Being a Christian Artist

      If you follow my blog, chances are you're a creator. You might be a writer, a musician, or an aspiring film director. You might have dreams of being a costume designer or photographer. Wherever your affections lie, there is an overarching term that applies to you: you are an artist. Unfortunately, being an artist does not come with an easy social life. 

     For hundreds of years, artists have stood apart from the rest of the world. Consider Mozart, or Beethoven, for instance. Mozart died penniless, while Beethoven died very much loved but tortured by a personality that did not allow him to relate to other people on a normal level.

     You do not represent the first time an artist has been at odds with the rest of the world.

    Before I delve into my main theme, I would like to point out that some, if not quite a few, artists are misunderstood and alone not because the world doesn't appreciate them, but because they don't think the world is good enough for them. "To be misunderstood must mean that I'm better," some of them think. This is an "I'm different, and proud of it," attitude. My friend, E. G. Runyan, delves into this in one of her early posts entitled "Are you a Self-Isolated Artist?"

     I definitely agree with her. Artists can tend to look at themselves as misunderstood, and therefore better. It's easy for them to want only to mingle with other artists, treating everyone who isn't as an inferior. In this way, artists may find themselves alone through their own fault. I have fallen into this trap, and it is one I try to stay aware of.

     But whether or not we self-isolate, as Christians—artists or not—we should realize that most of what we do will not be greeted by roaring fans all over the world. Our lives as Christians will be at odds with the rest of the world. Humans generally do not like to be different, and they do not like to be alone. But being a Christian artist sets you up for this.

     Being an artist is hard work.

     Being a lonely artist is even harder.

     How can we deal with this?

1. We need to understand that our first duty is to be a light for our Lord and Saviour.

     You should be resigned to the fact that you are going to be alone for a good deal of your artistic journey. You will be very different from the world, and you should be. That shouldn't embarrass you. Paul says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth," II Timothy 2:15. Are you ashamed of being a Christian artist? Does it embarrass you that your work is very different from other artists in your field? It shouldn't.

     If you do your best as unto the Lord, He will prosper you. (Jer. 29:11) He will give you the strength (Is. 40:29) and courage you need to be a light in the world. And this light that you can be in our world? It's desperately needed. You may not have noticed, but art is one of the darkest fields of interest in our world today. It is a field of self-expression, and an effort to make sin seem appealing and beautiful. It seeks to shock and draw out a reaction. And it seeks to create multiple truths. What we need is for Christian artists to step forward and present the One Truth, instead of what they personally believe to be their own individual truth. 

     In The Butterfly on the Wall, one of my own earlier posts, I discussed an encounter I had with a piece of art hung up by a Christian artist. Though I never met the girl, it was instantly apparent to me that she was a Christian, because of the beauty and Bible verses shining out as a light in a room of very dark art. It's possible that the girl who hung up her art in that room might have felt a momentary twinge of embarrassment at sticking out. She might have felt a little ashamed to be so different. But whether or not she did experience that, I know one solid fact. When I saw her picture, it was a candle in a black cave. I don't know if I shall ever meet the girl, aside from in heaven, but if I ever do, I would like to tell her that her dedication to Jesus was admirable and very encouraging.

     She made it very clear that it didn't matter to her what other people thought. She was going to stand up and be a light for Jesus in a dark world. And she was successful. Even if I was the only one who saw and was encouraged by her statement of faith, she was still successful. Which brings me to my second point…

2. Whether or not we know it, we have an audience.

You are not alone because your audience exists.

     Oftentimes, it's difficult for us to see things clearly when we are right on top of them. It's easy to think that there is no one with whom we can share our art, our message. But in the long run, looking back, things are far easier to understand. And I can guarantee you that if you continue to do your best, as unto the Lord, He will let your message bless others, and one day, you will see that. Right now, maybe the people you love most don't support you. Maybe your closest friends don't either. Although that is not the case with me, I can understand that this can be a very, very discouraging place to be. Perhaps you really do feel like you are totally alone.

     But your audience exists.

     Maybe, the person that your message will most bless isn't even born yet.

     There is someone out there who needs to hear what you have to say. How do I know that? Because humans repeat history. They relate to the stories that others have to share. One of the main characters in O Pioneers! by Willa Cather states, "there are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before..." (Part 2, Chapter 4) And if humans repeat themselves, then someone, somewhere desperately needs to hear your message. You may never meet the person you most influence. You may never even know they exist. But they do exist. And they are your audience.

     Just consider for a moment how many of your favourite artists are still alive. How many of them do you know personally? Not very many, I’ll reckon. And yet how many have touched your life in an incredible way? Take C. S. Lewis, for example. He has been in heaven for over 60 years, but his powerful series The Chronicles of Narnia has been impacting people for decades and will go on impacting them as long as God allows. Lewis is no longer with us, but the message that God put on his heart to share has changed thousands of people's lives.

     Or what about J. S. Bach who wrote on most, if not all, of his work "Soli Deo Gloria," (To God Alone be the Glory)? There was no "I have a great message to share with the world," as so many artists in today’s world say. Bach wrote for God's glory—not his own—and God honoured that, even though Bach's fame did not come until well after his lifetime. But think how pleased the man would be to find out that his work is known world-wide and has publicly brought glory to his Saviour across the globe!

     These men, of course, are legends in their fields, but their lives serve as very excellent examples. If you do your best for the Lord, there is no telling how long and how far he can spread your message. Creating your art may seem hopeless and pointless at the moment. I understand that. I have dealt with these feelings quite often before, but my audience, whoever it happens to be at the time, always encourages me to continue. And most importantly, even if there were no audience, I still desire to create for God’s glory. 

     Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

     No matter how lonely and unheard you may feel, never forget that 1.) your first duty is to be a light for your Saviour and 2.) whether or not you know it, you have an audience. Being a Christian artist can be a difficult path and sometimes, it seems as if you're totally alone. But you must keep shining for your Lord and Saviour. And continue to pray that your work will bless those whom it is meant to bless.

     You have an audience.

     So be a light.