Recently I have been learning about some interesting new dimensions of art. I have the skill, I spent years in school and independent training, but my efforts would always peter out because I didn't quite know what it meant to be an artist. I would start projects but they just never gained momentum and I was so depressed and frustrated. I just... didn't know who I was as a person and an artist to God. Finding your true identity, the person God created you to be, after the world has lied to you or so long is SO important in our walk.
(Secular) College doesn't really teach you how to find your voice in Christ and pursue his glory with our art. It was always about fleshly interests and politics. I have had to step back from it all and just cultivate my relationship with Christ and let him transform me over the years, allowing certain things to die and letting go of all kinds of pride, limited expectations and wrong inspirations. The "letting things die" part was particularly hard. When you experience a shift in paradigms it can be as painful as surgery, (it can even manifest as physical pain!) but it's a good pain and the payoff is GLORIOUS. The pain of healing is better than the pain of affliction.
What blows my mind is that God is a supernatural God and he enables our natural gifts to be used in conjunction with our spiritual gifts (1st Corinthians 12-14). I am particularly led to prophetic art, which is art that essentially reveals the heart of the Father to us; it carries and dispenses the presence of God. We are jars of clay designed to carry the Holy Spirit and pour him out to others like a watering can, thus giving life and making everything green. Artists have the unique ability to bypass intellect and communicate spirit-to-spirit.
I'm currently at a huge turning point and I am eating up the new creative mentor-ship God has provided me in my area. I definitely encourage all artists to ask God to send you the right mentor-ship to perfect your gifts. To give you HIS visions and dreams. The following links below are some examples of what this is all about.
Awesome post about the raw power of Prophetic Art: http://www.theworshipstudio.org/what-is-prophetic-art/
Another awesome prophetic artist with unique aesthetic http://www.jbrushwork.com/index.html
Comments
Glory to God! He has blessed us in the Heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. He chose us in Jesus before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Eph1:3,4) Glory!!
And how fortunate we are to lift art to our Lord, and receive art from Him. The Art-to-heart communion is sweeter and more intense than words can frame. Praise God for your mentor-ship it spiritual artistry; may it give you tools to praise him freely and powerfully .
I had not heard of Worship Studio before you cited it (http://www.theworshipstudio.org/what-is-prophetic-art/ ). I scrolled through a few of the blogs: pretty inspiring! Thank you.