The Unembraced Artist Within
Illustration: Ned Bustard, Every Moment Holy Vol. 1
Art is creative work
Art flows from identity
Art is beautiful
Art is a gift
Art is free
Art is meant to be expressed and shared
Art is risk
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Art needs safety
Art needs honor
Art needs collaboration
Art needs space & time
Art needs to emerge naturally
Art needs bravery
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Art is glorious
Lately I’ve been having lots of conversations with artists about creativity, art, spirituality of art…There seems to be disagreement on what creativity actually is–what art is at its essence. There have been many writings on the topic over the span of history and time…I don’t claim to know many of them, I only know my own experience. As a teacher, I have also watched a few others’ experiences along the way as well.
My teacher heart longs for others to have parts of themselves unlocked. For me, for many years, there were many parts of myself locked up, waiting for the right time to be expressed. This is to be human. This is not a special phenomenon to me. A king, Solomon, once said, “For everything there is a season under heaven.” How true!!!
I don’t much care to have a staunch definition of these: art or creativity for myself–I just want to be able to actually “do it–” to create, to make, to do the thing of art. I simply want to have these parts of myself free–my personality, my wiring, my makeup, to do what they were meant to do and express into the world what they were meant to express.
From my conversations and explorations I offer you these thoughts, however incomplete, that you too may be set free from anything that keeps you bound from expressing the deep things inside of you. May you unleash the things that have been with you, waiting to be expressed–the groaning things– that thing inside you that you were created FOR.
First, we are all meant to create the thing that we were meant to create. What is it? How to find it? Where it can emerge? When it’s time is? Well, those are all for the artist to discern. That’s the curious, fun of it all!
Art flows out of identity. It cannot be separated from its creator. Every fingerprint of what was made is from the artist. The art was touched, considered, carefully crafted. If the artist questions herself, she is lost. If he cannot decide what he was made to do, he will be frustrated. The quest after identity is paramount. The freest artists I know are confident in their skin—they like who they are. They like what they make, even if no one else does. They feel a sense of call from their Maker or from their art itself and they follow. They don’t control. They discover. They watch. They pay attention. They listen. Of course, they use all their God—given senses. If something they’ve made is “undone or still in progress” they know it—including themselves. They might think they’ve made something from their most solid sense of self: and the following year, to their own surprise, they’ve made something even more expressive of what’s within. This doesn’t negate that they made the first with all the passion, security, and groundedness they had then. That was real too. That was authentic to where they were, how much of themselves they knew then. That was enough.
Art is creative work. I think art is much more than what we’ve decided to put on the shelves, in the schools, studios, or what the masters liked. I think art is a thing that was made with something like this process described here (I’m sure I’m leaving out a lot).
Art is beautiful. Even if it is grotesque in part, if there’s not some element of beauty in it–it’s simply an opinion. Those are opinions and observations of evil that infiltrate the world. Of course we could never “prove” all the things that one would find beautiful because each of us sees in part. I would not claim that something was empirically beautiful or ugly—we’d probably have to check with every person in the world to decide! If one person can see some beauty from their angle (perhaps leaving out the psychopaths or possessed)—well, then, they can see it. So, it’s got some beauty to it.
Art is a gift. The communal aspect of art is so interesting. Because art has an intention, it moves towards—a person, a group of people or the artist themselves. There’s a wonderful book I’ve seen on the topic: The Gift: Creativity and The Artist in the Modern World by Lewis Hyde. It reads much like an art history lesson on art as a gift over history and time through many cultures. It builds a strong argument—very interesting. Recommend.
Art is free. Even though art can be purposeful, I truly don’t believe it has an agenda. It evokes. It calls. It stirs. It creates. It opens up original thought. It creates curiosity. Often when I write something, I hardly have an idea what it will say, do, be, or become. Of course there are “artistic stories.” Stories are planned, structured. They have an agenda. I’m sure with writing there is a grand mixture of art with story. Some stories are pure art. Perhaps how they came to be followed some sort of story structure because the artist’s fingerprint knows story…is story. But this kind of art-story would have a purpose in mind but not know what it would become until it became that. It wouldn’t be tirelessly maneuvered propaganda. I believe art tells stories but I truly don’t believe it knows what it tells until it is finished. Just like a life story. Our stories are art. There is story in art because story is mapped onto the human heart but I don’t believe stories are always art.
Art is meant to be expressed and shared, even just with one person—even if that person is the creator himself. The trinitarian view here would suggest that we are never alone in solitude, we are actually collaborating in the creation, in the sharing, in the making with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hence the idea of the “muse.” Even if you imagine your audience while creating–maybe you have something to say to them–then you’re not alone. They are with you. Maybe you imagine someone else with you, peering over your shoulder as you make. You’re not alone. This particular beauty has already been shared with one first set of eyes: your own. I’ve heard many artists say that some of the most sacred times they have are when they simply make art for their own enjoyment. It takes the “product” mentality out of the equation when this becomes a ritual. Here by “product,” I mean the things that are simply what we pump out for specific purposes. They don’t necessarily have creative power–they meet a need, but perhaps they don’t inspire, instruct, re-create. Perhaps there is no “aliveness” to them.
Art is risk. There are many obstacles to the artist. Many battles must be fought through. Mental, emotional, physical, environmental—you name it! There are sacrifices that are made. So when you honor an artist, those words won’t be wasted. There’s much that they had to face to make this. There was much to do, to question, to find, to reject.
I’m sure we can make “pieces of art” where something is made with part of the list I came up with above…with some things missing. This is not a black and white room here or a polarizing topic. Artists see in the spectrum of color…“the gray,” if you will (let’s not offend them by only giving them the gray scale)...
What a thing to do, to participate in the communal work of partaking in our God-given identity to create what is imprinted on our lives to create—to risk—to give—to share—to express! Those people who have spent their time and their lives doing this work, they are artists. We honor them. The tireless hours they swam upstream, risking shame, rejection, denial (even from themselves in their journey of self-discovery). They fought many dangers and foes—to birth what God called them to make. I do believe everyone has the capability and the ability to do art. Perhaps some feel the call, perhaps only some answer it…but I do believe there are creators in us all. Perhaps that part of you was quieted. Perhaps part of you hid because someone said a harsh word to you early on, when your confidence was still not yet solidified in this part of your persona. Perhaps, you’ve been marginalized and only think that parts of the creative process are valuable—such as the editing part, the vision casting part…
May we have the bravery to unleash the depths of us into the world—at least to some degree—some new degree each day.
May we honor one another as we see these expressions of self.
May we not need to be siloed into an art class, art group, or “creative” endeavor to feel the safety we need to express these deep things within.
May we be gentle with one another, asking to see the beauty within. May shame be far from our lips, while honor may take its rightful place.
Creating a Culture of Honor To Let Art Breathe:
The teacher sees that our brains don’t need any help evaluating or criticizing—oh no, we do that quite naturally. That’s the editorial part of us. We all have that too. For some of us it’s a louder, stronger, or more developed gift. Creating a culture of honor in a classroom or group where it’s “safe to emerge” takes intention. For a while I experimented with my classes to see if only allowing compliments and honor would lead to a false sense of self-emerging. Maybe it would create little ego maniacs or would squelch the much-needed-editor within.
Once the art has come to completion and it’s time to show and tell: here’s the thing—we’re honest. We don’t lie to one another. We just don’t bring harsh words into the picture. If we have something to say that’s kind, we say it. If we have something to say that’s true, we say it. If we don’t—we all see quite easily what we don’t prefer. We ask one another in the creating process–do you like this or prefer this? Do you think this should be more that away or the other? We are definitely open to feedback. But once the creation has emerged, the artist has chosen, with much intention at that, the final result—we honor. We close up shop on the collaboration, the creative feedback that the artist may take or not take: their choice. All of that choosing and evaluating belongs in the creating and editing process.
To my great delight, this created students whose God-given-talents emerged. It gave room for them to copy the excellent—and leave the rest. It created a culture of honor. In this way, they actually do follow the best model in the room—often not the teacher. Often someone else is a bit more organized, precise or clever than the teach. So, there’s room there for the best of the best.
It’s glorious.
Cheers to the “culture of honor” you seek to make. Message me on the contact page if you want to hash it out. I’m cheering you on! It. Is. Possible.
