For the Artist Who Knows There’s More

The discontent you feel in what you’re doing daily might try to hint at something.

This isn’t what I created you for. Your purpose is what will bring the most glory to My Name and bring joy to others.

Something to that effect, since I don’t believe I can speak for God in that way, but the stirring in your spirit might say something similar to you.

Look.

The arts can be hard. I don’t believe in “starving artist” syndrome, though. There’s always a way to make money, and your art should drive you if it is about the way you put light into the world, instead of all about money. Not that money isn’t important, but true purpose brings light into the world.

The thing you do the easiest that makes other people want to rip their hair out in frustration while you breeze through it, is your gift. Not that writing doesn’t make me want to do that sometimes (redrafting a novel multiple times is a headache). I saw a post from an author today on YouTube that said they had to rewrite their entire novel again.

I feel that. I do.

But it is still the thing I do the best, easiest, and with the least amount of dread.

I had an entire other direction planned out for my life, but God pivoted me to the desire to write novels like I had wanted to do when I was growing up. Books were always there for me, from the tired-eyed nights of reading Harry Potter past bedtime to the X-Files behind-the-scenes books that explained Chris Carter and team’s vision for the show.

It was easy to get lost inside a fiction book, and even now it’s fun to explore new worlds and stories.

The desire to be an artist is not something that comes from nowhere. It is a calling. I’ve written before that I believe God has the best plans for our lives.
There are little coincidences and winks (synchronicities) that happen that affect history in media and on the world stage.

In the early 2000s, a Squaresoft employee and a Disney employee were in the same elevator, and the initial idea for Kingdom Hearts came into existence from that chance meeting. Now there’s a popular series of games that appeals to people of all ages and that has impacted history in the arts.

These things don’t happen by chance, even if we’re unaware of the particular ways and methods God employs to get these things to happen.

The human element of creativity is always there, of course, but I like to believe in divine intervention in the arts.

If Brian McKnight can install a DVD player and be inspired to write one of his biggest hits, don’t think those little muses don’t come from somewhere (not defending his actions in calling his kids a product of sin).

I’m an artist who is a Christian, not a Christian artist. I look for inspiration everywhere, or it comes to me from nowhere.

I had a strange, surreal dream that led to one of my novel ideas, where insects bloom like flowers in a special meadow. Maybe it will be an awesome story.

Inspiration comes from somewhere divine, and when our gifts are shared with other people, that divinity heads down toward the Earth.

If there’s a creative spark within you, it won’t let you go—you’ll have to do it.

Don’t forget the discontented nudge from God (the universe, what have you) that says you were made for something more.

Don’t let others place you in a box and neglect the gifts within you, either.

All the artists that we look up to and love started somewhere. Some came from poor backgrounds, and some failed many times before striking gold.

Fail 20 times to succeed if you must.

There is something you are meant to do that only you can do in this world.

Maybe you initially wanted to race cars and found out you are a stellar singer.

Perhaps you had dreams of law school, and then content creation took off.

There are authors who were rejected hundreds of times who wrote some of the legendary novels of our time and before our time.

Someone today would reject the Lord of the Rings. Keep that in mind.

Let the notion you have that something isn’t quite right with your current situation be the catalyst for making that leap. I’m not saying that quitting your job and plunging into creating a manga with no backup plan is the right choice for you—only to follow the spark.

But if you’re an artist who feels the call, follow that call.

Art has the power to shape the world for the betterment of mankind.

Shalom.