I am made in the image of God, the ultimate creator.
As children we started out as creative machines, unashamedly singing, making up stories, drawing with crayons in wild abandon, joyously creating by snipping and pasting construction paper. Never mind that the finished product had not even the remotest resemblance of any known object. Oh the bliss of our uninhibited efforts.
Somewhere along the way many of us lose or lay down that part of ourselves. Comments from friends, teachers and those we respect let us know that while practicing our art is fun, "Art" is not a viable career choice. Art is not as important as other more "productive" pursuits. So we eventually leave behind those activities for more acceptable ones. In my case, I believed I was not good enough at “art” to make a living at it so I chose a career that paid well instead. But I still felt the need to do creative things. Over the years I struggled to find the time and resources to create and make art until life seemed to crowd out those pursuits almost entirely. I felt dry and brittle.
Then I picked up a book I had had for a while called "The Creative Call" by Janice Elsheimer. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through that book and I began to see my gifts as a spiritual connection to God. I knew I must make time for creating again and in the process I would draw near to my co-creator, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit & God the Son.
“His Artist” is a work in progress, just as I am a work in progress. I want to share the resources I find along my journey that help me explore the spectrum of ways I can practice my art as I learn to trust, worship and glorify God and blur the lines between the sacred and the secular.
As children we started out as creative machines, unashamedly singing, making up stories, drawing with crayons in wild abandon, joyously creating by snipping and pasting construction paper. Never mind that the finished product had not even the remotest resemblance of any known object. Oh the bliss of our uninhibited efforts.
Somewhere along the way many of us lose or lay down that part of ourselves. Comments from friends, teachers and those we respect let us know that while practicing our art is fun, "Art" is not a viable career choice. Art is not as important as other more "productive" pursuits. So we eventually leave behind those activities for more acceptable ones. In my case, I believed I was not good enough at “art” to make a living at it so I chose a career that paid well instead. But I still felt the need to do creative things. Over the years I struggled to find the time and resources to create and make art until life seemed to crowd out those pursuits almost entirely. I felt dry and brittle.
Then I picked up a book I had had for a while called "The Creative Call" by Janice Elsheimer. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through that book and I began to see my gifts as a spiritual connection to God. I knew I must make time for creating again and in the process I would draw near to my co-creator, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit & God the Son.
“His Artist” is a work in progress, just as I am a work in progress. I want to share the resources I find along my journey that help me explore the spectrum of ways I can practice my art as I learn to trust, worship and glorify God and blur the lines between the sacred and the secular.
Whether I use my art as a private form of worship or if God leads me to use it in more dynamic ways, I will be serving Him as His Artist.
