From my first TransformArts trip!
The first time I went on a TransformArts mission trip, it changed eveything. It was the beginning of my friendship with Danielle, the beginning of my relationship with NYC, but most importantly, it was the beginning of understanding my purpose as an artist and a Christian. I wanted to share it now that I’m moving here:
“I’m currently on a mission trip in New York City with TransformArts. I originally wanted to send out letters at the end of my trip, summarizing to supporters what I had learned, done, and experienced. I find now that my world is shifting, my perspective is transforming. I am being taught things no one has told me in my 20 years of life, my 20 years of growing up in the church, my 8ish years of acting, my 5ish years of being a Christian. I have to start processing now.
One major thing that has hit me the hardest these past couple of days is the pure “Godness” of art. Yes, “Godness,” not “goodness.”
I have always believed art is good. I see evidence that it touches souls, transforms lives, propels education, communicates beyond words, and unites people.
But what I’m learning is that art is not just good. It’s good. The kind of “it is good” that God breathed out after looking upon each day of creation. Deeply, deeply sweet. Deeply, deeply good.
Only about 10% of the Bible is instructional teaching. 90% of the Bible is narrative and poetry. Yet most church services operate in the reverse.
98% of our DNA is the same as that as chimpanzees; so then, what is the primary distinction between man and non-man?
Creativity.
Because we were made in the image of a Creator.
I am an artist because God is an artist. Because God is an artist, I am an artist.
What does this all this mean? Art is unbelievably freakin’ important to God. It means that creativity is life-giving; it is psychologically proven that when people are creating, they feel they are living more fully. Of course, this is because we were made to be creative. There is no such thing as non-creative people; all people are in some way creative—though it may look different.
If art is an inseparable, integral characteristic of God, then art must be an inseparable, integral characteristic of faith.
If art is an inseparable, integral characteristic of God, then to create art is an opportunity to understand God in new, unexpected ways.
If art is an inseparable, integral characteristic of God, then to create art is to demonstrate that you were created not just by intelligent design, but by beautiful design.
If art is an inseparable, integral characteristic of God, then I no longer have to justify and excuse my art.
If art is an inseparable, integral characteristic of God, then beauty is a human need.
I have loved the Lord deeply, surrendered my life to him, and desired to live only for his glory and to make his name known. I am also the person who loves theatre so much that I have sometimes thought about climbing onto an empty stage, lying down on its bareness, and absorbing theatre into my cells.
For the longest time I’ve been trying to smash these two puzzle pieces together. Art and faith, art and faith, art and faith. But art and faith are inseparable by nature.
That means that I don’t have to work to make “Christian art” because by the very nature of who I am, my art is already Christian. Since art is autobiographical, my art is Christian because Christ is my life.
I am learning so much. God is connecting me to artists, exposing me to this city, and filling my brain with theology too intelligent for me to understand. I’m hardly scratching the surface. There’s so much I’m still fighting to understand.
My feet are hurting, my body is exhausted, my head is swimming, but my heart is full. God is good, and I can’t wait to keep digging into a deeper understanding of his goodness.”
And there is still so much to learn.
