The Art of Living in Season: A Conversation on Presence and Purpose with Sylvie Vanhoozer

“The art of living in season is about learning to see the extraordinary in our ordinary moments.”

“God has a great canvas, and each of us has a little dab of paint to put on it.”

What if the most ordinary parts of your life—gardening, teaching, caregiving, baking, writing—were actually sacred gifts?

In this episode of Thanks for Doing That, Heather sits down with Sylvie Vanhoozer, writer, botanical artist, and author of The Art of Living in Season and The Art of Living in Advent. With wisdom shaped by French culture, church tradition, and her own seasons of caregiving and creativity, Sylvie shares how she learned to see the extraordinary in everyday life.

Together, they talk about:

• The meaning of everyday saints and why small, humble offerings matter.
• How cultural roots and seasons of nature shape our life and attentiveness.
• The story behind Sylvie’s illustrated letters that grew into her first book.
• An overview of her second book -  The Art of Living in Advent.

This is a conversation for anyone longing to be more present, to live with intention, and to discover how deeply meaningful each season of life can be.

Catch more of the story @thanks.for.doing.that.podcast!

Chapters

• 0:00 Getting to know Sylvie
• 2:13 Seasons of writing, retreat, and gardening
• 3:45 Becoming a writer and botanical artist
• 5:56 Teaching French through culture and seasons
• 11:27 What is the Art of Living in Season?
• 18:12 Little Saints (santons) and ordinary gifts
• 21:22 Catalysts for writing and illustrated letters
• 29:54 Terroir and patrimone: rootedness and culture
• 38:56 Everyday significance and blessing in ordinary work
• 43:26 Influences: Tolkien, Wendell Berry, Rembrandt, William Morris
• 48:57 On beauty, justice, and our gifts
• 53:27 Everyday saints in grief and bleak midwinters
• 1:01:59 Growing as a botanical artist
• 1:05:17 Preview of The Art of Living in Advent
• 1:10:44 Fun questions and Haiku