Join Me and 1000+ others on my SUBSTACK.
About Ryan
An ordained pastor
who finds God in the
unexpected.
1000+
24+
Published books
Podcast + Substack subscribers
Dr. Ryan J. Pelton is a pastor, writer, and spiritual director based in Los Angeles. He hosts The Art of Paying Attention — a weekly podcast and Substack for writers, creatives, and spiritually curious people. He offers spiritual direction for creatives navigating burnout, calling, and the creative life. His most recent novel, Leaving Arrow Rock, explores grace, addiction, and second chances.
25+
Years experience
What I Believe
Grace doesn't wait
for the right moment.
Neither should you.
The gospel insists grace is everywhere — not just in sanctuaries and Sunday sermons, but in a three-minute song that breaks you open, a film that names something you couldn't, a Tuesday morning over coffee with a friend.
The art of paying attention is learning to see what's already there.
Where to start?
Grace meets you wherever you begin. Here are a few ways I help people find grace in unexpected places.
THE PODCAST
Conversations finding grace in music, film, culture, faith, and the everyday — weekly.
THE WRITING
Soul care for writers and creatives — hearing God, finding rest, getting your voice into the world.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
THE BOOKS
I've written 23+ fiction and nonfiction books in a variety of genres. Check out my author page.
THE SPEAKING
Bringing the message of grace in the ordinary to your church, retreat, or conference.
A course on writing your first novel, or tenth in 45 Days or less. And, more to come.
THE COURSES
Grace notes, every week.
Weekly essays on paying attention — what grace looks like when you slow down enough to notice it. On Substack alongside the podcast, free to read.
My Latest Book
Leaving Arrow Rock (Fiction, 2024)
Leaving Arrow Rock is a gripping exploration of addiction, redemption, and the often unseen struggles of those seeking a second chance. Roger "Wilks" Wilkins works with a program that helps clergy and religious leaders transition back into society after serving prison sentences. In 1988, he’s assigned to Joe Campbell, a former pastor just released from an eight-year stint at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
Joe's new home, the Lighthouse—a halfway house and rehab facility—is his stepping stone to freedom. But adjusting to life outside proves more difficult than expected. As Wilks and Joe develop a tentative friendship, Wilks struggles to reconcile the man he sees with the past Joe left behind. When Joe hints at his possible innocence, everything shifts. Is the past behind him, or will it unravel the fragile hope he's built?
Through themes of grace, addiction, and the weight of past mistakes, Leaving Arrow Rock asks hard questions: Does society offer second chances? Can faith and forgiveness extend to those society deems irredeemable? In a world where grace is often conditional, Joe’s story forces us to confront the messy, complicated reality of what it means to be forgiven.
I truly appreciate Ryan's commitment to helping other writers succeed. Not only is the course incredibly informative from a practical standpoint but is also full of wisdom, motivation and encouragement.
Quinn N.
★★★★★
A Message from Ryan
Hey friend,
If you've found your way here, something probably brought you. A restlessness. A creative project that won't leave you alone. A sense that God might be closer than you think — and in stranger places than you expected.
You don't need a louder life. You need a more attentive one.
Grace is already moving in your ordinary — in your work, art, questions, and the still places. The invitation is simply to slow down long enough to notice.
That's what this place is for. Whether you start with the podcast, the writing, spiritual direction, or just a single essay — welcome. There's no wrong door.
Your most attentive life? It starts right here.
