal, The Artist's Way will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.
Benedictus by John O’Donohue
John O’Donohue had a gift for language that felt like a blessing in itself. In Benedictus, his collection of poetic prayers, he names the beauty of beginnings, the courage needed for thresholds, and the grace of companionship.
This book isn’t meant to be rushed. It’s a companion for the quiet moments ~ read a blessing before bed, or in the stillness of morning. Over time, these words have a way of reshaping how you see the world. Even in seasons of sorrow, O’Donohue points us to beauty that endures: in the light on the horizon, the warmth of friendship, the memory of love.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as "the younger brothers of creation". As she explores these themes, she circles toward a central argument: The awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the world.
Once we begin to listen for the languages of other beings, we can begin to understand the innumerable life-giving gifts the world provides us and learn to offer our thanks, our care, and our own gifts in return.
An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
In the New York Times bestseller An Altar in the World, acclaimed author Barbara Brown Taylor continues her spiritual journey by building upon where she left off in Leaving Church. With the honesty of Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and the spiritual depth of Anne Lamott (Grace, Eventually), Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. In An Altar in the World, Taylor shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world we live in.
The Garden Awakening by Mary Reynolds
In this beautifully illustrated book, award-winning garden designer Mary Reynolds encourages us to create a bond with the land to restore its health and feel its energy. Drawing inspiration from permaculture traditions as well as the ancient multi-tiered approach of forest gardening, Mary demonstrates how to create a magical garden that is an expanding, living, interconnected ecosystem.
The Garden Awakening is both art and inspiration for any garden lover seeking to create a positive and natural space while incorporating sustainable living such as growing your own food.
It combines practical step-by-step instructions with spiritual, ancient Celtic stories to help you awaken any garden space, nurturing it to benefit both the land and the people in it. This design approach allows ecosystems to be whole and in balance while providing a place for human beings to live happy and productive lives.
Transform your garden into a vibrant, wild area that embraces the spiritual side of nature with this wonderful read.
Why These Resources Matter
These books are different in style and focus, but together they weave a powerful message: beauty is not an afterthought. It is nourishment, resilience, and strength for the spirit.
Cameron teaches us to practice creativity as a daily way of being.
O’Donohue blesses us with words that awaken awe and courage.
Kimmerer calls us to gratitude and reciprocity with creation.
Taylor helps us see beauty in the ordinary routines of life.
Reynolds reminds us that tending the earth is itself a spiritual practice.
Beauty, then, isn’t optional ~ it is essential. It brings healing, grounds us in gratitude, and connects us more deeply to God, to others, and to ourselves.
A Gentle Invitation
If beauty has felt distant or unattainable in your life, start small. Choose one of these books and let it accompany you. Perhaps:
Try morning pages from The Artist’s Way.
Read a blessing from O’Donohue each morning.
Notice one gift of nature after finishing a chapter of Braiding Sweetgrass.
Make a simple chore into a mindful practice after reflecting with Barbara Brown Taylor.
Plant something small and tend it with love after being inspired by Mary Reynolds.
These are not grand gestures. They are daily steps into beauty. And every step matters.
Reflection Questions
Where have you noticed beauty in your life this week?
How has beauty strengthened or encouraged you in difficult times?
Which book here feels like the right companion for your current season?
What is one small, tangible way you could create or tend beauty today?
Note: The links provided are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them. It’s a simple way to support this work while discovering resources that truly nurture the spirit.