Another Definition of “Artist”

I love Pete Docter’s (writer of Toy Story, Chief Creative Office for Pixar) definition of artist:

Whatever you’re good at, whatever you’re not good at…
​The moment we are able to reach out and emotionally connect
with the audience–that’s the moment you’re a real artist.

According to Docter’s definition, we all have the capacity to become artists. It’s not so much about the craftsmanship as it is about the effort to show forth beauty. We connect with people’s emotions positively and negatively all the time.

Don’t be a cursing artist to your neighbors; always drawing out their negative emotions with your words and actions.

Instead, be one who blesses; intentionally making someone’s life a little better with your words and actions.

An Ash Offering

Growing up, becoming an artist was not a highly exalted career path. The Lord saved me while in art school.

But I quickly became drawn to church planting and foreign missions.

For many years, I thought that by choosing the path of missions, I was laying my arts interests at Jesus’ feet and considering it an offering to be burned up, turned to ash, and rendered useless.

Thankfully, Jesus can build sculptures from ash.

The Imagination Relief Valve

How do artists make culture?

We don’t create from nothing.

We are all born intaking the expressions of the world around us. That activity of intaking leads to the construction of our imagination, or, our internal image world.

From this intaking, our imaginations we get busy with our own making.

From that activity of making, something bursts forth in the form of a artifact, an expression of some kind.

Words, songs, dance, hugs, confrontation, sermon ideas, color selections, etc.

The cycle continues. Once we express something into the world, it exists for others to intake.

Under Christ's authority, artists should be released to make and express themselves. Jesus has certain parameters for local church contexts, but we exist in other spaces in the world where we can make art in multiple outlets.

If you’re feeling like there is a metaphorical ceiling for your creative acts, perhaps you are looking for a world place to express them.

Where are the spaces in your life to offer your art as a service that relieves; that lifts burdens?

How Satan Twists Genres

Satan deceives. He lies. He distorts truth. He steals, kills, and destroys.

The arts have been his playground ever since the days they transformed the raw materials of earth to construct Babel’s tower.

We must stay on the line of God’s intent for the arts and artistic genres. When we dishonor them, devastating results follow.

There are two ways we see Satan twisting our worldview of the arts: by adding and taking away God's intent for them.

By Adding

Recently, a video made the rounds on social media of artist Roman Signer. The video featured his performance piece of 10 sand buckets stacked on top of each other. Once the buckets fell to the ground, the crowd clapped.

My social media feed contained multiple pot shots at Signer from various people, surprisingly, mostly Christians. At first glance, sure, this performance piece doesn’t look like much of anything. But witnessing contemporary performance art through the lens of a 10-second Instagram doomscroll doesn’t quite grant the artist the benefit of the doubt. The negative comments I heard completely missed the context, story, and intent, and therefore, missed the potential to learn from the piece. The nay-sayers imposed an addition to what this artist's intent.

We distort first by adding to what art is. This damages a couple things: first, it shows a lack of grace to artists and second, we shut the valve from on our own imaginations. By adding to what an artwork is, we steal what it can do for our imaginations. When we add, three results follow:

1. Golden Calf-ism: We make art more than what it's supposed to be or do. God did not intend for us to ascribe life and such power to artwork. The world isn’t meant to be saved through the arts.

1. Elitism: God also did not mean for any certain class or status to be higher than any other. The West has done massive global damage by assuming that the Classical arts are the closest to heaven.

2. Romanticism: While God might have endowed a certain kind of wisdom to craftsmen, He did not ask them to take His throne. Yet, we esteem them as untouchable and perfect saints.

By Taking Away

We can, likewise, take away from God’s intent for genres. When this occurs, we go further than distorting our imagination. We kill it.

Nazi propaganda art was quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Beneath it, however, lied curses upon literal curses against entire people groups. The following occurs when we subtract from art forms:

1. Propaganda: Art gets used as a mere container for a message.

2. Utilitarian: Art is only valuable only if it teaches.

3. Sacred: Diminish art forms unless they narrowly fit within a “divine” category (i.e. sacred arts of high church). Historically, some churches placed burdens (theological, financial, etc.) on locals in order to fund church architecture and other “holy” art forms.

The church and her artists must retain the middle. We must boldly take up our God-given crafts, hone them, sharpen them, and use them endowed with all of their glorious and creative purposes.

“Literally”

What do we mean when we say “literally?”

• It’s literally God’s word.

• God’s word had a literal context.

• God literally used a variety of genres to communicate His word.

Artists Hold Keys to Unreached People Groups

In the book, All The World Is Singing, John Oswald briefly shares about his arts and mission work in Asia. He lays forth this powerful charge to artists: YOU hold keys to unreached people groups!

In a small Asian city, John began to build trust with a local amateur song and dance group. He learned their most distinctive folk instrument. He practiced with them, joined in the natural rhythms of their community (drinking tea together, having group discussions). Eventually, John even joined in one of their performances.

John talks about how all of this built trust with this Asian community:

My interest in their lute gave me entry to this circle. Among other things, I discovered that music--for them--is only one facet of their performing arts. They do not see a dichotomy between music and dance, drama and song. Each part contributes to the whole, and what results is a highly colorful, energetic, and exhilarating all-round performance. I also learned what my musical interest in their culture meant to them. A complete stranger's comment summed it up: "You have come from a foreign land and have learned our language and culture. That touches my heart." My personal involvement in their music equipped me to fill a hole in this small Christian community's worship life--but the scope is unlimited.

John's story is just one of so many in global missions now. The arts are a powerful tool for arriving and building trust with unreached people groups. John summons all artists with this exhortation:

Where are the tellers of parables, proverbs, and well-crafted stories? Where are the singers of songs, ballads, and epics?

How I Define “Good Works” For Artists

Here is my definition of “good works”:

The fruit
of all my efforts,
on my good days and bad,
to bring
my body,
talents,
mind,
feelings,
opportunities,
imagination,
words, and
actions 

into conformity with God’s heart.

Inception Gifts

Adam Martin, Fast Company

One of my favorite movies is Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

Even it’s movie trailer parodies are top notch.

The above infographic visually captures the Russian-nesting-doll concept within the movie’s plot. So if you’ve seen the movie, you’re familiar with it.

I thought about this as I thought about the idea of gift giving.

One on hand, yes, you are gifting someone something material. A greeting card is tangible. A wrapped present is tactile. A wad of cash is physical.

But within the material lies its own nesting doll.

We do not just give material things. Embedded within them is gifting joy, humor, and blessing.

Next time you consider blessing someone else, look beyond the tactile, see the Inception gift.