What is the Point of Art-Making, Then?
It’s easy to look at art-making and wonder what the point is. How can you measure “success” as an artist?
So far, we’ve found that fame is probably not a helpful reference, and faith is a better starting point. In that last post, Danielle gave us some parameters for what faith involves: tenacity, uncertainty, and love/hope. But – faith towards what? We still haven’t uncovered the aim of art-making.
I’ve spent time wrestling with this question and Danielle’s blog post, and I’ve found myself zeroing in on her last point: Faith is driven by love. And I realized that while you can (and should) do all things in love, making art is loving in a unique way.
In fact, love is at the origin of making. We know this, because God is self-sufficient; he has no unmet needs. So that means when he created, he created out of extravagance and abundance. He created because he wanted to. He created out of love.
Likewise, our art-making is intrinsically about beauty, appreciation, and extravagance – not merely surviving in the world.
Art is a gift of love.
As I have continued to make art, I have found that art is a way of exercising love towards yourself, towards others, and towards God in worship. Let me break that down:
Art is a gift of love for you
Did you know that singing activates your vagus nerves, which calms down your nervous system? Did you know that the Bible has over 50 commands to sing?
That’s no accident! God, having made our bodies, knew we needed to sing, so the Israelites were commanded to fill their lives with singing.
Drawing lowers our heart rate. Sculpting changes our brain waves to a meditative state. All art uniquely heals post-trauma brain, reconnecting the shutdown logic side with the activated sensation side. Art can literally reconcile us with ourselves.
Even if your art never leaves your personal diary, you are engaging in God-given, personal meditation and healing. You are receiving love.
Art is a gift of love for others
When I consider the possible impact of my art-making, I’m immediately reminded of the parables in Luke 15. A shepherd leaves 99 sheep to find the 1. A woman overturns her house to find 1 lost coin. Jesus frequently escapes the crowds of hundreds to focus on 12, or even 3, or even 1.
It is the heart of God to rejoice in the 1. And if God is the Artist all artists come from, we will find fulfillment in emulating his heart.
Maybe I will never become famous. Maybe Danielle will never become famous–but 1 short story will forever be the reason 1 of her friends found God again.
And according to the heart of God, all of heaven will still rejoice.
Art is a gift of love to God
The Bible contains specific commands to make art as an offering to him in worship.
The first people to receive the Holy Spirit were artists (Exodus 31), so that they could craft him a place of worship. God commands us to sing, dance, and play instruments to praise him for what he’s done. He even cares about smells: God gives specific recipes for incense and anointing oils.
The Israelites worshiped through diverse art. And we are meant to do the same.
So what is our aim? It isn’t success; it’s generous love.
Now, when I audition, I mark my success in love. Am I loving myself through the audition process, playing and having fun? When I do, I experience pure joy and strong performance. Am I loving the writers of the script and the casting directors in my one-minute offering? When I do, they experience connection and celebration. And lastly, am I offering myself up in my audition to God? When I do, he validates that I am enough and he tells me that he is pleased.
As I practice this shift in mindset, I find I can I stop myself from stressing over the outcome.
I may never get the part. I may never become famous, and I may never gain worldly status or wealth. But my despair has substantially decreased. And my joy has substantially increased.
There is freedom in love.
Continue reading here: Meaning-making in the present
