Catholic Artists NYC Blog

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EULA CHUA is a Vancouver-based calligrapher and stationery designer. 

You can check out her work here: website: simplyeustudio.com // etsy shop: simplyeu.etsy.com // email: [email protected]

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Vancouver?

EULA CHUA: My parents are from the Philippines. My father worked overseas as an architect for the Ministry of Housing in Oman and brought my mother with him to start a family. Oman is where my brothers and I were born. I lived there for six years until my parents took an opportunity of a brighter future, thus, moving to Canada to start anew. I have lived in Vancouver for 18 years now and every time I travel around the city, I always find something new to appreciate about where I live.

Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

I do consider myself a Catholic Artist, more so, a Catholic Calligrapher/Letterer based on my work. My personal mission is to evangelize our Catholic faith using a form of art without fear. As an introvert, it's a challenge for me to be open and vocal about myself or my faith. I find that everyone communicates in different ways. I create Catholic stickers and prints as a way to evangelize and spread the word of God, especially for those who need to take their time to collect their thoughts before they share what they have to say. I think small Catholic statements and items are also a great way to invite someone to an open conversation about Catholicism.

Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

I found a lot of support through the Catholic community I have been a part of (Couples For Christ). As Simplyeu Studio is still growing, I hope that I can reach out to my Archdiocese with the work and services I offer as a way to give back and offer up my talents to the Lord. I want to contribute and bring forth the best of my skills and abilities the Lord has blessed me with, as well as inspire others to step out of their comfort zone.

Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

I have been a bit quiet about my vocation as an artist until I sought the opportunity to put myself out there during the Holiday season and share my work through my Instagram (@simplyeu). Surprisingly, I found a lot of fellow Catholic artists, writers, and speakers through Instagram who have inspired me to be more open about being a Catholic through calligraphy!

How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

I believe the Church is already welcoming to artists. In fact, my form of art is greatly inspired by the Church. There's so much inspiration to find from the Saints, the church itself and the actual physical structures, our brothers and sisters in Christ, the ministries, the bible, and many more. It is endless.

Where in Vancouver do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I find spiritual fulfillment through adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation. There's a few churches in the Archdiocese of Vancouver which offer a 24-hour adoration. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, not many are able to stay open all-night. However, I did find that more and more churches have started offering scheduled adoration almost everyday of the week, which is such a blessing!

I am also a part of a young adult Catholic charismatic community called Singles for Christ, which I recommend to those who are seeking faith, friendship, and community with other fellow brothers and sisters. We also welcome and invite those who are non-Catholics to join us in our monthly events.

What is your daily spiritual practice?

Since the start of the new year, I have been praying the prayers in the Magnificat and dedicate my time to write more in my prayer journal. Throughout the pandemic, my friends and I get together online to pray the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy every week.

How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

I currently have a part-time job while balancing full-time school. In November 2020, I took a leap of faith and began to sell my work and creations through Etsy. I find a lot of my clients by word of mouth and through Instagram. This year (2021), I hope to launch my website soon (simplyeustudio.com), where not only I can sell more of my creations but also share more about myself, my portfolio, and my thoughts on my website blog.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

1. "Be not afraid." // Art is a form of expression. Don't be afraid to express who you are, who you are created to be, and share who our Creator is. Put yourself out there and share your work, whether it's within a Catholic or non-Catholic community or group. You'd be surprise who comes up to you and asks about your faith.

2. "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." - St. Catherine of Siena //  God made all of us with a unique purpose. He loves you for who you are. He loved before you were even born! There's no need to be like anyone else other than to be yourself, to be the best that you can be. That is all He asks of us.

3. "Remain faithful and Trust in Him." // In times where you feel incapable or incompetent. Be open to seeking for help from others such as your peers, your family, your professor, a spiritual director, a therapist, or whoever it may be depending in your situation. Trust that He will take care of you, no matter what.

EMI NAMORO is a Catholic writer and artist based in Vancouver, Canada. She also does graphic design and music. Check out her work on Wordpress and Instagram. 

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION asks: What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

EMI answers: I once heard that the first five words in the Bible was about how God created. When we are creating, we are closest to Him. As a Catholic writer and artist, I've never felt closer to Him than when I am writing, singing, designing or simply creating. There is something so special about sharing in God's infinite beauty and creation. Of course, what I create is only maybe a glimmer of the vastness that He is able to, but it is so heartwarming to offer what He gave me back to Him and His glory.

My personal mission as a Catholic creative is to glorify and magnify Him in all that I do. My prayer and hope is to evangelize and share about God's love in the littlest of ways. If a simple article, design, song, or even an Instagram caption can bring one person closer to Jesus, then I am satisfied. This was never my work but God's alone. I'm simply a vessel and instrument in the masterpiece He has created.

Where in Vancouver do you go to get inspired?

I am very blessed to live only a few minutes away from my home parish where I am able to visit our perpetual adoration regularly. I've never felt more at home when I am visiting Jesus. In times of desolation or artist/writer's block, Jesus consoles me and inspires me to keep going and continually reminds me of my purpose.

In that little adoration chapel, I am able to find both my spiritual and artistic fulfillment. My art is fueled by my spiritual life and Jesus' love for me. I couldn't imagine separating the two from the other. God is the ultimate artist and each day, I'm learning more through His guidance and inspiration.

How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in Vancouver?

Surprisingly, Instagram! Of course, I am so blessed to find so many beautiful Catholic communities in my archdiocese. But ever since the pandemic hit, it became difficult to engage in those same communities. Fortunately, I was able to find other like-minded Catholic creatives on Instagram. I've even made some life-long friendships and connections on there! It gives me so much joy to find other artists from all around the world who love Jesus and their faith like I do! What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

I never studied in the arts, but here are a few words of advice that I wish someone told me.

1. Allow yourself to make mistakes. It's completely okay if your first draft is trash and you don't want to show the world. In fact, keep making mistakes, because that's a sign that you're trying. Make many mistakes and improve upon them. That is how you know you're growing. You keep trying and you never give up, no matter how difficult it may be.

2. This was advice given to me by someone I looked up to: "be humble when criticisms come and be grateful when celebrations come". There will be times where you'll face criticism and struggle. It will be difficult, but it is part of the process. You're learning, you're not perfect, and that's okay. When praise comes, celebrate it and accept their compliments graciously. You're doing something right!

RACHEL WONG is a writer and podcaster living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She hosts the Feminine Genius Podcast.

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION asks: Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? 

RACHEL WONG: The term 'artist' has always been one that I shy away from. As a writer, I had always leaned towards non-fiction work, which I think was fed by my interest in news and my desire to pursue journalism. I love storytelling and hearing other people's stories, which is what led me to radio broadcast and now podcasting. Other artist friends I know actually have an artistic discipline that they practice: perhaps they are painters or visual artists, maybe they hand-letter, or maybe they dance or write music. I've never fit into any of those categories and because of that I always felt like I didn't 'fit' into the box of a Catholic artist.

What I've come to learn over the years, especially as I've worked on The Feminine Genius Podcast and refined it over time, is that regardless of whether or not I have the title of 'artist', I still am a creator for The Creator. I create because He has enabled me to create. And whatever medium I operate in—in my case, podcasting and aural storytelling—I have a task and a call to do this for His glory. My mission for the podcast is very much wrapped into the call for my life: to proclaim God's glory and build up His kingdom through uplifting the stories of women and shining a spotlight on the diversity of the Catholic Church, one woman at a time.

Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

I've found that when I share with people in my parish, archdiocese and beyond what I do in podcasting, a lot of people have genuine curiousity around how I got into podcasting and why I do it. To be able to give my testimony of how I was entrusted with this call and to share the great truth that God fulfills the deepest desires of our hearts and uses every talent we have has been incredibly fruitful. It's been affirming to meet people from all over the Church who encourage my work and ask how they can support me, whether by sharing it or praying for me. Any kind of creative endeavour can be isolating, so it's beautiful to have people reach out on their own accord and ask me how I'm doing. It's relationships and encounters like these that nurture my vocation as an artist and creative.

Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

I am so inspired by the many Catholic artist and creative communities that have sprung up over the past few years, but particularly during this time of pandemic. Art can be such a solitary or individual practice that sometimes it can make us afraid to reach out to other artists or collaborate! Having these groups to not just talk about art (though of course, we talk about art and creativity at great length!) as well as our faith, our struggles, and our practice can be so refreshing. It's wonderful to meet other people on the journey and have a fresh pair of eyes look over something I've been working on.

How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

Art has always been an internal, and I think some would even say intellectual, journey. It's about discovering something new, seeing things from new perspectives, and recognizing beauty, truth and goodness. Fundamentally, I think all of us are seeking God through the work that we do, and for us artists who do have a faith, we have an opportunity to put a name to the person we're seeking through our craft and art. I think that if the artistic world is ready and open to be more receptive and more ready to make space to have conversations about what matters to artists of faith - like the person of Jesus and His teachings - we'd be in a much better place. And similarly, we as artists of faith have to be reciprocal and be open to other perspectives, even if we don't share them, and be ready to dialogue. Shutting people down doesn't help us go anywhere and it certainly doesn't help us collaborate and connect!

Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?

COLLEEN UMALI is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based wedding and portrait photographer.  [website | instagram]

Colleen shared with the Catholic Artist Connection about her work as a wedding photographer and how to thrive spiritually during a pandemic. Read our full interview below! 

Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?

I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines but when I was 7 years old, my parents felt the call to move to Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver is home and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? 

In the past, I’ve never thought of myself as a Catholic artist. I just saw myself as another kid on the Internet with a passion for photography while being unashamedly Catholic. I try to be as authentic as I can on social media and sometimes post reflections on God’s goodness.

Photographing weddings has always been my dream. I would do it occasionally for family and friends when they asked, but never seriously considered turning it into a business. But the Lord in His goodness knew these desires of my heart, and in the midst of a global pandemic, He turned this dream into a reality. I began to receive clients out of nowhere. One bride hired me specifically because she saw I had experience in photographing Catholic weddings. This was a huge moment of realization that unintentionally, all the weddings I photographed in the past were all Catholic weddings. 

Today, I do see myself as a Catholic artist. Sure, elopement photos on a mountaintop are beautiful, but I’m not here to show off pretty pictures. My purpose behind launching a wedding photography business (on top of a full time career) is to honor the Lord through the sanctity of marriage. It is so beautiful to witness how He works in people’s lives to bring them together, and I find so much joy in helping couples tell this story. I love getting to know the couples I work with, and there is nothing better than having deep conversations with them about God’s goodness.

Where in Vancouver do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I love my church, St. Matthew’s Parish, because the community is so vibrant and filled with many young people striving to follow the Lord. The youth group’s monthly Adoration nights are always so beautiful. I also serve as a leader for University Christian Outreach (UCO) here in the Vancouver chapter. During the pandemic, we couldn’t meet in person with the university students so we began to hold worship nights over Zoom. At one event, students from other chapters joined us. Despite time differences, we were able to worship with students from Israel, LA, Calgary and Michigan! I also find spiritual fulfillment from regularly meeting up (over Zoom) with like-minded women for book studies, Bible studies and heartfelt, Christ centered conversations. 

What is your daily spiritual practice?

No matter how busy I am, I try to start every day in prayer. I find that when I offer up my day to Jesus, the stresses become a little less stressful. I like to read the daily Mass readings and the reflections from Blessed is She. My women’s group is currently doing the Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible Study so I try to read a few chapters a day. I also like to have a mini praise and worship session alone in my car on my drives to work. I’m currently loving Maverick City Music!

How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

I have a full time job doing kidney research for a large Vancouver biotech. I love my career and the opportunity to make a difference through science. Wedding photography is my passion and I don’t see it as a means of steady income but as a creative outlet. I love meeting people and telling their unique stories. I am still doing my best to put myself and my business out there in a competitive market with wedding photographers on every corner. But in keeping photography as a passion, I’m able to do what I love without the pressure of having to earn enough to make ends meet.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

1. Surround yourself with people who support, motivate and push you to become the best version of yourself! I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for my best friend saying “you’re launching your website tonight. No excuses.”

2. Believe in yourself! You are worthy and you are good enough. God gave you these talents for a reason. Use them to glorify Him.

3. Let God do the rest. Whether your art remains a passion or becomes a source of income — follow where He leads. Follow His will for your life and you’ll never be disappointed.

NATHANIEL TINNER is a writer, speaker, and singer based in New Orleans, LA (NOLA). [website | twitter]

You can watch Nathaniel’s presentation on Black Catholicism, social justice, and his personal testimony for the California Chinese Catholic Living Camp (CACCLC) 2020 virtual retreat below: 

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to NOLA?

NATHANIEL TINNER: I'm from Evansville, IN and my dad moved here to NOLA while I was in college in Los Angeles; I landed here after graduation and have been between here and Cali ever since.

Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

I do not typically call myself an artist, as I see myself as primarily an analytical writer. That isn't typically seen as an art, and my more purely artistic venture (singing) is moreso my side gig—although I've been doing it longer and in more contexts.

Presently I see both of my art forms as methods of supporting the institution of Black Catholicism. It is in need of support and enrichment from its own, and writing as well as music happen to be two art forms that have been (and remain) crucial to the development of the institution. Insofar as I am able, I take it to be my duty to serve the Church in that way.

Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

I am a recent convert (officially received in December 2019), and the feedback to my work as a writer and singer has been phenomenal. I had been out of the writing habit for some time before discovering Catholicism; once I found and embraced it, my artistic juices starting flowing like water. I had to get a million things off of my chest, and they came out the way my mind had been trained to release things: on the page and on the mic. Multiple new friends—almost all of whom I've never met in person—offered to host my writing, chief among them Mike Lewis, who runs a Catholic blog called Where Peter Is. This led to a writing opportunity with Word On Fire, and my work on both outlets has led to various podcast interviews, a book interview, an appearance in an upcoming documentary from Stella Maris Films, and a speaking gig at the 2020 California Chinese Catholic Living Camp.

Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

The response from other Catholic writers has been awesome. I have heard over and over again that Black Catholic writers are few and far between in the public spotlight, especially in certain media outlets. Speakers are more common, but not necessarily with a focus on Black Catholicism as their topic of focus. 

Lesser-known still are Black Catholic musicians. So people have been receptive of my message as well as my experience, which has been cool to see. There's a lot of Black Catholic history and art out there that is unknown to the average Catholic.

How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

By having an open mind! The world of Catholicism is one full of (if not sustained by) art—the world's art, not any one culture's—and every member of the Church should be cognizant of that. Many times this knowledge is sitting right under our noses, or even within our grasp without us realizing it. So much of our surroundings is shaped by Catholic art, and we internalize it whether we're believers, pious, atheists, or lapsed. Everyone, from the Pope to the pauper, should embrace that fact and use it as a tool for unity and human flourishing.

How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

By seeking beauty wherever it resides. Often this means taken off our own blinders and seeing objective beauty in places and things we ourselves do not necessarily enjoy or appreciate. This also can mean seeing the overwhelming beauty in things that we do appreciate on an aesthetic level, but that are attached to other things (like religion) that we may not identify with. Finally, the art world (and the whole world) can gain so much by learning to to see beauty in the ugliness of a world that is not as it should be. A world where religions—namely, their religionists—do not always show themselves worthy of praise or appreciation. A world that makes us cry like art sometimes does. Religious art helps tell that story in a timeless sort of way.

Where in your city do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I attend Blessed Sacrament/St. Joan of Arc parish, and I recommend any and all Black Catholic parishes in my city—of which there are many. This is not to the exclusion of the value of other parishes, but Black Catholicism is a unique thing in the Catholic world and for various reasons must be seen in order to be believed. A people of uncommon faithfulness have persevered through an uncommon struggle and continue to sing (and I mean *SING*) God's praises through it all. I will never forget Christmas Day Mass at St. Peter Claver in America's oldest Black neighborhood [Tremé, NOLA], with a massive gospel choir singing the Gloria like I'd never heard it before, the servers bowing and incensing the altar while the congregation stood, clapped, and joined the angels in praise. There's truly nothing like it.

Also, everyone should know the story of the Knights of Peter Claver & Ladies Auxiliary, the Catholic national fraternal organization founded for African-Americans during an era when the Knights of Columbus did not allow us entry. Black Catholic organizations from this period abound (including religious orders such as the Josephites, Sisters of the Holy Family, and Oblate Sisters of Providence), and deserve everyone's attention. I am applying for the Josephites myself, and study for my Masters at Xavier University of Louisiana, the one and only Catholic HBCU (which houses my program, the Institute for Black Catholic Studies).

Everyone should also check out the National Black Catholic Congress, National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, National Black Sisters' Conference, National Black Catholic Seminarians Association, and the National Association of Black Catholic Deacons.

How do you afford housing as an artist?

I currently live with a Catholic lay intentional community connected to a local parish, and I recommend this to anyone for whom it is an option. Living in community with other Catholics is both an economic and spiritual boon, and as St. Paul once said, "Against such things there is no law."

While not exactly the same thing, Catholic Worker communities still exist throughout the country and are great places for artists to serve and live in community at least partially outside of the somewhat artist-unfriendly capitalist superstructure.

What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NOLA?

NAOMI GILMORE is a poet and hoop dancer based in Dallas, Texas. Find her on Instagram at @_naoetry_ and @soul_halp_flips! 

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

NAOMI GILMORE: I would definitely call myself a Catholic artist! For two reasons: I'm Catholic and I'm an artist! My faith is first and foremost in my life, it touches everything else, so that includes my art. Even though I don't always make it completely clear that I'm incorporating my faith into my work because I want to reach anyone and everyone, it is there. My mission as a Catholic artist is to bring more light into the world of anyone who finds it. The world can be dark at times and I want to be that lamp on a stand.

How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

All artists find a way to highlight the beauty of life and the world. Knowing this, the artistic world could open its arms to artists of faith. Allowing artists of faith to have input in artistic spaces would allow for more variety of such expressions. Our faith gives us a different perspective that I believe can still be appreciated by those who do not believe!

What is your daily spiritual practice?

The main way that I spend time with God is just through normal conversational style of talk throughout the day. I try to treat Him as if He is a friend there with me (as He is). So if something frustrates me, I'll let Him know and ask for help with the situation. If something awesome happens, I'll thank Him right then and there. I also say a night prayer as I lay down to sleep. My son is about two months old and is still sleeping on / by me in bed, so I'll lay down and thank God for him and for the day we had together and ask for blessings and graces in raising him and for him as he grows and develops. I sometimes use the Hallow app to do meditative prayer, usually while I'm nursing my son at some point throughout the day.

What is your daily artistic practice?

I haven't been doing too well with this since the end of my pregnancy, but I've been picking it up a little bit more. I had made it a point to treat poetry as my "job" earlier this year. That meant Monday through Friday writing at least 3 poems a day, posting to instagram every other day, and learning more about poetry / poets. As I've stated getting the hang of this while awesome motherhood thing, I'm trying to write more again. My goal is to get to writing at least one poem a day. Once I have that down, I'll ramp it back up again. 

When it comes to my hoop dancing, these days I tend to randomly pick up my hoop and play around with it for a few minutes. Soon I hope to go on walks with my son and stop to hoop outside where there's more space to dance and explore more with my hoop.

I definitely recommend the idea if treating your craft as a job. This is especially the case if you have big goals for it. For instance, one of my goals with my poetry is to publish a book of my poems. That's why I have more discipline with that versus my hooping. I've learned that when I treat it as a job, I give it the weight it deserves. I put more into it and I learn so much more. It also helps me to tap into inspiration I may not have realized was there because I was waiting for it to become blatantly apparent to me.

Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.

As I mentioned above, earlier this year I was writing 3 poems a day and spending time to learn about poetry and what not. There was a day when I took it upon myself to learn how to write limericks because I never had before. I wrote my first limerick and posted a video of me reciting it to my instagram story. A few people responded to it very positively because it brought them some giggles or smiles. That filled my heart because that's the kind of thing I want my art to do. I want it to add a touch of joy to people's lives. A poem that didn't really even have meaning to it was able to do that!

THERESA AMBAT is a music composer, producer, and sound designer based in Seattle, WA. [website]

From Theresa: 

I have my own personal music on Spotify and Apple Music and I just started doing freelance music production for film and video games. I also sometimes compose music using a programming language called SuperCollider. 

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Seattle?

THERESA AMBAT (TA): I was born in Japan and moved to Washington as a baby (dad was in the Navy). Lived in a small town for most of my life, then moved to Seattle to study Computer Music at the University of Washington. I now work for a parish in the greater-Seattle area!

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?

TA: I'd say that I'm a Catholic who is an artist. My vocation is to be a follower of Christ, and creating music is a major way for me to do that. I'm not a praise & worship artist and my work isn't always explicitly Christian, but my work is built on the foundation that is my faith and relationship with the Lord. Everything I create is for Jesus.

All I desire is to share truth, beauty, and goodness through my art. If someone can encounter Christ through my work -- whether that be by feelings of peace and solidarity, or something as incredible as conversion of the heart -- that brings me so much joy. 

CAC: Where in Seattle do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

TA: I was a part of a really wonderful Catholic community called the Prince of Peace Catholic Newman Center when I was in college. If you're a college student or young adult in the Seattle area, I'd highly recommend getting involved there! They've got Dominicans, tons of young people looking to explore their faith, awesome events, just overall an A+++ community. That place played a serious role in my relationship with Christ -- I don't know where I'd be without it. 

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

TA: I've been struggling a little bit with daily prayer habits since starting full-time work--I guess I'm still trying to figure out a good routine. But since I work at a church I have the opportunity to do a holy hour and go to mass once a week which is great. Usually when I get home I pray a rosary with my family. I've also been reading "The Mystical Journey to Divine Union" by John Paul Thomas which is about St. John of the Cross.

I found my spiritual director Fr. Marcin during my senior year of college. At the time I was making a pretty big life decision about my future: to accept a position as a FOCUS missionary or stay in Washington to further my music career. Fr. Marcin was actually the person who kept telling me I needed to find a spiritual director, haha. We already had a good friendship by then so I just asked him! In the end, I discerned that the Lord was calling me to stay in Washington to live out mission in my job/music. 

CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.

TA: When in-person shows were still a thing, I performed for a SoFar Seattle show in January. It was my first paid gig ever and like, 20 of my friends (who are also Catholic) came. I think they filled up almost a third of the venue.

What's cool about SoFar shows is that the audience remains completely silent during your performances. No phones, no talking, people have to stay for the ENTIRE show, giving you the artist full-freedom to share your work without the fear of people not paying attention.

Before performing I talked about how I was Catholic, the ways the Lord was working in my life at the time, and how they related to my music. Being in secular Seattle, it was absolutely terrifying! But wow, I was received so well. After the show people started sharing with me how my story/music resonated with their own stories. If they were Catholic or not, I have no idea!

The Lord was SERIOUSLY present that night. All of my friends who came are incredible witnesses of Christ and it was just so cool to even see them interact with other people at the show and share Christ -- not by bible thumping or swinging around rosaries -- but simply by their presence and the joy that bleeds out of them.

Thinking back, yeah, I really wanted to share Christ with others through my music that night. But I'm now realizing how much of an impact my friends had on the show. Just imagine walking into a venue where THAT many people are striving for sainthood. The environment changes. I really felt like I was a part of the body of Christ that night.  

CAC: How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

TA: I currently have a full-time job at a really wonderful parish which is my main source of income. I only started freelancing maybe 2.5 months ago but to my surprise it's been flourishing well! Creating a personal website and demo reel made it really easy to share my work with others and I've found most of my gigs through the Catholic Creatives facebook group as well as Instagram.

The biggest piece of advice I have for finding work is to use social media as a tool. Document your process on instagram, create a demo reel and put it on the front page of your website, post on the Catholic Creatives facebook group! 

[Editor’s Note: Remember, you can also post in the Catholic Artist Connection Facebook group and send and find notices in the newsletter!] 

I know we all cringe at the idea of "networking" but if you think about it in the lens of evangelization, it's actually quite beautiful. No, I'm not saying that you need to "convert" people in your tweets and insta posts. But just remember that very interaction you have with a person is sacred and is an opportunity to love. Even in the digital world. When people see your joy and desire to serve, they can tell you're serious about your art and will want to work with you.

In the future (maybe 5ish years from now) I'd love to make freelance music production a full-time career. I still have quite a ways to go but I know the Lord is asking me to be patient and invest in the season that I'm in now. Transitioning out of college it's very easy to focus so heavily on the far future that we miss out on what's happening right in front of us. I'm really grateful for the opportunities the Lord has given me to serve now. 

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

TA: 1. Post-graduation is REALLY hard. Especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. You're going to be told a lot of lies by Satan, but just remember that that's all he is. A liar.

Jesus? He is truth. So in response to each of those lies you might hear, just remember a truth that Jesus is telling you.

2. Invite God into your creative process! Make your work a prayer, write something in the adoration chapel, ask God what he thinks about your work, etc. I recorded my first album in front of the tabernacle and the Lord has blessed that piece of work in so many ways.

3. DO IT! Just do it. That thing you've been wanting to make for 72589247329 years, just start. It's never too late to just start. Stop letting your expectations for yourself get in the way. Stop waiting to get that "one piece of gear" that will make/break your project. God gave you a gift for a reason--to bring glory to his kingdom. Use it!

Sister Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay is a Felician sister, dancer, writer and artist. She dances live on her Instagram (@sister_d) and blogs at Religious Life for Beginners.  You can also catch her performances and videos about life as a religious sister on her YouTube channel.

In September 2020, Catholic Artist Connection’s Laura Pittenger spoke with Sister Desiré about dance, creativity in religious life, and how the Church can better serve its artists, particularly those of color. An edited and condensed version of that conversation is included below: 

LAURA PITTENGER (LP): I have to tell you, I mentioned to a friend that I was going to interview a Felician sister about her art and my friend said, “Is this the sister who dances on instagram? I LOVE HER.” You have a lot of fans!

SISTER DESIRÉ FINDLAY (SDF): I joke with my friends that I’m like a “small big deal.” (Editor’s note: As of this writing, she has over 3,500 followers on Instagram. We think she’s a regular big deal.)

LP: Where are you currently living and where are you from originally? 

SDF: I live in Pittsburgh, PA, but I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I also lived in California and Connecticut for awhile. Right now I live with one other sister in my community, which varies wherever I go. I’ve lived with 20 to 6 sisters at a time. My favorite was when there were three of us. It was a cool balance, we all traveled a lot, two of us we’d hang out and welcome the third back home, and another would leave and return and we’d welcome her home. it was like a seamless kind of movement.

LP: How did you become a dancer? 

SDF: It started when I was very young. My mom put me in ballet at three years old. We lived in Germany because my dad was in the Air Force, and I remember being in ballet class, running around in a circle on my tiptoes, and I started crying. Maybe because everything was in German! So when we moved back to the U.S., she put me in gymnastics. I went back into ballet for seven years, and in high school I joined the dance team. I learned other dance styles, jazz and hip-hop, those are my fun energy-based dances, but ballet has stayed my favorite. But what I do now is contemporary, not classical.

LP: Who are some dancers that you admire and who inspired you as a child? 

SDF: Actually it was more like gymnasts. There were two I remember: Dominique Moceanu and Dominique Dawes. I don’t even think I considered this as a child, but now that I look back on it, it makes sense because they both have darker skin, or darker hair, or are from a different culture. They both reflected me and my sister, we looked up to them. They were just so good, and we could see ourselves in them. Watching them, it was like I could see myself in performing arts too. 

LP: In the interview you did with America Magazine last year [above] you mentioned that dance for you is like a prayer. Could you share a little more about that?

SDF: I never experienced dance as prayer until I was invited to do a prayerful dance for an event. I didn’t know that was possible or that dance could be anything other than performance. The event was a dance to celebrate sisters who had spent 60 to 75 years in the convent. When I noticed that I was inviting all of us in the community to speak with God through my dance, I was like - dance can do this? I can speak to God with my entire body. I didn’t know why I hadn’t been doing that. 

I don’t do a lot of formal dance as prayer. I do lead group sometimes or on social media, and people can join in if they want. It’s spontaneous. I don’t choreograph unless i’m leading, but I like to just find whatever song is standing out to me at the time, and let it move me. Sometimes you hear songs that you have to move to, very prayerful songs, some by Audrey Assad, for example, that let us reflect on God and our lives. Sometimes a song will come to me and be in my head for awhile and I just need to dance it out, or I’m in a mood, and look through my songs on my iPad and see what songs I have. 

For example, in Advent, The Piano Guys have this cover of O Come O Come Emmanuel that’s instrumental. (I love that song, even though we hear it all season, I don’t get tired of it.) For some reason their instrumental version was stuck in my head, their version. I could not stop thinking about it, and I thought I’d dance it out. Even though there were no lyrics to it, I really felt that song. The line about captives being set free - I could express that through my limbs, that freedom, to be captive and set free by this amazing God who came to be human.

LP: What kind of support within the Felician community have you received for your dance, and how do you think religious communities can benefit from having artists in them?

SDF: My community has been very supportive of me in many things already anyway, but I would say when it comes to dance, on a personal basis my sisters will ask me about it, or send emails or call, or just when I see them at gatherings - “How are you doing? I’ve been reading about you! Keep up good work.” Or they ask if I’ve been using my dance, if they haven’t seen it lately. The community invites me to dance for events, like the Transitus of St. Clare of Assisi - when she passed away and went to her Spouse in Heaven, we have a ceremony to commemorate that. They asked me to pray that out in dance. So they’re not just encouraging me to dance, but asking me to do it for gatherings. 

I’m not the only artist. We have so many creative sisters. The sisters have the space to really pursue their creative skills or put them to use somehow. One sister does all our communications and designs our prayer spaces and booklets. She probably would have been like an interior designer or graphic designer, but here she is enhancing our gatherings with her talents. Sometimes you need something to look appealing to make people want to care. Creativity adds to life, I think, color, personality.

LP: There are so many religious orders out there. What drew you to the Felician sisters?

SDF: I was in college when I met them, it was on a 100-mile pilgrimage. I didn’t know it was going to be 100 miles, or that it was to pray for vocations. I’m not a detail person - God just knows how to work with me! God’s just like, “Come do this.” I signed up for the pilgrimage for the cultural aspect, to walk through pueblos. I love my New Mexican heritage. I had no thought about it being a Catholic pilgrimage. I met these two Felician sisters on the pilgrimage, and I had never heard of the order in my life. They were so different, one gentle introvert and one loud, happy extrovert. I love that they are just themselves. They don’t have to be anybody else, to be like or look like or act like each other. They can just be. So I thought, maybe I could be myself. I had thought of religious life before, to be able to pray and serve, that’s cool, but it was never something I thought I saw in my future, until I met them.

LP: What is the formation process like for the Felician sisters? 

SDF: Entering the Felicians is a nine-year process, minimum. Other orders can take six years minimum. It deepens in intensity as you go, but the first year I was still going to school and living on my own, so I’d visit with them and had a director. Then I moved in my second year and learned about the community and the saints. I became a novice and learned more about spiritual aspect of the community and my spiritual life. And then after that, four years later, I made my first vows. That’s when I moved out and was a sister, living the vows, but it still wasn’t forever, I could still change my mind. That stage is six years by itself. This August 15, 2020, was my one-year anniversary of making final vows. So it’s been 10 years. 

LP: How do you think the Catholic church can do better, starting right now, in supporting artists - and in your case, artists of color? Or Catholics of color in general?

SDF: I think even just this conversation, reaching out to us. Because we can try and create our own spaces to voice what we want to voice and share art we want to share, but unless we’re invited to share, it’s not going to get into a larger space. A Felician sister is a member of the The Stained Glass Association of America, and she said lately they’ve been getting calls from churches with predominantly Black parishioners with churches with stained glass of only white people, and they’re saying, “This doesn’t reflect our church, and Jesus wasn’t white, and we want diversity, how do we do that? How do we go about changing these windows? How do we invite artists of color into this industry? How do we bring more diversity in, to reflect the church we have?” It’s just by invitation, that’s where it starts. The sisters invited me to do this dance. Invitation.

LP: What would you say to someone who feels drawn to both their art or performance but also might feel a call to religious life? Do you think art can also be a form of vocation?

SDF: Like I said, I’m not a detail person, so I wouldn’t have looked up or researched anything. I go as my life unfolds. I don’t plan things. I know there are people out there who think they need to research everything - I didn’t do any of that. Everyone has a different way of discerning. When it comes to vocation and living your full authentic self, including your creativity, whatever form that takes, your passion - it could be immigration policy - there are ways to incorporate that into your vocation, whether you’re married, a sister, or a layperson. Do a little research and say, “Is that community open to that?” In some communities, everybody has the same ministry. In mine, you get to choose your own. There are communities where you can be an immigration lawyer. If I wanted to be a heart surgeon, I can be! 

You have to know what your non-negotiables are. The goodness of God - He already knew my non-negotiable was my creativity, and I didn’t realize that. God led me to a community at the right time and in a way that spoke to me. I just said i’m going with it. Nothing else seemed to fit. 

We have a style of dress we like to wear as Felician sisters, but we have an option. You can be more traditional, or you can wear a dress and make sure you wear a crucifix. There are some guidelines, but you get to choose. You can be an individual. 

Pay attention to what speaks to you. Pay attention to what brings resistance in a community. Knowing that I can be so creative is part of what makes my vocation so fruitful. I can design notebooks! I can share things on social media on my own time. I never knew that’s what i wanted. After I realized dance could be prayer, I want everything I do to have that kind of meaning. That was my non-negotiable. God said, “I gave you these gifts.” It reminds me of the story of Abraham and Isaac. When I was going to enter the Felician sisters, I thought that I’d probably have to give up dance, God said, “I gave it to you.” I was willing to give it up, but God gave it back to me a hundredfold. I’ve gotten to teach dance here and abroad. I never thought I’d do anything like that.

LP: Do you have any words of advice for other Catholic artists who may be struggling right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic and everything else in the world?

SDF: I was very much struggling when all this started. I was used to traveling and meeting lots of people all over the place. I felt very seen, very heard. Suddenly I was in my own little world, and I didn’t have to get up or go anywhere. Before, I was being invited to spaces, but now I have to create spaces for myself. I wasn’t posting dance videos until the pandemic happened. I wanted to connect, but couldn’t in the ordinary way. My suggestion would be to create the connection that you feel you’re missing, because a lot of us were connecting in ways we were used to: coffee, concerts... 

HOLLE WADE is an oil painter and film photographer who dapples in digital collage. | website | instagram @hollecreates

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? 

HOLLE: I call myself a Catholic who has been called to be an artist. God has called me to a vocation as an artist. The deeper I got into my faith, the deeper I felt God calling me to be an artist. I rejected that for a while because the art world is so separate from God and true beauty that I couldn't possibly be called to that. God is revealing that is exactly why he has called me to be an artist to make space for his goodness and beauty in spaces that have rejected him for so long.

Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

I just graduated college four months ago, so I am still searching where to plant myself. I'm new on this journey and I have found support online through Instagram. Combining my faith and work has been a new development in my own life and spirituality. I'm still searching for a good community. I would love to meet other Catholic film photographers. 

Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

From my recent experience a lot of artists have focused more on the formal aspect of my work instead of engaging the conceptual aspects of my work. In terms of using art as an exploration of faith and even as a time of veneration and worship, I have not felt encouraged. I'm a recent graduate and my professors never really engaged with my work beyond the formal elements and often encouraged me to be more personal in my work, but I don't know what’s more personal than putting the fruit of prayer, and devotion to God on display.

How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

The Church is full of beauty made by artists, and God himself is the true origin of beauty. We want our world to be more Christlike and I think that starts with art and artists. To really change hearts and begin the conversation of Evangelization, I think it starts with art. The world is crying out for more beauty and I think the Church should do more to encourage the creation of artwork and encourage beauty. The art world has rejected God, but just a few hundred years ago, the Church was the main patron of the arts, and I think the Church needs to take that place again. The Church needs to open up in what can be deemed as acceptable artwork for devotion. I would to see more Artist Residencies sponsored by the Church.

How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

The art world has done so much to remove God and true beauty. I want to see more spaces open up for all art. The art world claims to be accepting of all people but exclude Christians, and I want more acceptance of Christians in the art world. We have been placed aside because we are Christian and our work is only for other Christians but that just isn't the case. Artists make work to express our emotions, but I just happen to use my art to express my faith. My work comes from the Holy Spirit working through me and I use my skills I learned in school to help me worship better. I went to school to be an artist, I was trained just like you and I have earned my place in the gallery and museum.

Where do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I regularly find spiritual fulfillment in nature and adoration. I have been reflecting on 1 Kings 19:12-13, how God came to Elijah in the whispering wind. I encounter God in nature and feel his love and presence strongly. Sitting with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament has been so fruitful for me. As I mentioned earlier, I am between places since just graduating and COVID, I don't have a home parish or parishes I attend on the regular. 

Where do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?

I feel artistic fulfillment in Mass, adoration and prayer. Those are the places where I am most open to the Holy Spirit (apart from working in the studio) and God often gives me an image and of course that original image grows and changes as the Holy Spirit guides me but that is where I get the most artistic fulfillment. I love wondering around museums and seeing art and seeing how it is displayed, that always gives me ideas and things I want to work on. As a photographer, I am out in nature and taking in God's creation so I am always chasing the light and letting the Holy Spirit reveal God's light to me while I am photographing.

What is your daily spiritual practice?

My daily spiritual practice is diving into the Gospel of the day and letting it wash over me. I read the Gospel in the morning and journal about it. At least once a week I stream Adoration and sing worship songs and pray. I spend a few hours in the evening just sitting outside with God and just listening to the sounds around me, sometimes I will journal and listen to worship music. With COVID my daily spiritual practice has changed but I would usually attend daily Mass.  

What is your daily artistic practice?

My daily practice has changed slightly with COVID and graduating, but I usually always carry a film camera with me to catch little moments. The Holy Spirit is always tapping on my shoulder to take pictures of something. I rely on the Holy Spirit when I am working on any kind of art. My painting sessions start with inviting the Holy Spirit to work through me and guide my hands and whenever I feel imposter syndrome wanting to creep its head in the studio, I ask for Mother Mary's intercession. When making compositions there is a peace that washes over me and I know that is what I want to make. Everything starts with the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary's guidance.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

Considering I only graduated in May and I'm applying for MFA programs now, my advice would be rest, make time to combine art and prayer, and take full advantage of Visio Divina. Resting and really evaluating your heart and the work you are making, professors have had an effect on your work and may have changed or pressured you into making work you're not proud of - reject that and truly take time to flesh out what YOU want to make. I have been working for months to add prayer to my studio time and I have to say that it will take a lot of pressure away from making. The Holy Spirit will guide you and working will feel effortless. Visio Divina is praying with sacred images and as artists this practice can really align our hearts and our motivations as artists. Maybe even do this in your studio space.

REBECCA CHRISTIAN is a screenwriter and filmmaker based in San Diego, CA.  To contact her, email rebeccaechristian [at] gmail [dot] com, or visit her forthcoming website at www.rebeccachristian.com.

Check out her pilot for NO NERDS HERE, a mockumentary web series following the exploits of three former "Mighty Rangers" as they attend a weekend fan convention.

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?

REBECCA: I was born and raised in San Diego. I went to film school at Loyola Marymount University and bounce back and forth between here and LA as needed. I was actually planning to move back to LA this year, and then the pandemic hit and I decided to remain in my hometown with my family for the foreseeable future. 

How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?

I don't think of myself as a "Catholic writer" in the sense that I desire to be in held in some sort of esteem within the respectable Catholic canon (i.e. Tolkien, Chesterton, O'Connor, etc). However, I do acknowledge how my faith is the foundation of how I understand the world in my sense of right and wrong, the need for redemption and the possibility of it. I always want my work to have a sense of hope in the immutable Christian sense, even if what I'm writing is darker in nature. I do think "Catholic art" should be life-giving, whatever that means to the particular artist.

Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

I used to be active on the core team of Catholic Underground LA, which was an apostolate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal dedicated to showcasing art of all kinds. I joined when I was still in college, and it was really formational for me at the time when I was still nascent in my reversion to be around actors, writers, musicians, etc. who were all trying to express themselves and grow in their faith.

Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

I have a love/hate relationship with social media, but I've met and built friendships with several Catholic artists through it. 

How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

Expanding what is considered "Catholic art" in the first place. I'm thinking of the lack of acknowledgement of a titan like Toni Morrison, who was a convert and whose exploration of humanity and suffering was certainly Catholic, and hang my head in shame about how her legacy has not been celebrated within Catholic circles.

How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

This is always an interesting question to me because I've never really faced ridicule as a person of faith in artistic circles. I think it's because I'm Black and a woman, so people express more of a curiosity about how someone like me could possibly believe in anything "traditional." I've had some wonderful conversations with people, and generally speaking I think artists are far more open to having these sorts of conversations than Catholics are, to be honest.  

Where in your city do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I have a regular practice of going to adoration in a little 24-hr chapel near my house, which I've been unable to go to since the pandemic. It's been really hard for me in a certain sense, but my Lenten sacrifice this year was praying the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day and maintaining that has been really helpful. I'm a member at St. Anne's, which is an FSSP parish saying the Extraordinary Form of the mass in San Diego. I'm not super involved in parish life anymore due large in part to my work schedule, but I used to host a women's group and occasionally get that group together again for brunch. 

Where do you go to get inspired?

I'm in a number of writing classes/groups online.

How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in your city?

I haven't really done this specifically in SD but I probably should.

What is your daily spiritual practice?

At the moment, it's Liturgy of the Hours + a regular habit of yoga and meditation.

What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?

I try to write every day, even if it's just free writing. It's been difficult to keep up with during the pandemic, but I've finally found my groove again in the last couple of months. I'm not the type of writer that can wait for inspiration, or else I would never get anything completed, so if that sounds like you I'd recommend putting aside time daily to work on your craft. 

Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.

I developed a short film script with a production company earlier this year that featured a religious sister as a one of the main characters. The script's themes weren't religious at all, she was just one of the characters. It was interesting getting notes and feedback in the vein of, "Would a nun do that? Would a nun be friends with this other character?" It was clear that the producers had never really interacted with religious sisters before, and I had to gently explain that well, religious people are actually people too. They have friends, hobbies, needs, wants, and desires. It was comical for me to watch them assimilate that information throughout the development process, and I'm glad I was able to evangelize if even just a tiny bit.

How do you afford housing as an artist?

I rent a house with my mom in SD and when I come to LA for meetings I usually stay with friends. There are Catholic groups on FB to find roommates, couches, etc. I highly recommend using social media to find non-crazy roommates if and when you move.

How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

Some background on this -- I just started writing again in 2019 after taking about 3 years away from the industry entirely. I have a "day job" in the form of my doula practice. I really love it, and it allows me to build my schedule out to accommodate projects. I took an entire month off this year to finish a script that is currently in the final round of contention at the Sundance Development Track. There's a growing number of fellowships and paid development programs for screenwriters. Twitter is a great place for screenwriters (and other writers) to network. I don't have a manager currently (that's next on my list), but I've booked meetings and had my work read purely from networking there. There's no magic bullet, but putting yourself out there has been fruitful for me, and despite the changes in the industry being inflicted by the pandemic, I'm really excited about 2021.

What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city?

I really believe strongly in cultivating practices of self-care and spirituality. You can't pour out into your work if nothing is filling you up.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

Realize that "success" is going to take some time. Find your worth in who God says you are, not in what you do. Be genuinely kind to people and remember to network laterally! (Not just with people "higher up" that you admire.)

Each Wednesday from 12-1 PM ET, starting August 26th, 2020, members of the Catholic Artist Connection board, staff, and community will host Artist Office Hours, a time to pray together, bring in our challenges and accomplishments for that week, and talk shop (or not) while enjoying each other's company and helping each other hash out next steps for our work and our lives. There's no commitment required - come every week or drop in every once in a while. We look forward to welcoming you on Wednesdays, starting tomorrow!

Click here to register for free on Zoom:

JESSICA ABEJAR is a Catholic artist and sacred and liturgical dancer, under the name The Moving Prayer, based in Massapequa, New York. 

links to her work: The Moving Prayer official website Instagram YouTube

Jessica shared her journey with the Catholic Artist Connection: 

I am a sacred and liturgical dancer whose mission is to nurture and uplift the mind, body, and spirit, and I fulfill this mission through my dance company The Moving Prayer. Through presentations and performances as well as resources and workshops, in real life and online, we help people move - either to the beat of the song or the rhythm of their hearts.

When I was younger I never really thought the identities of "Catholic" and "artist" could intersect, but as I grow older and fully embrace who I am, what I am called to do, and how I fulfill that, it seems natural. And that's sort of what I hope to do with The Moving Prayer: to help people move through life by being wholly themselves - to encourage them to receive gifts from God (dreams, talents, hopes, desires), to share it with one another, and to become living and breathing manifestations of God's love (or "moving prayers" as I like to call them). This is something not only ever present in my work but also how I hope to live my life.

I start my day (or at least try to) with two short movement exercises - one I call the Flow of All Things and the second The Five Positions of Focus. The first is based on the Sign of the Cross, and the second is based on the foundational five positions in ballet. The exercises are meant to ground myself, bless the space that surrounds me, and focus on my call as moving prayer.

JOSE SOLÍS is a NYC-based theatre critic who has written for the The New York Times, American Theatre, America, and Backstage. 

Jose’s website: http://tokentheatrefriends.com/

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from? How long have you been here, and why did you decide to move here?

JOSE SOLÍS (JS): New York City is the only place I have ever missed. I fell in love with it the moment I first visited in my late childhood, and knew that this is where I belonged. I finally moved here in 2012 from Costa Rica, where I had gone to college, but I was actually born in Honduras.

CAC: Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?  What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

JS: Despite growing up in a predominantly Catholic country, I was actually raised atheist and it wasn't until my very late 20s that I dared enter a Catholic church again. I had been told for years that my homosexuality had no place in the church, until I found the Jesuits in NYC, who showed me a side of Catholicism I didn't know existed. So these days I don't call myself a Catholic necessarily, but instead I'm more of a religious syncretic, I combine what I learned from Jesuits, Kabbalah, Zen, Hinduism and esotericism to craft and live by a philosophy of love and kindness. In many ways though, the Jesuit notion that prayer must be complimented with works is what I bring to the arts.

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

JS: The Ignatian exercises helped me find a way to align my work with the teachings of Jesus Christ through St. Ignatius, so I find support in my spiritual director and a few priests I come to for advice. 

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

JS: I haven't, in fact it wasn't until very recently that I "came out of the closet" so to speak, since the arts have over the past century or so, maintained themselves very removed from religion and spirituality. 

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

JS: It's the job of the church to let people like me know that we're welcome. I am blessed to have found the Jesuits, but if it wasn't for them, I'd still feel that the Church wants me to cease existing. 

CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

JS: Any mention of the Catholic church leads to instant mentions, and rightfully so, of the child abuse within it. The problem is that in condemning the biggest sin of the Church (an undeniably un-Christian culture of silencing and aiding the powerful) but not making space to see the good that the Church can contribute (i.e. the work of Jesuits, and nuns like the Sisters of Charity) the arts treat the Church without any nuance. I don't understand why Broadway plays for instance try to humanize Rupert Murdoch and racists, but won't even consider doing the same for Catholics who condemn the child abuse.

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

JS: My HQ is St. Francis Xavier Church near Union Square. It remains the only Catholic Church I've ever attended where I felt loved and wanted. 

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?

JS: As a freelance critic, I've found the need for artistic community, but critics often find themselves on the outskirts of the field. We're thought of as antagonists, instead of parts of the ecosystem. I find community on Twitter where I am able to have conversations with people from all walks of life. In terms of training and community I'm in the process of launching the first national organization comprised entirely of BIPOC theatre critics, and also a training program for BIPOC folks who want to become critics.

CAC: How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist living in NYC?

JS: I was part of the Contemplative Leaders in Action (CLA) program and met some fascinating people I now get to call my friends, the director of my program, Kaija DeWitt-Allen was instrumental to me finding a place within the Church. 

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?

JS: I do the Ignatian Examen most days, I pray constantly, and also use resources I learned from Kabbalah in my daily interactions with people. 

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice?

JS: I try to write something every day, even if it's just a tweet. I also read constantly in order to become inspired by the work of others. 

CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.

JS: Ever since I launched my publication (Token Theatre Friends) independently, I have found fulfillment of my vocation every single day. While most theatre publications struggle waiting for things to go back to how they were before the pandemic, I made it my mission to remind ourselves that there is no virus that can prevent artists from creating, and such on a typical day I will be on the phone with different playwrights, actors and directors, or recording/editing my show, writing a review or a column etc. Nothing brings me more joy than being able to amplify the work these magnificent artists are doing. 

CAC: You actually live in NYC? How!?

JS: Barely hanging in there, during the pandemic I've relied on grants and the little income I'm able to make each month. I've also become one of those millennials who gets helps from their parents, which makes me feel endless shame, but they agree it's safer for me to live in NYC than going back to Honduras.

CAC: But seriously, how do you make a living in NYC?

JS: I'm so stubborn that I found a way to make ends meet just by freelancing without relying on a "day job", of course that all changed with COVID-19. I can't romanticize NYC in any way, it's an overpriced hellscape dominated by greedy landowners and the super rich, so I can't recommend anyone in their right mind to just move here. But I've been blessed in that I make just about enough money to pay my rent/bills/food/transportation.

CAC: How much would you suggest artists moving to NYC budget for their first year?

JS: I have managed to live in NYC making less than 27k a year, I don't recommend it, but it's worked for me.

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?

JS: 1. NYC can be filled with temptations and invitations to straying from the path of goodness and kindness. Stay focused.

2. If possible find a community of friends outside your field, in a city as competitive as this, it's essential to have friends that aren't vying for the same jobs you are.

KYRA MATSUI is a Toronto, Canada-based artist and jewelry designer. You can find her work at her website Iron Lace Design, her Etsy shop, and Facebook.

Kyra spoke to the Catholic Artist Connection about her work:  

I live in Toronto, Canada. I've lived here my whole life aside from college in Ottawa. I actually live in the house where I grew up. I inherited it from my parents.

I am an artist who is a Catholic. I don't specifically call myself a Catholic artist because my work isn't primarily religious. My mission, as I see it, is to do the work that I am good at, and to serve it as well as I can. There's a bit in one of Madeleine L'Engle's journals about the importance of not allowing yourself and your worries about your inadequacy to interfere in serving the work that you are doing. That has been very helpful in vanquishing fear and ego.

Where have I found support in the Church? Primarily online. I'm a convert, and the people supporting me through and after my conversion were almost all in online communities. I've formed very strong friendships and community through groups of lay people, primarily. I read a lot - I came to the Church through reading, and one of the things that really attracted me was the witness of Catholic writers, especially Flannery O'Connor and Thomas Merton and the Desert Fathers.

I still feel very new as a working artist. I've only been selling my work for about five years, and those years have been personally tumultuous, so I don't have a strong sense of that yet. I haven't met anyone yet who is doing the kind of jewelry that I make, so I've had to effectively invent my own apprenticeship. I had a background in amateur costume history - I fell in love with costume history when I was a teenager - and I've dabbled in fibre art, so that's the skill set I'm drawing upon, treating chainmail like fabric. So I have my eye on some jewelry design and metalworking courses, but I need both the time and the money to take them. Eventually!

Where do I find spiritual fulfillment? At Mass, and in prayer and conversation with friends. I attend Mass at St. Michael's Basilica downtown when I'm able - I have four special needs children and I'm a single mother, so regular attendance is difficult.

Where do I find artistic fulfillment? I'm still quite new as a working artist, but I spend a lot of time at the Royal Ontario Museum, and at the Art Gallery and the research library. In the past couple of years, I've been able to fly out to go to the Met and the MFA in Boston, and that was glorious.

What is my daily spiritual practice? I slide in and out of various types. I usually manage the morning offering, I have done the morning and evening Psalms, and I'm in a messaging prayer group with a few other women of deep faith, and we trade prayer requests on and off throughout the day.

Daily artistic practice? As I mentioned, I'm a working mother, so I'm really good at working in short bursts and with frequent interruptions. My craft is quite physically demanding, so I can only do a maximum of four hours per day. The rest is experimenting, playing with new techniques, research, administration and marketing. 

My perfect day would be to go see an amazing display at a gallery or spend a few hours researching historical costume and jewelry, and then come home and spend a few hours at my workbench trying out new designs. I love it. I think the things that are most important to an artist are exposure - to be in conversation with research or art or people who inspire you - and play. Holy leisure, the time when you are really absorbed in trying things that interest you, and pushing at yourself to develop new skills.

How do I financially support my artistic career? As I said above, I have a house because I inherited it. I was my parents' only child, and the house passed to me when they died a few years ago. I'm very grateful. Otherwise I couldn't afford to live in Toronto - it's a very expensive city.

I support us about half with my work and half through a government system that provides children's caregivers with financial aid, called the Child Tax Benefit. My oldest has multiple disabilities and we receive a stipend to help with his care. Business is continuing to grow, and I'm hoping to be able to fully support us within a couple of years. 

I sort of fell into working by accident - I had been active in the Catholic blogging community ten or twenty years ago, and I had made a lot of friends, so when I started selling things I made, I had contacts who would help. It's been largely word of mouth. I recommend both having a strong online presence (web page, instagram, Facebook) and being ready to talk to people about what you do. 

Pictured: Clara backstage in costume for Opera Santa Barbara, Eugene Onegin 

CLARA CHUNG is a Los Alamitos, CA-based classical singer and mezzo-soprano.  She has trained as an operatic soloist and now focuses on ensemble work, including professional opera chorus and singing and conducting sacred music. 

We asked Clara to share her experience as a professional musician living through the COVID-19 pandemic. From Clara:

When I was young, I resisted going into music, thinking that it was a self-serving aspiration. But I continued to feel my heart pulled in that direction, and decided to pursue this calling after the realization that participating in the creation of something beautiful was a subtle but powerful evangelization, inspiring in others a yearning for God, whether or not they could name that desire as such. I felt a particular pang in my heart upon reflection of the Parable of the Talents -- God has given me certain gifts for the purpose of using them for his greater glory, and I needed to make a return on it. I hadn’t intended to go into sacred music specifically -- my training as an opera singer formed me in a style that is generally counter to the type of singing that is typically used in early music, such as Gregorian chant or sacred polyphony -- but my degree in theology and experience in scholas, plus the practical reality that it was a rare steady gig in an uncertain field, made it a natural move. 

I don’t believe that singing in church is the only way to make a return to God on the gifts he has given me, but that beauty and excellence in craftsmanship serves him wherever I apply it; however, as someone with my skill set familiar with the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the liturgy as well as the Ordinariate liturgy, I became a pretty rare asset in my area.

I have run into those who believe that working for pay as a church musician renders my sacrifice somehow less pure, which has been frustrating. I think it’s related to the idea that intent matters more than execution, but I disagree with this--you can’t hear my devotion in my singing, only my skill and artistry, and it’s those things which can make the music become an effective aid to prayer. (I’m sure everyone has heard the church choirs with off-key warbling--I would argue that the lack of skill is distracting, despite the earnest devotion of the singers!) 

Certainly it’s better to have singers who do believe in what they’re singing, and when I’m hiring for my own groups, I tend to favor singers who are practicing Catholics, as long as they are at the same high level necessary to do the music justice. But in my experience, there are so many other things to pay attention to that it’s hard for me to pray while working anyway, so I tend to regard it more as an act of sacrifice--being Martha so that others can be Mary sitting at the feet of Christ, as it were--and at least on Sundays, I generally attend a Mass “for me” where I’m not working and can focus completely on my own prayer. I’ve found this to be really key for me in order to have a fighting chance of maintaining reverence for the Mass and keeping up my own prayer life.

Right now, the world of live performance has ground to a complete halt, because of the dangers of spreading the virus in large crowds, as well as the potential for greater viral spread because of the increased droplet range of singers. Performance artists of all kinds have lost all of their income, and especially those of us who depend on live and/or ensemble work have no idea when our work will return. 

I would urge those who are financially able and are so moved to find ways to continue to help support the arts and artists: donating to relief organizations (many of which were exhausted almost immediately once the shutdown hit), advocating for the inclusion of self-employed artists in government aid packages, donating their previously bought tickets to the arts organizations rather than seeking refunds, encouraging churches to continue to pay their musicians (very few are doing so) and donating with funds specifically earmarked for music, etc. 

Many of us are seeking employment in other fields to support ourselves while the music industry is shut down, and I’m hopeful that the trend towards flexible schedules and working remotely will continue so that we can have more opportunities for work that would accommodate a performance schedule as things ramp back up, as well. 

Our culture tends to have a utilitarian outlook which devalues the contributions of artists as superfluous, but I think the quarantine has proved that the arts are absolutely vital for our flourishing as humans by lifting us out of the mundane. I hope that people are able to carry that awareness into how they value and support the arts as we find a way forward.

THOM SESMA is a New York-based actor who has appeared in TV (Madam Secretary, The Good Wife, Jessica Jones), Broadway (The Lion King, Miss Saigon) and more. www.ThomSesma.com. 

From Thom:

I live in New York. I’ve been very blessed to have worked continually in my chosen profession - my vocation - since I arrived here in 1983, working primarily in the theater, with numerous forays in television and film. I’m a proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA. When COVID-19 shut down the theatre in NYC, I was appearing in UNKNOWN SOLDIER, a new musical at Playwrights Horizons, and like every other entertainment industry professional, I am patiently waiting for our business to re-open sometime in 2021.

You can see more information at www.ThomSesma.com.

I don’t so much identify as an actor who’s a Roman Catholic but rather as a Roman Catholic who’s an actor. I spent much of my adult life away from the faith of childhood, like most people I know, on a sincere spiritual search for a personal god-figure who could and would justify how I was choosing to live my life. As I became more and more aware that those choices weren’t working at all, and that my grasp of real spirituality was very tenuous at best, I found myself pulled back to the Church by a yearning that I still can’t explain. What a really needed was to have my ego and my moral and spiritual relativity challenged but something truly greater than myself. And from the moment I returned, I found that my life very shortly began to fall into right order. It doesn’t mean that things were easy, or were without pain or confusion. But through it all, I found it was simpler, and better, and that my peace truly rested in God’s will.

It remains important for me now to identify first as a Catholic in order to remain right sized, because of all that time spent putting something else - another god, or my career, or relationships, or anything and everything - first. Calling myself Catholic first of all also ups my game, as it were: it’s possible - especially in such a secular industry where Catholicism is often looked at beneath a raised eyebrow - that I could be the only Catholic a colleague might meet on any given day, or week, or month or even a year. And if that’s the case, I’d better be the best example of the Gospel in action that I can be. That’s not only for them, that’s for me, too. And that’s something to aim for.

My daily routine includes an active prayer life (I start each day with the Liturgy of the Hours - the Office of Readings followed by Lauds, or Morning Prayer) and try to attend mass each day. During the pandemic shutdown, I’ve been tuning into various livestream masses from around the globe. In fact, I’m learning Spanish online right now, and have been “attending” mass via three different live-streams from Spain, via YouTube.

I have a spiritual director, though I confess to not reaching out to him quite as much as I’d like, and my reading habits extend to classic Catholic spirituality, and scripture study. I tune into LOTS of Catholic podcasts and try to view news of current events from a spiritual perspective. I do the same with entertainment, and invariably make a conscious effort to find where God is in almost everything I read or watch or participate in, even in the most innocuous properties and projects.