#thecreativechristian

🔍Thoughts on Imagine (p. 17-30)

I’m really excited to read more out of this book. I’m very curious to understand more about how Christians should incorporate their faith in their work in a way that accurately represents their worldview and still engages with the culture. Steve Turner’s observations about how “Christian art” is viewed by the world really resonated with me. I’ve definitely noticed how “Christian art” seems to be limited to the narrow Christian subculture, and doesn’t have much effect on the overall culture (18, 20-21). (That needs to change!) I’ve also noticed the general lack of role models when it comes to well-known Christian artists––thus leading to the implication that Christians can’t create good, relevant art, and/or that it is wrong of them to try (22). (Though I must say, I know of dozens of good Christian songwriters and singers. I think today’s Christian artists are getting better about crafting music in a way that non-Christians can engage with.) As far as the rest of the Christian artist population goes, I want to see us joining in the discussion that our pop culture is initiating.

I agree with Turner when he says that he doesn’t think art should be made to convert people (29). I feel like I can respect Christian songs, literature, movies, etc. more when they aren’t trying to force-feed people Christianity, if that makes sense. I love artwork produced by Christians that start discussions and challenge ideas by subtly planting seeds of ideas and thoughts in people’s minds. That’s the kind of art I want to produce, something that makes people pause and see the world in a different light. I want to see Christian artists sharing their views through their art, but still being respected by the culture for their integrity, character, and excellent work. I don’t like this hiding in the Christian corner thing, having no impact on the world. I think God made artists to create, and that our identity as Christians should permeate our lives and alter our work, setting us apart. But I also think that can be more challenging to do through fine art and image-related art than it is through writing and music.

🔍Thoughts on Emerge (p. 9-18)

First of all, the fourth introduction made me laugh. I love Don Perini’s sense of humor.

I’m eager to read more to discover how to live a creative life. Pereni claims that creativity “takes discipline and hard work,” and that it’s not a “genie in a bottle.” He also says that it takes “determination, process, and good habits to come up with great results.” I think both of these are accurate. I could totally relate with his description of his awkward board meetings where his colleagues expected him to produce creative solutions instantly. I’ve never been to a board meeting, but school has offered me enough experience to know that creative solutions aren’t always instantaneous. I can also understand how good, creative results––ultimately a creative life––requires determination, discipline, and hard work. It’s not always easy to summon inspiration or practice creative skills. It takes hard work! I’m eager to see how Perini incorporates Christianity in the process of leading a creative life. I’m really hoping both Imagine and Emerge change me as an artist and broaden my understanding of what it means to be a Christian artist.

🔍Thoughts on Liu Xiaodong’s interview

The explicit subject matter in some of Lui’s work leads me to believe that he is not a Christian, so it’s interesting to hear his view of Jesus. He finds Jesus to be the ultimate role model for artists, because Jesus “transcends himself.” Liu believes that one of the roles of an artist is to help others transcend themselves through art. To be honest, I’m not sure what he means exactly, and I’d love to discuss his views further. 

Liu also believes that artists have the unique ability to break national boundaries. Artists maintain a kind of innocence, because all they can do is imagine and show others their unique views through their work. I kind of like this view of artists, because it centers on the fact that art, like music, is universal, despite language barriers and political differences.  

📷Image Above:

1️⃣ What materials and tools do artists use to create art today?

I would say anything and everything. Artists today use traditional materials, such as paint (oil, gouache, acrylic, watercolor), graphite, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils, markers, crayons, fabric, etc. However, artists today also use nontraditional mediums, like coffee, makeup, found objects, and even food. In modern times, art can be anything, and it can be made out of anything. There are traditional and nontraditional means to make art, but it all still counts. Paintbrushes and pens can be used in tandem with digital styluses.

2️⃣ To what extent does what you make draw on characteristics of a genre? What genre?

I think the art I make is a little more whimsical and fantasy-like. It would fall under the fiction category, since my style is more expressionistic and unrealistic. I would rather capture the general sense of something than have every detail in sharp relief, and I really love using my imagination to create certain elements of an illustration.

📷 Image above:

💡 What I Learned / How Art Connects with Faith

In our final discussion, we talked a lot about the connection between money and art. I loved how we touched on so many important ideas. One person (maybe Hannah?) referenced how Paul took up tent-making as a source of income so he could fund his goal of evangelism. In the same way, artists should be prepared to take on a smaller job as a stepping stone so they have the resources to establish their career as an artist. We went on to discuss the importance of networking, and how the way you treat other people plays a key role in that. I think that we as  Christian artists should always strive to treat others kindly (even when it’s not reciprocated), not just for the benefit of our careers, but also because we are witnesses to Jesus’ character. 

Additionally, Tina explained how setting clear goals for yourself is important. Goals help you know what you’re working towards. I loved her advice to study those who have done what you want to do. Doing research on these people and their prior steps/accomplishments gives you a sense of what steps you need to take next. I felt like that was an awesome pro tip.

I think what’s most important for me to remember is not to constantly compare my life to other people’s. I feel like I’m prone to doing this, especially through social media. I follow several successful independent artists and for some reason it’s easy to forget that where they are took years of hard work and investment. Hannah mentioned how it may take us ten years to get to where we want to be with the proper skills and experience. The important thing to remember is that nothing is wasted. God can and does use every skill and experience to prepare us for our purpose. We continually grow as time goes on, so there’s no need to feel frustrated if we don’t achieve our positions/goals immediately. I just felt that was an important reminder for me personally. 

💡 What I Struggled With

Today I mainly struggled with what I envision my future with art to look like. I’m just not sure if art is going to be more of a career or a hobby for me. This is not a new struggle, and to be honest, I’m constantly changing my mind every time I consider this question deeply. It’s something that’s been on my mind a lot recently, especially now that we’ve reached the end of the semester. I’m an eighth of the way through college, and even though it seems like I have lots of time left to figure out what I want to do, I kind of feel like I don’t have enough time. So I’ve been really considering how much of a role art-making will play in my future career (whatever that is). 

💡 What Inspired Me

Honestly, I think what most inspired me was that Inside Pixar episode that we watched for our readings this week. We touched on it a bit today, and I think other people enjoyed it too. I really appreciated getting Deanna’s perspective as a character designer. Seeing her creative process and hearing her tips about inspiration made me want to pull out a sketchpad and start creating. After watching that episode, I have a new goal for myself: draw from observation. I’m going to be intentionally working on that in my creative practice because I think it’s a great way to expand my skills.

➡️ Tina, thank you so much for teaching this class this semester! I feel like it was so valuable to me, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to explore what it means to be Creative Christians. I think you did an excellent job leading this class, and I can’t wait to learn more from you in the future! 😊

📷 Image above

.

I just want to start off with saying that this class has truly taught me so much about myself and about concepts that I have never thought about. Thank you Tina for taking on this new class. I think that you are the best teacher for this class because I can tell that you truly want to learn and grow as well. I think that is kind of rare to find in a teacher; and I think that, that made this class even more valuable. Overall, I really benefited from this class; and I can’t wait to have color theory next semester with you!

.

🤔What I learned from today’s discussion?:

.

In our last discussion, we talked about a lot of things. Because we were on zoom we talked the whole time as a collective group rather than breaking off into smaller groups. I think that, that was beneficial because then we got to hear everyone’s perspectives, that shared; and I feel like more was talked about because of it. The first thing that was addressed was the Pixar video. From this video I learned that there can be value in your time and effort even if it never gets seen by anyone. From this video I also learned that you can find inspiration anywhere. The girl in the video shared how she goes outside for inspiration; and she specifically looks at the little things that she would normally just look over. I think it was good that we watch that video, because it brought into another voice that was very beneficial in seeing how someone in the art industry goes through struggles and epiphanies.

I also learned that having art projects that are done in a community are very important. We need to feel like we are a part of something in order to grow. By working with others, it takes out of the equation that we are better than others, because overall we are working together to make something beautiful and new. We need to constantly check ourselves in terms of being better than others – because we are not. We are all different and that’s why we can all bring something to this world that makes it better.

I also learned that as we are in a state of cultivating our skills we need to collect the most information about the art industry as possible, because it is really important to mold ourselves in the best possible situation that the arts has available. By knowing more about the industry, we are more likely to set ourselves up for success because of being knowledgeable.

I also learned that hearing other people stories and challenges can help our own life because then we can go on to appreciate other things as we empathize with others. This shows how we can connect and grow closer to our community. We have to be present in other peoples lives and truly build bonds so that will help build people up. Someone said that we need to not strive to be special but rather strive to be valuable. I like to have that as a mindset because then we can better others rather than be better than others. By doing this we can help our community as we build each other up.

.

.

.

🤔Concepts that confused me:

.

We talked in our discussion about our futures and what they will look like and how we will achieve that dream that we have set. I know that the first step is having clear goals. But what specific steps should I take, aside from discipline in my creative practice? How can I get that good job when I’m starting on my own from nothing? It’s hard for me not knowing how things are going to play out, but I know that if I am trusting God that alone is the best thing that I can do to help prepare myself. It just can be hard sometimes in that waiting process.

.

.

.

🤔Connecting art with faith:

.

In our discussion someone brought up a really good point when it comes with our future. She talked about how Paul had a second job as a tent maker. This connected to what we were talking about, in terms of how we want to be successful in the art industry. This brought up how we might need to do something on the side to support ourselves as we strive towards our dream occupation. We need to be smart where we are going in the art industry; and we need to find different avenues that can help us with being financially stable; and using the talents God has given us. Through this time, of developing and cultivating our skills that God has put on our hearts, I believe that we need to start building a good representation of ourselves so that more people will want to connect with us because we display who Jesus is. I also learned that God’s calling may take time, but that means that in the meantime we need to look to him for direction. Someone also brought up in the class that Jesus didn’t start his ministry until He was 33 years old. He could’ve started at the very beginning but God had the best plan for Him, and that was to wait 33 years. Overall, we have to be patient as God is preparing us.

.

.

.

📸Image above:

.

⭐️Questions:

.

1. Do you think the church respects art and artists? Why or why not?

.

.

2. Has an artwork ever deepend your understanding about something? Explain.

.

.

.

🤔My Thoughts:

.

1. I think that the church does respect art and artists because as a body, they know that everything that comes with being an artist is a gift from God. I can’t speak for all churches but I definitely know that my church does respect artists. My church hires artists from all different styles to create art for the church. So, from my personal experience I believe that churches do respect artists and art. I am an artists and people at my church respect me; and whenever they have seen my artwork they were very supportive.

.

.

.

2. For this question I would say—yes. A lot of art that I think about more, is normally conceptual and art that expresses topics that are easier shown than said. Whenever I have seen artwork about heavy topics such as abortion or peoples rights, I have definitely been able to deepen my understanding by thinking more in depth on the art piece. Art has helped me truly think harder on subjects that I portably wouldn’t have ever spent much time on. I love art that has hidden meanings that are hard to see. Through art that holds more meaning, it makes me like it more because it addresses something greater than the piece itself.

.

.

.

📸 Image above:

🔍 My Thoughts on “Art as a 21st Century Calling” PDF

In this chapter, the author discusses how art is a Christian calling, and what that looks like practically. There were a couple of points that stood out to me. The first was the author’s suggestion that Christian artists may be the ones to effectively “stand in the gap” between the lofty, skeptical art commentators and the general public. This is  because we seek to create art with meaning, which can lead to powerful and enduring artwork. I would love to be able to make art that positively affects those around me––art with a purpose. Another point was that Christians are usually a generation behind in their art-making in an effort to be relevant but also safe. The problem with this approach is that it forces some of us to bury our talents. We have been called to form culture, and that involves investing in it and adding something new, not merely mimicking what has come before. This mimicking is something we need to be on guards against; it takes courage to step out and try something new, but this is our calling. The author lists some practical advice for Christian artists as they fulfill their artistic calling:

Christian artists should reject knee-jerk irony

They should refuse pretension and power

They should take responsibility for their actions

They should affirm ultimate values

In doing these things, Christian artists follow Jesus’ example and distinguish themselves as different from the other artists of the world. Additionally, it’s not wrong to embrace the title of “Christian artist.” Publicly recognizing this title helps us realize that we are not alone, but rather part of something much larger. I think it’s easy to believe that Christian artists are little solitary islands struggling to make a difference in the world through their work. This idea is encouraged by the lack of successful Christian artists, at least in this day and age. However, we are not alone; rather we are part of the body of Christ, and we are called to use our talents to cultivate our culture. Our work has a purpose, and we just need to find other Christian artists to grow in community with and encourage one another.

🔍 My Thoughts on “Love the Art, Hate the Artist” video

This video mainly addresses the repercussions of an artist’s “odious” acts on their artwork. It creates a tricky dilemma when artists’ mistakes come to light, particularly if they are/were offensive or harmful to other people. Their work is harder to appreciate because their pasts have impacted their reputations. I have definitely experienced this as I’ve encountered certain artists’ artworks and histories, and it makes me sad. Their work is ruined in a way. Conversely, I’ve encountered artists whose backgrounds and actions I admire, and it makes me like their artwork more. Our reputations are clearly important, and they impact our influence in the world.

🔍 My Thoughts on “Inspired: Deanna Marsigliese, The Art of the Pivot” (Season 1, Episode 2 of Inside Pixar)

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and getting to hear Deanna’s thoughts on her creative approach. Deanna works on character design for Pixar. She talks about the powers of observation and exploring different materials when looking for inspiration. Although she has traveled to find inspiration, distance is not always necessary; sometimes all you need is a change in perspective. She touched on the need to adapt in her workplace, and how every new project is a new education process. I noticed this specifically when they showed people in costumes moving around so that the animators could understand how to portray the different characters realistically. This attention to detail is part of what makes the Pixar films so powerful. I was also fascinated to see how Deanna’s own vintage clothing collection inspired costume designs for Incredibles 2, which just goes to show that inspiration is everywhere. Personally I feel like I could benefit from observing the world around me more, and I plan on working on that. Overall, this interview with Deanna was inspirational, and I loved getting a glimpse into her world as an artist at Pixar.

📷 Image above

Picture of Deanna from Inside Pixar

.

▫️Visual Component:

.

▫️Title of piece: A Beautiful Process

.

▫️Medium: Digital Art

.

▫️App used: Procreate

.

▫️Description:

“I chose a butterfly because they undergo a process that ends in something absolutely beautiful. Just like us, as creatives, we have our own processes; and if we look to God for direction, the outcome will be beautiful as we see great things emerge.”

.

.

.

▫️My Creative Manifesto:

.

🔸I will create because God has instilled in me wonderful talents to share with other’s.

🔸I will ONLY put my identity in being a daughter of Christ.

🔸I will look to God for direction because He is the one that inspires me.

🔸I will create with the motive of intentionally using my gift to please God.

🔸I will always give God the credit for everything I do.

🔸I will keep a journal of all ideas that God has given me.

🔸I will not let the pressures of the world weigh on who I am.

🔸I will surround myself with people who truly care for me, and will help me grow as a creative.

🔸I will ask questions to deeper and further my understanding on what it means to be a Christian creative.

🔸I will continuously cultivate my skills so that I can attain mastery in my style.

🔸I will practice even when not motivated (no matter how hard it can be).

🔸I will always look at art with an open mind without any pre-made judgments.

🔸I will continuously remind myself that art is everything and anything.

🔸I will step out of my comfort zone and try new things to help well-round my creative process.

🔸I will bring to this world art that brings light into peoples lives and Glory to God.

.

.

.

.

⭐️ Summary of the PDF, “Art as a Proper Job:”

.

In the PDF, Art as a Proper Job, the author first shares how artists not only have to be intimate with her artwork but they also have to really dive deep into the world around them. The author also shows how artist’s can’t be one-sided. Artist have to connect with the world around them in order to truly grow as an artist. It can be hard as an artist because we are the ones that portray visual ideas of what we believe things look like. For instance, in the arts, people before have portrayed Jesus as blonde and blue-eyed. This is a stereotype because multiple artists have portray Jesus the same way. The author also notes that, “going into the arts to find fame and fortune is a very bad bet indeed.” This is often a bad mindset to have because fame and fortune in the arts is not guaranteed. It takes work. There are steps in the art world that can be taken to find success. Here are the steps:

1. Seek commissions

2. Be willing to compromise

3. Be a conciliator

4. Listen to criticism

5. Work in the community

Working in a community is very important. Surrounding yourself with the right friends is not easy to find, but it’s worth it in the long run. A solid friend group can help you in times when you can’t help yourself. The world has bad stereotypes about artists. We as artist’s need to change them, and show people that an artist going through depression is not what all artist’s look like. Artist don’t have to be indulging in sin to be an artist. We as artists can choose how to lead our life; and this can come through making wise choices that not harming ourselves or others.

.

.

.

🤔My thoughts on the PDF, “Art as a Proper Job:”

.

I liked this PDF. It made me think about the place that artists can hold in the world. When the author shared the steps to find success in the art world, I really connected with the “work in the community” one. I think that’s something I’m lacking as an artist. I feel like I need to be using my gift for a collaborative work. For the longest time I have been completely solo on creating; and I think that my art could go to the next level if in someway I worked with other people to create something more meaningful. I don’t know what that would look like, but I definitely think that having other peoples opinions and talents combined with mine could potentially grow my artistic ability substantially. I just don’t know how to do that. Do you have any ideas? How could I start to work in my community?

I also found it interesting when the author brought up the stereotypes that the title “artist” can hold. I don’t know why artist’s get such a bad rep, but I know I definitely don’t want that stereotype on me. How can I lead my life as an example to show people that being an artist, for one, is not a scary bad thing; and two, can actually be a successful job. I know God has given me this talent for a reason and I definitely want to share it with others, I just don’t know how I am supposed to use it yet. But I am excited!

.

.

.

⭐️ Summary of the PDF, “Let the Games Begin“ by Stephanie Sabo:

.

In this essay essay by Stephanie Sabo, she deeply studies Tina Linville‘s artwork on what it truly means to “play with art.” The author gives an analogy of when giving a child a toy, they often play with the box more. The box itself is considered more fun because it can be turned into anything, and the possibilities are limitless because all it takes is—imagination. Tina Linville‘s artwork exemplifies what it means to play. She shows how literally anything can be anything. She shares her creative mind through common things like shoes, fabric, or little action figures. Overall, Tina Linville shows how you don’t have to be a kid to play. Playing is good for the creative process and playing can help great ideas emerge.

.

.

.

🤔My thoughts on the PDF, “Let the Games Begin“ by Stephanie Sabo:

.

From this essay, I have learned how important it is to be creative and play with art. I guess in the past it’s been hard for me to just play with art because I have often felt like I need to please people. My mind sometimes goes to “will they like it?” “Should I change this so that they would like it?” “Is this the type of style they like?” I don’t like that I often think about how the viewers are going to see my artwork. And I feel like it takes away from art being fun. After reading this essay, I can tell that art is supposed to be fun. If it’s not fun, and if you can’t play with, it then why do it? Thinking of my future, I don’t want to be doing something that isn’t fun. By playing with art and not focusing on how people are going to see it, then more ideas and experiences can come from my play times. I think I needed to read this, to show that “Play” can be anything. From now on I’m going to try and focus on experimentation to playing with art that I wouldn’t have even thought of before. Maybe this will help new ideas form? Overall, I think it would be good for me.

.

.

.

📸Image above: