Let me be honest. As much as I would love every artist to really start thriving in their life, art, finances and spiritual life, that’s just not realistic for some… and it hurts me to say because I’m an eternal optimist and believe deeply in the divine calling of artists to do big things!

It’s not that I don’t believe it’s possible, I do! I completely, 100% believe breakthrough is possible in the life of every artist but what I know more than possibility is the fact that thriving as an artist and experiencing breakthrough into that life is a choice. A personal choice that can only be made by a the artist.

Sometimes, I wish it wasn’t the case but it is.  You either choose to thrive or you choose to live life the way you’ve lived it and get what you’ve always gotten. As I think back on tons of emails and conversations with artists, I’ve heard these three reasons over and over and over from phrased a little differently for each person of course to fit their “unique” situation.  As we say in the country, “You can’t put lipstick on a pig”.  An excuse is an excuse and these are 3 of the biggest.  Here we go:

• Reason #1: They Let Immediate Pressure Overshadow Longterm Success
  One of the hardest lessons I had to learn in my own journey is the lesson of delayed gratification.  Like a lot of artists, I was used to seeing things my way, getting things my way and choosing immediate payoff instead of learning to delay pleasure for a greater reward later on.
  
  One of the biggest areas this shows up with artists is with money. If you have it, you probably tend to spend it. And when you don’t have it, you freak out, get fearful and go into conservation mode thinking that will somehow solve the problem.  The problem is not lack of money, it’s a lack of understanding how to get it, steward it and grow it. When fear reigns, nobody wins. The rollercoaster cycle will continue.  
  
  Let me give you a couple of examples: Take the artist who signs up for a conference, class or seminar only to call back a week or a month later freaking out that “they have to have a refund” or “I just can’t afford it now because something came up.” Do things come up? Sure, but the deeper concern is that you’ve chosen to put out an immediate fire for immediate payoff rather than realizing how much you could gain in the short and long term by taking advantage of the opportunity you’ve now just canceled.  It’s like when I was in the marketing business years ago. Short-sighted businesses were the first to cancel their marketing campaigns when the economy bobbled where as mature businesses increased marketing during those times because they realized the long-term importance of that investment.
  
  Or take the artist who wants to paint, sculpt, play or weave like the pros but just isn’t willing to take classes, learn from others or put in the practice it takes to develop mastery.  We have a saying for that down south….”You can wish in one hand and spit in another and see which one fills up faster.”
  
  You can overcome this hurdle by setting clear vision for your life  and making decisions on a daily basis that lead you toward your long-term goals, not just short term gains.
  
• Reason #2: They Choose to Let Other Things Steal Their Focus
  Jesus said “In this life, you will have trouble…”  There’s always going to be some situation, person or combination of both that will compete for your time, resources and attention. People who thrive in their life learn to prioritize themselves first in balance with their family and work relationships. Otherwise, you end up putting out everyone else’s fires, having nothing left for yourself. These are the folks who show up to conferences and webinars and workshops exhausted, confused and longing for God to show up and somehow fix everything so they can experience breakthrough in their life.  Listen, this is not an issue of God not showing up but rather a lack of prioritizing in life which leads to everything being out of balance.
  
  These same folks are some of the first to attach a spiritual reason for their lack of focus because let’s face it… it’s just easier than taking responsibility.  For many, it’s easier to believe that it’s just not in God’s plan for your life rather than learning how to focus and stay on course regardless of what’s happening around you.
  
  Someone wise once said “If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.” You get to choose and the bottom line is many artists never make that choice. They let everyone else dictate and consequently suffer under the guise of being a caring parent, loyal employee, church servant or attentive friend.​
  
  You can overcome this hurdle in your life by setting clear priorities that align with your unique design and vision as an artist. Make sure everyone in your life knows and respects those priorities as you start shaping the life you were meant to live!
  
• Reason #3: They Stop Too Early, Believing This Isn’t Really Their Time
  This reason is sort of a combination of the two earlier reasons.  This artist starts down the road with good intentions but doesn’t stay on track.  It takes work, yes, but more than that, it takes interaction and community.  It takes relationship to keep each one of us focused, energized and moving in the right direction over the long haul.  
  
  When an artist doesn’t stay engaged in the process, the enemy is right there to sow lies like “It’s not really your time” or “This is just not the season for you” or maybe “It’s not supposed to be this hard”. Believing a lie becomes easier than asking for help or pushing through difficulties and boom! Another one bites the dust. Another dream left on the side of the road only to be remembered 2 years later when their heart is awakened to the possibility again and the whole scenario begins again.
  
  You can overcome this hurdle by renewing your mind to the truth of God’s Word regarding who you are, what you have, what you can do and the vision for your life.  Once you understand who you are in Christ and your unique design as an artist, you start to realize the Kingdom is available and active to you any time. It’s always time to start stepping into your best life in God!

Some of you may be reading this right now saying “Wow Matt, this just got real…” Yes, it did and I love you too much to sugarcoat things. God’s invested too much in each one of us to let momentary troubles and pressures take our focus from the goal He’s set before us.  

I also know this to be true: people always… ALWAYS do what they want to do. If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to see it happen. The simple fact is many people like the idea of breakthrough and thriving but aren’t willing to lean into the process.  

To those that do lean into the process, who keep going even when things get difficult and who prioritize their life the align with their dreams and design, the sweet feelings of knowing they held on, leaned into God’s grace and trusted in the face of fear will usher them into reaping the rewards of the process. To them it will be said “Well done good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over little, not I will make you ruler over much.”

(PS… If that’s you right now, the kind of artist that is willing to set a course and see it through in the context of community with other artists and me as your mentor (even if you’ve failed at this before), then I’d love for you to consider my Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program  I can help you make this year be your breakthrough year. I can help you make this year the year of no more excuses… the year you start thriving!)

Artists can be some of the biggest procrastinators around.  Believe me, I know! Because of some of our innate perfectionistic tendencies, we love to put things off indefinitely.

We tell ourselves all sorts of things couched in what seems like wisdom when in reality, it’s just just plan ole fear; fear of not “doing it right”, fear of “not being good enough” even fear of succeeding. In my own life and as I have the great pleasure of mentoring hundreds of artists through my books, conferences and artist mentoring group I’ve found 3 really common and really paralyzing lies that most artists struggle with, especially as they are getting ready to breakthrough into their next season of growth!  Here they are…

• Big Fat Lie #1: It’s Just Not the Right Time
  Artists are visionaries and therefore are really great starters.  We can start just about anything!  We can see the finished product, we know where we’re going and know how we want to feel at then end.  The big roadblock that hits many artists however, is pushing through the times of difficulty, doubt and confusion.  During those times, one of the big, paralyzing lies the enemy sows in our life is something like “Well Matt, that vision you had was great, but it’s really not the time for that…. just go back to life as usual and wait.”  That can even sound really spiritual, too but here’s what I’ve found to be true.  In God, it’s always the right time! The Kingdom lives inside of us and is available at all times, 24/7/365 and no matter where you are on the journey, you can always be moving toward your vision.  Just because it might not be the season to see the FULLNESS of your vision manifested DOESN’T mean it’s not the season to develop your skills and foundation in preparation for the season of manifestation.  If you don’t prepare then when it is the right time, you won’t be ready.
  
• Big Fat Lie #2: I’m Just Not Ready
  Perfectionism paralyzes.  So many artists struggle with this lie that demands a certain level of expertise, skill or career attainment to start thriving as artists.  The fact is, no matter where you are in your process of creative development, you can give, learn and thrive.  You can give knowledge to those who aren’t where you are, you can learn from others who are further along than you and you can thrive where you are.  Thinking “I’m just not ready” does nothing but stop you in your tracks whereas embracing the process of development encourages you to grow.  So you’re not selling your work yet?  Who cares!  You can still be developing things like your artist statement, working out your unique selling proposition and creative voice.  No matter where you are in the journey, having others on the journey with you in invaluable for encouragement and loving critique.
  
• Big Fat Lie #3: Maybe I’m Not Really An Artist
  Listen. The fact that you even struggle this thought proves you’re an artist.  What is an artist? One who creates. Period.  Selling or not selling your work doesn’t define your artistic identity or worth.  However, your own beliefs about your creative identity are the only thing that can limit the movement of God in your artistic life.  Remember, God’s Word teaches as you THINK so are you.  He’ll never override your will and your own beliefs but will, at any time, be available and willing to co-labor with you to renew your mind to His Kingdom realities.  There’s always room to grow and develop in your artistic and business practices but again, that doesn’t define you as an artist.  It’s simply part of being on a journey of development.

Once you begin to understand your identity in Christ, solidify a Kingdom-oriented vision for your life and begin pursuing your artistic expression without these limitations, you’ll start to taste what the abundant life is all about.  If you’re a believer in Jesus, you already have everything you need to thrive living inside of you.  It’s called the Kingdom and it’s active and available to you now.  All you have to do is start aligning with His divine design for your life.

Share your thoughts below! I’d love to hear where you are in your creative journey! Also, find out more about my Created To Thrive Artist Mentoring Program here.

Have you felt it?—… an insular suffocation that leads your heart to say, “I can’t stay in this rut any longer! There must be more for me.”  We all go through these seasons of yearning for a bigger pond to swim in or a new adventure to pursue. What if God is behind this restless discomfort? What if the Holy Spirit is calling you to step out of your comfort zone and into the marketplace with your creativity?  

Artists of faith often feel a lot of pressure to keep their gifts within the church instead of sharing them with the world. Donating your time and artistic contributions in service to the church is a beautiful act of worship. But sometimes, it goes too far. Some leaders even encourage Christian artists to walk away from professional or financial opportunities, to “lay them down” or sacrifice them so the artist can “best serve the Lord.” 

When you look closely at that message, the thinking behind it doesn’t hold up. It’s like saying it’s not godly to get paid for your creative work or that the only way to serve the Lord is within the context of the local church.  

That mindset does not make sense. We serve the Lord whenever we steward the gifts He gives us—not only within the church but everywhere the goodness and beauty of God’s Kingdom can be a blessing. Consider the parable in Matthew 25:

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, “Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.”

The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

[. . .] To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. (Matthew 25:14-21,29)

As my friend, the late Jack R. Taylor used to say, “I’m not anti-church, but I am pro-Kingdom.”

Here are seven thoughts I hope will give you the courage to step into the vast, beautiful, freedom-filled place God has made for you within the culture.

7. Institutions Typically Breed Insulation
While every Christian artist needs to be relationally connected to other believers for the spiritual health of themselves and the community, they must resist the temptation to withdraw from culture and thereby lose their voice within that culture.  Involvement in the broader culture informs our worldview and allows authentic relationships to develop. Institutions breed insulation; relationships birth relevance.

6. Variety Informs Our Art
Artists must continue to fill their hearts and minds with great art, music, writing, life experiences, and beauty. The Holy Spirit draws from this beautiful reservoir within you as everything you’ve seen, heard, felt and experienced becomes raw material from which to create. Are you seeking more creative depth and spontaneity in your art practice? Then seek out more experiences, build your skills, and deepen your connection to your spiritual source. The more an artist enlarges their capacity, the more opportunity they have to create with God. 

5. Worship Can Happen Anywhere
God lives in the spontaneous worship expression of His people—not just in a church services. Worship can and should happen everywhere as people offer their hearts and creative expression to God. In that context, all creative expression is an invitation from the artist to God to release His power and presence in and through their art. And the studio becomes a sacred space set apart for co-creating with God. 

4. Called to Go and Tell
As preached and modeled by Jesus, the Gospel of the Kingdom has always been a “go and tell” message, not just “come and see.” Every place artists put their feet—and artwork—they carry the Kingdom. We are transformed as we create in His presence while at the same creating works that carry His transforming presence to the world.

3. Artists are Cultural Prophets
Artists are prophetic messengers to culture, designed to release the light and life of God in places that need it the most, using a fresh perspective and an artistic language unfettered by traditional religious jargon. God uses artists to challenge, encourage, edify, exhort and even provoke. Remember the old adage, “If good preaching and good singing were going to change the world, it would have already been done.” People everywhere are hungry for an encounter with God, and artists are uniquely equipped to translate the Truth of the Kingdom through creative expression.

2. Build Up the Whole Pond
The local church can often be a valuable space for artistic ministry and spiritual expression of artists. That said, God most likely has a purpose for your gifting that extends beyond the doors of your church into the public square.  No single space is intended to be the be-all and end-all as a venue for all your creative gifting. Have you ever heard the adage, “Impression without expression leads to depression?”  Believe it! The creative gifting in the Christian artist community can and should bless and build up the church—but its audience is more extensive than that; it’s in the marketplace and culture in general.

1. Harvesting Provision by Understanding the Assignment
God wants artists to live sustainably. If He has given you the ability and opportunity to make a living from your passion—what a blessing! Consistent financial provision allows artists more time and freedom to hone their skills and focus on the art making journey. Artists of faith who bring their art to the marketplace connect with buyers who will gladly invest in creative expression—as long as the artwork speaks to them. For everyone in the Kingdom, God releases ideas that generate money in the marketplace to create our provision in line with our unique design for our specific assignment. Once you fully embrace who God has created you to be, you can freely pursue all God has created you to do while resting assured He wll provide all you need.
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So what do you think?  Let me hear from you in the comments below!

Nobody becomes an artist just to worry about paying the bills.

Nobody becomes an artist just to have something to do or to have a job.

We become artists because after trying everything else in life we finally were not happy unless were doing the very thing were created to do.  We become artist because there’s this thing inside of us that won’t quit burning until we give it expression.  We become artists because we can’t do anything else authentically.

For many of us that journey of self-discovery has taken a lifetime.   We’ve all worked jobs we hated, just for the money in order to get to do what we loved at night and on the weekends, dreaming one day that this could be our real job.  We’ve all sacrificed more than many will ever know in order to get that burning in our creative bones out somehow.

Sometimes I wish that I could have just POOF gotten it when I was in college and started out on the creative road to success but my journey probably like many of yours has been a long, windy, scary and exhilarating road that brings me to where I am today.   And it’s that journey that we all have in common.  Each so very different and yet each exactly the same.  It’s our stories that bind us together.

So, it sounds like we should have this idyllic life experience of life, love and creativity but for many artists – maybe even you – that’s far from reality.  Too often our story becomes one of trying to make ends meet, sacrificing creativity for profits, making things that sell instead of making things that inspire us all in a package of too little sleep, growing frustration and an overwhelming feeling of ‘is this really worth it.”  I wrote this book to tell you that it is worth it.  You’re worth it. I also wrote this book because I have a passion to encourage you on your creative journey and to move from just surviving into thriving.

Understanding the unique identity that makes us each ‘artists’ is not as easy as simply grabbing a paintbrush and putting color to canvas.  For thousands of years, humanity has struggled with what it means to be an artist, even to be creative.  The Greeks and Romans even thought creativity was the result of channeling daemons or a disembodied spirit they called a “genius” who would live with, speak to, inspire and create through the individual. Then the Renaissance came along and the focus shifted to the artist being the genius and humanity being the center of creativity, leaving little room for the divine.  Even today, the questions remain; is creativity simply some random act of chance, the result of tenacity and hard work, an encounter with divine providence or a culmination of all of the above.

We can’t do it all ourselves.  We’re not wired that way.  We can’t just make it happen and in fact we don’t have what it takes to be all that we desire.  That smacks in the face of our good old American work ethic but it’s true.  However, when we take what we have been given, mix it with hard work and thankfully offer it back to the Giver and humanity as a gift with a heart of joyful expectation, we will always find we have more than enough – fulfillment, creative inspiration and yes, financial provision.  Otherwise we end up in the typical ‘starving artist’ scenario which is based in fear, scarcity and control: working more, getting less, never thinking our work is good enough and always existing in a place of lack and frustration.

Our creative sensibilities are not simply the result of well-executed skills or practice made perfect, but rather collaboration between a divinely invested gift, the Giver of that gift and the hard work of artists who steward well the gift entrusted to them.

(excerpted from Chapter 1 of “Crafting Your Brand: Strategies for Cultivating a Successful Creative Career” by Matt Tommey.)

One of the questions I get a lot from artists and creative types is “How can I do what I love creatively full-time?” Many times what’s underneath that question is a feeling that they know there’s more but they feel really bogged down with all the issues that life and a full-time job entail. Deeper still are feelings of being overwhelmed, frustrated and dissatisfied with life as they currently know it. Couple that with the fact that almost all creatives are major dreamers, always believing that “the grass is greener” and you’ve got a recipe for some moody artistic temperaments to begin to flair up! I’ll do my best to put this into perspective.

First off, just because you are an artist doesn’t mean you have to do it as a full-time job that supports you financially. GASP! I know, I know, you may think I’ve just broken the cardinal rule of all artists, but it’s the truth. True art and creativity are expressions of our heart – they are overflow of what we are about on the inside. Some people’s overflow is for themselves alone where as others may be for their family, local church, region or nation. Many people are creative but not everyone is called to be a full-time working artist or musician. Believe me, if you’re not called to it then please don’t force yourself there prematurely. It will lead to a place of you hating your art, being way more frustrated than you are now, and feeling tons of anxiety because the thing you just knew you were supposed to do is not really that at all. The main point here is that you have to know in your heart of hearts with great clarity what it is that God’s called you to do and then begin to walk in that direction.

Now you may already know what it is that God’s called you to do but your frustration is that you’re not there yet. This is common for all dreamers. We can see the end result but get really upset because we’re not seeing it manifest in our lives right now. So what to do? I call it building a bridge.
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You see, we’re all on a road to somewhere. It’s up to you to define that  somewhere with the Lord. The fact remains however, that there is much for you to experience, receive and learn in the process. Honestly, if God were to just place us right now into the fullness of what he created us for we would totally screw it up. Why? Because He’s still forging those attributes that we need in our life so at the right time we’ll be found ready to take the reigns of destiny and go for it! Let me offer a few signposts for you to follow as you build a bridge to your dreams.

• Assess: Where are you now and where do you want to go? Most people overestimate what they can do in one year but underestimate what they can do in three years.
• Strategy: Once you know where you want to go, begin breaking that vision down into bite size pieces. Ask the Father to reveal to you what you need for the next steps – money, time, relationships, resources, tools, etc.
• Envision: Your heart is an incubator – it manifests whatever you believe. Proverbs says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. You’ve got to get a clear picture of where you’re going. Ask the Father to clarify the vision and then as you’re with Him, in faith (that is being fully persuaded) meditate on His plans for you!
• Ask: Through 2 Peter 1:3-4 it says you’ve already been given everything you need for life and godliness and that we can participate in the Divine Nature by appropriating God’s precious promises in our life. Also, Hebrews 11:24 says that when you pray believe that you HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED it and you shall have it. So based on God’s precious promises ask in faith for whatever you need and start thanking God that you’ve already received what you need to accomplish the vision he’s placed in your heart.
• Activate: Begin using the gifts and resources the Father has placed in your hands now in the area he’s planted you. Don’t just wait til everything’s perfect to start.
• Follow the Favor: As you walk in faith, using your gifts and envisioning the dream God has set before you, watch for the Father to bring supernatural favor, divine appointments and resources into your life. When you recognize these, act quickly and don’t waste time wondering “I wonder if this is from the Lord or not?” Yes, it is!
• Don’t eat all your seed: One of the things artists tend to do when they start making a little money with their art is spend it! Rather, you need to use that money as seed to invest in your business during this ‘bridge time’. Do you need more equipment, space, tools, etc? Be wise with the money that comes in!
• Constantly Reassess: Every couple of months or so re-evaluate where you are and what you are seeing manifest in your life. Keep fine-tuning the vision.

There’s a lot more I’ll be sharing on this in coming days, but I hope this gets you started in the right direction!

Over the years, I’ve met so many artists who struggle in their lives with everything from creative expression to finances, relationships to addiction, spirituality and their relationship with God.  Most of the time, the overwhelmingly popular view of life among these friends tends to lean towards one of two areas; mailbox mentality or starving artist.

On the Christian side of life, many believers  embrace a popular fallacy that says something like “get saved, obey God and He’ll do the rest because God’s in control.”  Everyday, these artists go out to their proverbial mailbox hoping that today is the day God blesses them with the desires of their heart, only to be disappointed.  

The other view of life among almost all artists is one I call the starving artist mentality.  This one is pretty familiar to most creatives in that it presupposes that life as an artist is hard, you’ll never make money, to sell your art successfully is to “sell out” and you just have to settle for an existence laden with poverty or at least the lack of prosperity.

Thank goodness, I found a better way based in God’s Word that is based on how the Kingdom of God works.  Here’s the 5 ways you can choose to thrive as an artist in God’s Kingdom:

1. Have a vision for your life that resonates with how God designed you. Without clarity on where you’re going and how you’re designed, your life will be all over the place.
2. Change your thinking. Whatever you think about constantly – like a movie playing inside your head – is what will manifest in your life.  
3. Real change comes to your life when you change the way you think. Remember, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”!
4. Be fruitful first with whatever God has entrusted you with and then multiplication and growth will come as the natural result. You don’t have to force it.
5. Understand you were created for a story bigger than your own.  When you connect with God and His design for you, you’ll be amazed how and where he’ll position you to release the power of His Kingdom.

Do you want to start thriving as an artist in the Kingdom of God? Want to connect with other’s on the journey, too?  Check out my online mentoring program.