The conversation stung. I know what was said was stated in a well-meaning way, but it still hurt. After an opening night of a gallery show I was a part of, I sat at a table in a favorite restaurant, celebrating what felt like a mountaintop experience. We had just left the gallery, where I had been surrounded by friends, family, and some of my local art heroes. Some of my students from the college had even attended the gallery opening. I felt loved, supported, and happy.
As I sat across the table from the sweetest lady on earth, the tone of the conversation shifted from how supported I felt at the gallery opening to the amount of art sales I would make. The beloved woman who sat across from me said that she heard someone at the gallery say that we would be lucky if three art pieces from the show sold. The show had over one hundred pieces. She then asked me if things did not sell at the price I had listed, would I lower prices? I struggled to answer. As an artist, I felt I deserved to earn a little from my hard work.
She then asked if I would paint over what I had created if it wasn’t selling and try again. My heart sank. I searched for words, but I could only say, “I worked really hard.” I wanted to add, “What’s the point if I just rush the piece back to the studio and quickly paint over it?” “What’s the point if I don’t strive to sell at the price I feel my work deserves?” But I didn’t. Instead, I grappled with so many thoughts as the conversation fell like lead on the table between us, and we quickly changed the subject.
God creates…should I?
The conversation played in my mind that evening and the next day. I wondered what the point of creating was, but at the same time, I knew there was significance to the act of creating and the effort I put in. I felt deep in my soul that God called me to create. I knew my paintings went far beyond what was pretty or aesthetically pleasing; they were glimpses into my spiritual walk. They were called forth from me like a sermon from a preacher. So, why would I change the work if I felt that this is where God led me?
Whenever questions arise, we are to seek God. So the next morning, I turned through the pages of my Bible and was drawn to Psalm 139. God knew. God placed all this in me before He created me.
Wait, there’s something there. Something much deeper. He created me. He created everything. He creates and creates again and again. This is much bigger than my studio, creative practice, and gallery show. This was huge. God creates, day in and day out. Yet, He has never rushed us back to the easel of creation and painted over us when we aren’t performing as He calls us to.
If the God of the universe doesn’t paint over us after a lack-luster performance, what does He do? To answer this, we have to look at the purpose of our creation. Why is it that God created us humans or anything? Ultimately, we were made to praise.
We were created to worship Him (Psalm 102:18).
We were created as vessels (Isaiah 42:6; Romans 9:23-26) and as messengers (2 Corinthians 5:20).
We were created to seek Him and to bring glory to Him (Isaiah 43:7).
If we fail at that, the rest of His creation will do so, for “…if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40).
A Call To Create
As apparent as the sun on a cloudless July day, the idea presented itself: why were any of we creatives called to create? It is in making that we glorify Him. That is why it does not sit well with me to just paint over that painting and restart. Yes, there is a time and a place for that, and we can have that discussion another day. Here, I am talking about the art we feel called to create. The art that if we painted over it, tore up the manuscript, burned the music score, or failed to move on the dance stage, we would feel dread in our spirit and a tear in our eye if it didn’t spring forth from us.
God wants us to imitate Him. It is through His creation that He is glorified. Through our creation of that which He speaks into our souls, we glorify Him by placing that into our art. I have had moments where I am sharing my paintings with someone, and the story of how the painting came into existence brought them to tears. I have shared my struggle in creating art with others, and they say, “That gives me goosebumps.” I have had a fellow creative come to me and say, “I see my struggle in your paintings.” I have painted others’ struggles, confidence, joy, and outward expression of glory to God; if that never sells, that is okay. Maybe the purpose of that piece wasn’t to sell. Perhaps the purpose of that piece was simply to bring glory to God, help another person along in their Christian walk, or nudge someone toward Christ who doesn’t know Him. Maybe, and I think this may be true a lot of the time, we might never know why we were called to create a certain piece. The real point is to follow God’s calling and allow Him to use it however He has planned.
Surrendered But Not Starving
It takes a lot of surrender and sacrifice from us as artists and creatives to be used by the Spirit of God in such a way. It requires us to lay down all that we are, all that we have in our minds, all that we want, and to say, “Okay, God, the brush (the pen, the music score, the stage, insert your chosen discipline’s medium here) is for you. It is all for you. My agenda has been set aside, and here I am, Lord, what do you want?”
Some of you might say, “Well, that is a nice and lovely thought, but ahh if I don’t sell my work, how will I eat? How will I pay my bills?” Those are great questions. I can’t say what the answer is as to how to make ends meet, but I don’t think that is the point of all of this. In Jesus’ ministry, He sent out his disciples to spread the Gospel, and when He sent them, He said, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.” (Luke 9:3). When I read this, immediately my human nature kicks in and I want to say, “Hold up, how is this going to work?” I almost expected Peter to jump in and say something like that, yet there are no listed objections. It just says, “…they departed and went…” (Luke 9:6).
Unabashedly Respond
Perhaps we, as artists, need to be more like this. We are called to create. Therefore, we should not say, “But Lord, how will I make money? How will I afford to eat?” He knows all of this. He knows what we need. He also knows what He has placed in us and what He is calling us to. I believe we just need to trust. We just need to follow the call. Go when sent, and know He will provide.
Ludwig Van Beethoven said, “Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets. For it and knowledge raise men to the divine.” By practicing our art, we not only obey God but also allow ourselves to know God even deeper. By practicing what He has placed in us, we draw closer to Him and who He has created us to be.
God has called some to be artisans. We see this in the book of Exodus (Exodus 31:1-11). We must listen for God’s call and respond by submitting to it. So, dear artist, don’t hold yourself back. Go ahead and unabashedly submit to the call.
Wholeheartedly and with the assurance of His provision, respond and see where it takes you.
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