The Art in You

What was the last book you read that touched your soul and mind?

Lately, I have been reading Emily P. Freeman’s, A Million Little Ways: Uncover the art you were made to live. It is a book, not just for those who consider themselves artists, but for everyone because we are all God’s image bearers. Whether you are a writer, a mom, a painter, or a CEO, we are all called to make art.

In the third chapter under the section titled, “Desire Uncovered,” Emily tells of an exercise she adapted from Natalie Goldberg’s, Writing Down the Bones. Natalie’s exercise is about first thoughts where you don’t stop writing for a certain amount of time and you don’t edit your thoughts. You are to lose control and discover honest places that might be scary or weird or raw. Emily then adapts this writing exercise for us as creative people searching for how our art can be expressed.

It can take a bit of time and work to uncover the deep desires we have. I, for one, am very good at censoring myself and being afraid of my true desires. I am often filled with fear and insecurity, wondering if anyone will like what I’ve created. And I bet you’re a lot like me in that regard.

In order for us to live and work in whatever art God has called us to, we first have to uncover exactly what that art is that he made us to create. It might take a few attempts, but give it a try.

For this exercise, Emily gives us a few questions to ask ourselves. When you ask these, don’t edit, but hold onto those first thoughts and dare to consider them.

1. When is a time in your life when you felt most fully alive?
2. When you feel most fully alive, what words or phrases come to mind that describe that experience for you? For example: Awake, complete, scared, joyful, real, nauseous, made for this, free, terrified, released, delight. It might be a mix of good and bad emotions, and that’s okay.

Another question you can reflect on is, “Are you willing to honestly face where you currently are and will you refuse to edit desire as it surfaces in the present moment?” (A Million Little Ways, Pg 53). Keep in mind that the answers to all these questions may change throughout the years. We have an amazingly creative God, and as Emily says, “…there will be many ways, even a million little ways, I will declare his glory with my life.”

For myself, a desire and direction has recently been uncovered. It was something that was suggested to me a few years ago, but I brushed it aside. I thought, “That’s not for me. I can’t really do that. Plus, I don’t want to learn new skills. Too much work. I’ll just stay where I’m comfortable and ignore that other thing.” However, lately, I feel it coming to the forefront more and more. The emotions I would choose are, made for this, scared, excited, and inadequate. My mind goes wild with possibilities that I want to rein in and reshape to be realistic, but I also know that God is in control of the outcomes. It will be a journey for sure, and I hope to share it with you in the future.

So what about you? Have you discovered the art you were made to create? If not yet, try these few questions and don’t be afraid of the answer. Don’t let negative emotions or fear tell you that your art isn’t worth discovering and creating. It is. And if you feel comfortable, share it in the comments so we can all pray for and cheer each other on as we move toward living the art God has called us to create.