#wju

[missionaryadventurer]

Discussion Recap - Already Claimed as Valuable

This week, during the class discussion, one thing that especially stood out to me was a comment that the professor made. She stated that art is already valuable, therefore, as an artist, one cannot fail. Our job as artists isn’t to create value or perfection, because God’s taken care of that part. Instead, we can strip the stress away and begin displaying that value in our own unique ways and through our individual processes. When this happens, failure isn’t even part of the equation - only a raw, unrestrained, whimsical kind of expression.

Another remark that Tina made during this class session was, “My creativity is not an accident.” If this is true, that means I can unapologetically and freely follow the creativity that God has placed inside of me. I wish I could remember this more often. I think if I did, not so many of my dreams would be crumpled up pieces of paper in the trashcan, and maybe some of my ideas would finally leave the drawing board. 

So what would happen if you stopped striving for perfection or asking for permission in your creative endeavors?

[missionaryadventurer]

[missionaryadventurer]

Emily’s Creative Manifesto

I am an artist. I was created by God in His image. I am a bearer of His likeness and have been called to glorify Him as King. I believe that every person is a creative being and that they have the beautiful potential to design, construct, and create.

I create art. I count a lot of things as art because I consider anything that is forged, produced, or constructed with intentionality, whether that be for simple pleasure or mindful labor, to be art. Therefore sometimes my art looks like an organized lesson plan for a young class of 5th graders, a messy painting of some flowers, a praise-filled worship song, or a wordy description of my day.

My art has purpose.  The heartbeat behind my art is to magnify Jesus. The work of my hands and mind testify to God’s greatness and artistry. I love to use my art to encourage others and share Jesus’ love with people. 

I create through many different avenues. I create art in a variety of ways. My art looks different depending on its intended function. Sometimes I create through means of pure enjoyment, other times I have a deadline to meet or a problem to solve. Art is funny like that, the “how” behind art can be just about anything. There isn't really a wrong or right way to “do” art. Personally, though, I enjoy being outside while practicing creativity. I also prefer a good mix of being alone and being with people while working on art.

I will pursue creativity as a channel to glorify God.

I will practice creativity as a means to continually grow in my talents.

I will strive to be aware and perceptive, taking in every moment as a chance and opportunity to be creative.

I will chose to stifle the lies and insecurities that try to invade my work and talents.

I will do my best to create artwork that builds others up and carries purpose.

I will continue to try, not letting failure rob me of restarts and the opportunity to learn.

[missionaryadventurer]

Reading Response

As I watched the Love the Art, Hate the Artist video my mind slowly swirled and spiraled into how exactly I view art in relationship with the maker of it. My ideas toggled back and forth on whether I would even want to consider liking a certain artist’s artwork if they had done disgusting things or said offensive statements. I thought about the ways in which information affects my eyes when I go back and look at art with some kind of newfound revelation of who the artist actually was or is. After much thought and consideration, I would say that it’s extremely difficult, and near impossible, to divorce the art from the artist. No matter how hard you may try, keeping these two elements separate is not going to happen. I think that there is a way, however, to appreciated and advocate for the artist’s skill, devotion, and creativity while also acknowledging that no one is perfect and everyone carries around flaws. God sees past our gross pasts and mistakes and still calls us beautiful. I think we should all strive to be a little more like God. 

Then, as I watch the documentary on Pixar animator, Deanna Marsigliese, I fell in love with the way she constantly and consciously stayed alert and aware. She took every opportunity to observe the normalcy of life happening around her. She saw the potential behind every moment, every person, and every movement. She was careful not to overlook the small details because she knew that those were where big, beautiful, creative productions blossom from!

[missionaryadventurer]

Discussion Reflection

During today’s class discussion, I really appreciated listening to everyone in my small group, and as we chatted about what beauty is and its place in art, I began thinking that what is really beautiful is the way that God designed each of us with a different perspective on what is “beautiful.” It was fascinating to learn about all the different kinds of beauty in art. We all appreciated something slightly different in the art world and it was lovely to hear the variety. 

Additionally, I loved how we discussed the idea that beauty in the art could refer to the process that’s involved in the making of the art or the process that the product evokes in viewers, instead of the actual content of the art.

[missionaryadventurer]

Reading Reflection - week 13

I found this week’s reading material fascinating and thought-provoking. I especially enjoyed the assigned chapter in imagine. This chapter got me thinking about the power and purpose that art has, specifically for Christian artists. And what about Christian musicians in the arts? How is their music categorized as Christian or non-Christian? How should artists use their music and creative endeavors for godly purposes? As I considered the text and these questions, this quote stood out to me. “It is possible to create work saturated with gospel insights without spelling out the plan for salvation, just as it is possible to demonstrate the joys of a loving marriage without showing off your wedding photographs”(Turner, 2017). With this in mind, Christian artists don’t have to shout the name of Jesus in every song or embed a cross in every painting, instead, they can drench their work with the gospel by simply being honest and real about their faith in the normal things, struggles, and relationships of life. And as I read this, I also got to thinking, “this doesn’t just apply to handcrafted artwork, it can also apply to shopping at the grocery store, sending work emails, cooking dinner, playing sports, hanging with friends, or washing the car. With everything we do, we Christians are called to transcend the ways of this world, look a little weird, and make the world thirst for Jesus. 

Additionally, I enjoyed watching the Art must be Beautiful video. I agreed with the speaker in this video, that beauty is more of an experience than an objective “thing” found in all art. However, just because beauty is an experience that everyone encounters uniquely, doesn’t mean it’s any less important. Beauty is real and it has vital effects that are wonderfully needed in this world.

[missionaryadventurer]

When beauty doesn’t define art...

Does art need to be beautiful? No, I don’t think so. Beauty is almost impossible to define. Everyone has a different view and understanding of beauty, so therefore, how would one go about qualifying something as beautiful or not beautiful? Further, personally, some things that I consider art, aren’t necessarily beautiful, instead they are more just interesting and odd. Sometimes art simply sparks curiosity and imagination. Sometimes it's meant to make you feel things. Also, even so-called “ugly”  art can still grab your attention, flare up emotions, and cause the imagination to run wild. And isn’t that what art is supposed to do?

Some of my personal favorite pieces of art are paintings of nature. I consider them “good” artwork because they, somehow, have the ability to capture things that I find so incredibly difficult to articulate a canvas. Yet, here these paintings are, allowing me to feel the soft chilly wind, hear the crackle of the browning leaves, and experience the warm glow of the melting afternoon sun. I love how pictures of nature stir up peace within me and provide me with a glimpse of God’s incredibleness. I enjoy the mix of colors and the detail of the outdoor scenes. However, this type of art may seem “ugly” to others. That's ok, because it’s still art. Beauty doesn’t define art, but for some reason, almost by definition, we are attracted to what our unique version of beauty is.

But today, I am challenging myself to explore the art that I might not see as “beautiful.” What about you? What’s beautiful to you? Are you willing to see art as art, instead of analyzing whether or not it's “beautiful”?

[missionaryadventurer]

Be watchful and don’t let the lies invade.

This week as I completed the reading assignments, a few things stood out to me. I felt like the questions of “What lies am I telling myself that are becoming barriers to my creative self?” and “In what ways am I wasting time instead of using it to be creative?”

Often times, personally, the lies of “Emily, you aren’t creative. You can’t make art, because you aren’t talented in that way,” creep into my thoughts and infect my actions, or lack thereof. But this can change, and it begins when I decide to EXCHANGE THE LIES FOR THE TRUTH. Discard what is not true and what is only creating a barrier. Drop it! Instead, grab hold of the truth and stretch yourself. Allow your talents to grow in new ways. The little creative endeavor idea shoved in the back of your mind, pull it out! Try it out in a kind of fearless, unhindered way.

Another thing that stood out to me was the fact that I need to be watchful of where my time and energy are being poured into! So much of my time and energy is being wasted on things that don’t really matter! And that’s an issue! Time wasting and creative productivity can’t coexist! And along with working on creative endeavors, I also need to be spiritually effective and fruitful. The question that Emerge asks is “What do you live for?” What has the throne in my life? What  gobbles up the most time? Have I become a complacent consumer or lazy playaholic?

Let’s just say I may have some re-evaluating to do.