February: The Connection Between Divinity and Artistry (Plus, My Gratitude List)
A short and sweet reflection, just like the month.
This last year, I’ve come to realize that the more we strain, the farther away what we want becomes. We lose not just our peace and acceptance for the present, but the original intent of our goal. The process becomes more about completion and success rather than letting ourselves be wrapped up in creation’s arms. When we let ourselves become fully wrapped up in our craft, we have a glimpse into the eye of God. Authors Max Lieberman and Michael McFadden touch on this idea of the artist as an instrument of the divine:
“The great artist is conceived as the hollowed-out instrument of God, emptied of egoism and selfish desire, and thus able to transmit the experience of their union with the divine through the enchanting ‘music’ of their artwork”
God has created us all so that we may glorify Him; I believe that the individual pursuit for purpose is man’s search for the best way to do so. As an artist, I have found I feel most holy when I can recognize myself as a vessel for the constant interchange of experience and creation. In these moments, my ego and identity are only an accessory to transforming the physical world around me into something universal and much bigger than my individual life. Without art, I am left with nothing but my pride. I like to imagine that when art is not being made, my soul is preparing itself to create.
It took me a long while to adopt this change in world view- who else used to think that art could only be produced through suffering? While the Lord works in mysterious ways, I believe we have a better shot at creating meaningful work, when we liken ourselves to divinity in our daily actions. I don’t quite know where my artistic dreams fall in the physical world, but I know that any dream worth pursuing requires becoming as close to the Lord as I can each and every day.
This February, I feel a great amount of peace both in the moments of creating and the space in-between. I am grateful to have the time and space to lean into both, fully and calmly. Here is a short and sweet gratitude list of all the things I’m loving in a month made for lovers:
1- Using my salt lamp again
2- Watching Sex and the City with Maggie
3- Rediscovering the joys of meditating
4- Getting back into a bedtime routine
5- Taking time to understand and connect to the scripture that I’m reading
6- My AirPods finally working again
7- Getting better at attending choir weekly
8- Crafting
9- PA getting a consistently snowy winter
10- The clothes Sarah gave me from her donation pile
I hope you enjoyed reading. If you did, I encourage you to subscribe for my Christ-infused reflections on my life, the media I’m engaging with, and more. See you next month!
From,
Apollo’s Girl