I recently had the great pleasure to sit down for a wonderful conversation with my friend, Libby John who hosts the "Art & Faith Conversations" podcast. We talked about my new book, Created to Thrive along with alot of the back story that has brought me to where I am today as an artist. Listen to the podcast here or by searching "Art & Faith Conversations" under Podcasts on iTunes or Stitcher. Starting Mid-May, 2018, you can connect with me via my new podcast, "The Thriving Christian Artist". It's for artists who want to bust through roadblocks that have held them back for years, create the art they love and live the life the they know God created them to live as an artist in His Kingdom. During each season of the podcast, I'll be sharing encouraging teaching and inspiration from my own journey as an artist plus interviews with both emerging and established artists in every creative medium who are thriving artistically, spiritually and in their business. You can listen, subscribe and review my podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay or my website by heading here. I’ve encountered many artists over the years who really struggle with stepping into thriving because they don’t understand one foundational concept: convergence. Thriving isn’t simply doing one or two things well, but rather doing the right things well at the same time, over time. Although that might seem like a juggling act – and it can feel that way some times – it’s not as out of reach as you think. Here’s what typically happens with artists. They get two out of the three areas but forgetting that third, continue to struggle. For example, artists who are great artistically and have a strong spiritual connection end up having only a hobby or ministry because they don’t pursue the development of their art business. Artists who are great artistically and have a strong business sense often flourish in the marketplace with their sales but sometimes lack a deep spiritual connection and sense of life in their art practice. Then there’s artists who are deeply connected spiritually and have built a business but their artwork is lacking, leading to immature work and frustration. For artists who want to pursue their art in the marketplace in the context of their relationship with God, thriving happens when they are growing artistically, spiritually and in their businesses. Each feeds the other and provides momentum for the journey. This place of convergence is what I call your “sweet spot” and it should be a goal for every artist who wants to thrive spiritually, artistically and financially. This place of convergence is the focus of my artist mentoring program, Created to Thrive. Click here for more information on how to be a part. I was talking to a friend the other day who happens to be quite an accomplished artist and a real spiritual father to many creatives around the world. We were chatting about our mutual passion to help artists thrive and, knowing I work with many hobbyist and emerging artists, posed the following question: "How do you tell someone who is mediocre and not really called (or ready) to make his living with his art (simply because it will never sell) that perhaps God gave you the passion for art just to enjoy and glorify Him with, but it is not your calling to make it your financial sustenance?" It's a great question and I'm sure the reason no one talks much about it is because it can be a really sensitive issue for the artist... No one wants to have that hard conversation with an artist who's thinking they are ready to take on the world when in reality, they are still stumbling around with the basics. And then sometimes, there are those really hard cases that almost seem like the American Idol auditions where someone thinks they are God's gift to art when in reality, there's not much there but desire and belief. As I've thought about it, I hope these ideas will help you navigate your own artistic calling and season in that journey.
How to Sell Art...First of all, this is a huge question but surprisingly simple. It's simple because it has to be based on you, the artist. How do you like to sell your art? I've found over the years, there are basically two ways to sell your art: direct to the customer or through a strategic partner (or, I admit it... a combination of both). It's really important to understand which strategy is most effective for you when you're asking how to sell art. When I first started asking how to sell art, I did what most artists do and looked to others who I saw being successful and modeled them. Unfortunately for me, their model didn't work for me. Many of the artists I knew were introverts who enjoyed mostly making in their studio rather than interacting with the public. Consequently, they had adopted a wholesale methodology which required them to make production items, sell at a 50% discount, sell through stores and galleries, and never have any interaction with their end user. For me, as an extroverted people person, that was very unfulfilling. When I made beautiful work and faced the reality of packing it up and shipping it off to a gallery far far away, that gave me no emotional payoff, which for me is an important part of being an artist. I love hearing people say "Oh my gosh, that is so beautiful! I love it!" Without that, I was missing something huge! The other methodology I saw most artists doing included doing as many retail craft and art shows as possible. They seemed to live on the road. In the summers, they were in the mountains and in the winter, they all headed to Florida. Always on the road, always staying in hotels or travel trailers. Again, not my idea of a beautiful artistic life. For me, I chose to pursue selling my art through a public studio in Asheville's River Arts District, a collection of over 200 artists in 23 old warehouse buildings in Asheville, North Carolina. It's a mecca for artists and art lovers, as well as wealthy retirees who like to incorporate local art into their homes. I get to make, sell and interact all out of my studio. I deliver most of my commissioned works and I get a high level of interaction with my clients. We build relationships. They visit the studio with friends and for me, that's huge! So what's the bottom line? You have to determine how to sell art for yourself based on how your wired, what you're creating and the life you want. Without being clear about those questions, you'll end up really frustrated. If you're going to be an artist, you want to do so while living a beautiful, creative and fulfilled life. Where You Sell Your Art...Now you understand why these two questions go together. How you sell art ends up determining where you sell your art. There's no cookie cutter plan that works for everyone. As you consider where to sell your art, make sure you craft a strategy that fits how you like to create, sell and live life. The artist life is not just about cranking out product, but about authentically creating your work, connecting with others who love what you do and making a profit.
That being said, here are some of my best recommendations: Where to Sell Your Art For Artists Who Want to Sell Direct To Clients:
We talk about these issues every day in my Created to Thrive Artist Mentorship Program and over the last year, I've created several in-depth teaching videos on this subject based on my own experience and the experience of hundreds of artists I've helped over the years. Find out more about becoming a part of my artist mentorship program here. Also, let me know what's working for you! Comment below and let's keep the conversation going. Get my Free 9-Page PDF "Sell Your Art & Make Money Quick". It's packed with over 60 different proven strategies for selling your art in any market. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in a gallery demonstrating my work at an art walk in Waynesville, North Carolina... Just minding my own business, when all of a sudden this guy walks up to one of my pieces and said with a gasp "It's like the hands of God are reaching out to me saying I've got everything under control." I wondered to myself "What just happened?" and then all of a sudden it hit me. This guy just had an encounter with the living God through one of my baskets. I thought "Woo hoo, Jesus loves kudzu, too!!" Is that even possible? Absolutely! When you invite the Holy Spirit into your creative process, He will literally come move through the work of your hands. Your work becomes much more than just the sum of it's parts... it becomes an intersection point where God can show up and release the light and life of His presence! If you've never experienced this kind of demonstration of God's love through your work, there's no time like the present! The next time you create, invite the Holy Spirit to be present, in and through your work. Create with all your heart, listen for His voice and then respond. After you're done, watch what he does with the work of your hands. When God shows up, things change and He wants to use you to release that transformation. Has something like this ever happened to you? Share your story of transformation below and let's encourage one another! Since I have the great honor of working with hundreds of Christian artists in my artist mentorship program, I'm always getting questions. One of the most common questions I get from newbies is "what can I do right now to start thriving?" Here's 12 things you can do right now to start thriving as a Christian artist: 1. Just show up & do the work There’s just no substitute. It’s been said it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at your chosen artistic medium. So whether you’re a painter or metal artist, potter or basket maker you’re going to need to put in some serious studio time. The beautiful thing about it is that for the artist, the process of being in the studio can be the reward. Yes, we’re all after fantastic art that we can sell and make a living from, but for the artist, the magic of creativity happens long before the sale happens. It happens when we walk in the studio, turn on the music, prepare our materials and just get in the zone. 2. Push through the ugly Many Christian artists I’ve ever known, including myself goes through periods of creating crap. Sometimes its for a week, or months or a year or sometimes it’s in every piece. If you stop in the ugly phase, you’ll never get through to the place of creative resolve and resolution. Keep pressing, reworking, walking away and returning until you know that you know it is finished. 3. Encourage yourself and silence your inner critic The voice of the inner critic will never go away by itself or by wishing it would stop. The voice must be silenced by a greater voice; the darkness pierced by the purity of light. The dominant inner narrative in your soul can be guided, not by your emotions but by your choices. Who are you and what do you want? Practice some creative visualization, create a treasure map, journal your personal and creative affirmations daily and listen as the critic is silenced. 4. Take time to rest and renew It’s been said that creativity happens best on the edge of order and chaos. That being said, we can’t live 100% of the time in that tension. You need time to reflect, rest and renew your physical body and your inner life so that fresh ideas can clearly come to and through you. This is not a luxury for the artist, it is essential. 5. Fill your imagination When it’s time to create, artists create from the heart. And we go inside our imagination to draw upon the inspiration and understanding that lies within. If we’ve not invited the Holy Spirit into our creative process and intentionally filled our imagination with inspiration, then the work becomes mundane; studio time only makes us and our experience in creative bored and anxious. What exhilarates your spirit? What makes you stand in awe and wonder? Movies? Music? Sculpture? Great art or theatre? Whatever feeds your inner life should be on your regular menu." 6. Don’t eat seed Over the years I’ve found that emerging artists have one main question they are always asking: “How do I make money with my art?” The better question is how can I keep the money I’m making with my art. Becoming a successful Christian artist for most people is able building a bridge to a dream; transitioning from a 9 to 5 job or even beginning to sell your work to the public for the first time. Regardless, all of that takes money. I always encourage artists to take the money that’s coming in initially from selling or teaching and put it away in your business envelope. That way, when a big show, marketing need or other opportunity comes along and you need capital to invest, you have it. Money invested at the right time in your business can be valuable seed to produce the harvest of success you desire. 7. Create what you love We’ve all done it. You sell a couple of pieces that are similar and you start thinking “If I make 1000 of these, I’d be a gagillionaire... so I better get to work!” Only to find out that at the next show, you only sell a grand total of zero. While we must always keep an eye on what’s selling and what our clients are genuinely responding to at the end of the day, we must make what we love. Otherwise, we become robotic craftsmen just replicating patterns with wrote skill instead of creating out of the place of inspiration and passion. Create what you love and trust the money and opportunities to follow. Fulfill Your Calling as a Christian Artist! Connect with a Community of Thriving Artists MAKE THIS YEAR YOUR BREAKTHROUGH YEAR... Find out how here 8. Reach up and reach back None of us have gotten where we are in life without those special people God placed in our life at the right place and time to teach us, lead us, guide us and inspire us to go to the next level. No matter where you are in your creative journey, you can do the same for someone else by reaching out in genuine relationship. In addition, there’s always someone who’s further along than you are in whatever creative endeavor you find yourself. Continue to purposely reach up to them as well and become a river of inspiration; both receiving and giving the abundance that’s flowing through you. 9. Tell your story Art is not a commodity. No one buys great art or fine craft because it was the cheapest or it was on sale. People buy fine art and fine craft because they desire connection; connection with the maker, the process, the materials and ultimately their own human experience. Your personal creative story is a huge part of that because when people connect to you they connect to your work. It’s no longer just a basket, mug or painting, but rather a reflection of the story of the maker who poured their heart and soul into the piece. Art becomes like ancient cairns, pointing the way and commemorating significance in the journey. 10. Dream Your Dreams Most Christian artists I’ve met over the years are so completely overwhelmed with where they are right now – creatively, relationally, financially – that they’ve lost their ability to dream and imagine outside of their current life experience. What happened to the kid on the playground who believed he could climb to the top of the highest tree on the mountain? What happened to the little girl who wanted to be a famous fashion designer in New York City? I’ll tell you what happened. Life happened, they got bogged down in the details and lost their dreamer. Without dreaming and imagination, we become robotic manufactures of commodities. With dreams, desire and imagination become artists who allow all of life to converge in the studio where we create beautiful objects that help others to live with wonder. 11. Say No to the Wrong things and Yes to the Right You’re an artist, yes, but you’re also an entrepreneur, shipping department, marketing department and custodial staff in addition to whatever personal and civic obligations that may find their way into your life. If you say yes to everything, you allow everyone else’s emergencies, priorities and passions take precedence over yours. Design your life. Dream your dreams. Create what you love. Life a beautiful life with beautiful people and allow your priorities to be the measuring stick for everything else you allow into your life. That’s not selfish, it’s healthy. 12. Connect to Your Source If you’ve been an artist for very long, you realize that your creative gift is not your own or even the result of all your own hard work. Pure and simple it’s a gift from the Creator and we simply have the incredible opportunity to collaborate with that Creators process, inspiration and gifts in order to reflect His beauty. Without that connection we die creatively because we cut off the source of our inspiration. With that connection, we go further than we ever could on our own good ideas and hard work. With that connection, we simply lean into the process of creative collaboration that’s already been designed especially for us. With that connection, we always prosper because that’s the design of the Creator. Don't let another year go by without stepping into your creative calling! This year can be your breakthrough year! Find out how... As I've reflected on my own journey and the journey's of the literally hundreds of artists who are a part of my Created to Thrive Artist Mentorship program I now understand there are basically stages an artist goes through on their journey of creativity. Most artists stop somewhere along the way but for those who refuse to give up, they reap the rewards of perseverance. Hobbyist All artists start here, creating from a place of passion, connection and expression. The focus for the hobbyists is creating for their own enjoyment. Hobbyists pursue their art at their leisure and don't always have a dedicated space to create. Hobbyists enjoy the freedom of creating when inspiration strikes - once a week, a couple of times a month or even a few times a year – and often continue to create because of the spiritual connection they feel when creating. Main challenges facing these artists include frustration with lack of skill, perfectionism, dedicating time to create, connecting with other creatives for community and beliefs around their own identity as artists. Emerging Artist After creating for some time as a hobbyist, these artists begin to develop a passion for more focused pursuit of their art. They are serious about developing more skill, spending more time on their artistic development and are starting to sell their work to others. Emerging artists are beginning to develop the basics of their art business including things like website, printed materials, professional photography, dedicated studio space and applying for shows. Main challenges facing these artists include renewing their mind to align with God's Word rather than their own experience or beliefs, building healthy relationships with other artists who are on the same journey and balancing time to create with relationships and administrative tasks required to launch an art business (marketing, bookkeeping, communications, social media). Professional Artist
The professional artist has moved through the stages of hobbyist and emerging artist after several years of honing their skills and developing their unique creative voice. This artist usually has a dedicated studio space, spends time creating on a daily basis and regularly pursues selling their work via social networks, shows, commissions and other venues. They have developed their own unique marketing brand and are working to connect with those who connect with their creative voice via their website, social media, printed media and referrals. Main challenges facing these artists include cultivating fresh creativity while building upon the success they've experienced, asking for help from professionals in order to grow their businesses to the next level, cashflow and time management. Also, as an artist experiences success, it's even more important to keep their life and art centered in a vital relationship with Jesus. Thriving Artist This artist is living the dream, having moved from hobbyist to emerging artist, professional and now thriving in their chosen pursuits. Thriving artists create what they love in a dedicated studio space while selling their work for top dollar to clients who seek out their work. Their life is marked by creative fulfillment, financial abundance, meaningful relationships and spiritual connection. These artists have developed a niche of clients who authentically connect with them and their work as reflected by their willingness to purchase and refer them to their circle of influence. Main challenges facing these artists include balancing time with family and friends vs time given to their business and art pursuits, cultivating a thriving relationship with the Holy Spirit and taking time to give back to others along the journey who need to know what they've learned over the years. No matter where you are on your journey as an artist, God wants to use you for His Glory in order to release His Life and Light into the world. You can be the thriving artist God designed you to be... if you're willing to start aligning with Him. If that's you, I'd love to show you how I've helped hundreds of artists just like you achieve and surpass their goals and live the life they were created to live. Find out more... I've had the privilege since 2009 of making my living primarily from making and selling art to what many would call the luxury market. My clients are typically people who have multiple homes around the country (and internationally) and enjoy purchasing and commissioning unique pieces of art for their homes ranging from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. Although many of them could probably afford anything they wanted, price is almost never a part of the initial conversation as they determine whether or not they want my work. For many artists, this begs the question... if price is not really a main issue, then what DO they care about? What are they really looking for? How do I know where to sell my art? Here's my top 4 things I know every art buyer is looking for:
Understanding and practicing these four principles are core to the success of my business and any art business who wants to thrive over the long term. Comment below and share your thoughts. I'd love to hear them as you share your insights on how to sell your art! 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:
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...
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. 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:
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. 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.
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.) 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. So what do you think? Let me hear from you in the comments below! “Why is Christian art so bad?” This question was posed to me on live radio several years ago when I was doing a book tour for The release of my first book, ”Unlocking the Heart of the Artist”. There I was, live before millions of people around the world on a big time morning radio show in downtown Chicago. I was trying to encourage artists and at the same time felt that punch-to-the-gut sort of feeling that said “what in the world am I going to say to this?” Fear, anxiety and anger and a little bit of laughter all bubbled up at the same time. I’m not even quite sure what I said at this point but throughout the years, that question has stayed with me and informed everything we try to do in equipping artists at The Worship Studio.
What would lead someone to even ask that question? I mean frankly, we don’t like to ask such hard questions in the Christian community. Most of the time, we like to stay all positive. It’s kind of like those kids on American Idol that can’t sing. Think about it. Somebody’s mama told them they could sing. Their whole life they’re thinking “Wow, I am awesome” and then they get up on national TV and everything changes. (Just in case you need a break, here’s the 10 worst American Idol Singers. Enjoy!) In church, it can be like that for an artist. All you hear is how anointed, talented and called you are but rarely do artists hear really great constructive critique that can enable them to grow. Sure, we all like to edify, encourage and strengthen each other but sometimes we need to have a little bit of iron sharpening iron. Sometimes, somebody’s got to call a spade a spade. I guess today, that’s me. You see, I believe if we’re honest we know the answer to this difficult and sometime offensive question; “Why is Christian art so bad?” Much of what is deemed Christian art or “prophetic art” today is much more spiritually-based, spontaneous expression or spiritual processing than it is skillfully created art. (That is not a slam on spontaneous expression or spiritual processing through art by the way.) In that context, the artist may seek to communicate passion, desire, vision and prophetic unction but because of immature artistic skill that only comes with time, preparation, creative development, mentoring and creating tons of work, the result does not carry the transformative power which the artist seeks to convey. The result is not inherently bad, it’s simply the immature expression of an emerging artist. The challenge for all of us artists who are Christians and who desire to have our work release the light and life of God – to release transformation and change the atmosphere – is to move beyond the simple transcription of spiritual inspiration to the place where we treat those inspirations as seeds; seeds of promise, seeds of potential, seeds that must be planted in good soil and go through the maturing process before they can bear fruit. Believe me, as you mature both creatively and spiritually, your interpretation of inspiration changes drastically. Unfortunately, that process of development is often looked down upon or minimized because of the tendency to over spiritualize this creative process. I call it “playing the God card”. Sometimes if an artist inherently feels that the inspiration they carry is from the Holy Spirit and that their responsibility is to communicate that inspiration through their artwork, there can be a real resistance to constructive critique. You’ll hear defensive responses like “God gave this to me” or “This is what the Holy Spirit said to do” when in reality, that is the artists’ interpretation of what the Holy Spirit said to do based on their own spiritual and creative maturity. When any of us lose the ability to be teachable and what we do whether it be creative or otherwise and we miss the opportunity to mature. Believe me, as you mature both creatively and spiritually, your interpretation of inspiration changes drastically. Why? Because you have more options; more techniques, mediums, processes and ideas. As your creative capacity expands so does your ear to the Spirit. The question for all artists is “How do I skillfully create art and grow in artistic maturity while nurturing an authentic spiritual connection?”Here’s five things that I hope all artists will incorporate into their artistic development as they grow into creative and spiritual maturity: I was a 1 talent artist looking for 5 talent results (Matthew 25). “Go Back and Re-Learn Your Craft” When the Lord began to speak to me about the next season of my life in 2008, the first word I got was not about raising up an army of artists or being a father to artists or writing books or speaking at conferences around the world. The first word I got was “go back and re-learn your craft”. Although I have been making baskets for probably 15 years at that point, the Spirit spoke a very clear Word to me. As I interpreted that Word, it became clear that even though I had done basketry for a long time they were key things that I was missing, key techniques that I had not mastered, core understandings that I had yet to incorporate into my creative process. Until I gained mastery in those areas, no matter how much passion or desire I had to release the light and life of God through my work or to have influence as an artist, it just wasn’t going to happen. Why? Because I was a 1 talent artist looking for 5 talent results (Matthew 25). Yes, I could have rebuked the devil and prayed for a miracle – and that may have made me feel better – but as I have found throughout my whole creative and spiritual journey, God is more concerned about the process then he is about the outcome. He’s concerned about stewardship, faithfulness and tenacity. I begin to understand that if God could trust me with the responsibility to develop his creative investment in me then he would trust me to pour out his Spirit through my work. Plant the Seeds of Inspiration Creative inspirations are like seeds. In and of themselves, they are worthless unless they are planted in good soil and allowed to come to maturity. The tendency for many artists is to paint the seed, sing the seed, give away the seed or even try to sell the seed rather than plant the seed and wait. For seeds to come to maturity, they must be planted in good soil, die and then give way to life. You must also die to your own preconceived notions of what the art should or should not look like based on how you interpreted the seed. You must give inspiration the soil it needs to mature into fruit. You must also die to your own preconceived notions of what the art should or should not look like based on how you interpreted the seed. Rarely does the seed look like the fruit and unless you allow the seed to die and then come into maturity, you’re probably missing much of what Holy Spirit is actually trying to speak in and through your creative process. What does this mean practically? Leave room for mystery. Journal your inspirations, record them on Pinterest, create a vision board, meditate on them with the Holy Spirit. Allow them the time and space to come to fruition. Otherwise, you’re giving away simple seeds or fruit that’s not yet ripe. Find a Mentor Hello! This is huge and yet so many people resist this part of the journey. All of us need people to speak into our creative journey and they don’t always have to be Christians. Yes, I said it! Can you believe it? Consider Bezalel for a moment. Yes, he’s an incredibly talented, Godly, Spirit-filled artist in the Bible but more than likely the skills he developed came from a lifetime of faithfully creating and walking in community with other artisans, not just as a singular, supernatural download. God can and will work through anyone he wants to in order to build us into the mature artists He’s designed us to be! Most of the mentors in my own creative journey have been people whose work inspired me. I paid – and continue to pay – attention, asked the Spirit for opportunities to connect with them and then before you know it, our paths intersect. Follow the breadcrumbs and the favor. Expect divine connections. “Christianese” messaging overwhelms and weakens the creative expression. Create and Let God speak Artists should quit trying so hard to ‘say something’ with their art and simply create. Create with skill? Yes. Create from deep inspiration? Yes. Create with the Creator? Yes. Just create and believe me, the work will speak for itself. So many times overt “Christainese” messaging overwhelms and weakens the creative expression. The creative process is about trust; trusting yourself, the materials, the mystery all the while believing that the work will live and give life to you and the viewer. In my own journey. most of what God has used to speak life and light to others has usually been in spite of my creative intention going into a piece. Because of that, I always encourage artists to let the work you create speak. Let the process speak. Don’t always come into a piece of art thinking “this is what this is about” or “this is what I’m going to say”. For me, that just robs the beauty of the process and the experience of the viewer from enjoying. The beauty of art – the supernatural essence of what and how we create – is that our creativity is much more than simply what we bring to the studio. We bring all of us and mix it with all of what Holy Spirit wants to do in and through us and boom, all of a sudden what we create goes WAY beyond whatever we had in mind or could ever have done on our own. If we come into the process so convinced that “this is what this is about” or “This is what I’m going to say” we can easily miss the mystery of the Spirit’s journey through us; the exponential result of our creative expression. Be a river of giving, not a stagnant, fearful puddle who is satisfied to live off of yesterday’s revelation. Filled, Skilled and Spilled No matter how gifted or talented an artist is, it’s all for naught unless they nurture their connection with the Father. Being filled with the Spirit of God should always draw an artist into skill development so they can enlarge their capacity to be a conduit for God’s Glory. Likewise, being filled and skilled should also lead artists who are growing in maturity to see their lives spilled out in the service of others. Teach what you know. Give outrageously. Teach your secrets. Be a river of giving, not a stagnant, fearful puddle who is satisfied to live off of yesterday’s revelation. Grow as You Go! The promise of the Father is that He will order our steps, light our path, give us the secrets of the Kingdom and allow us to participate in the divine nature through His precious promises. My prayer for each of us who calls ourself artist is that as you go, you would grow in stature before God and man, that people would see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven, that light and life would flow from your art, that Kingdom transformation would be your legacy. |
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AuthorMatt Tommey is an artist, author and mentor who is passionate about empowering artists to thrive spiritually, artistically and in business. |