BOOST #012: Leaving a Legacy Through Your Art 🗿
Memorializing God's Faithfulness for Future Generations
💖 DEVOTIONAL:
📖 SCRIPTURE:
"And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’”
- Joshua 5:6 (ESV)
As Christian creatives, we have been blessed with a unique gift - the ability to express our faith through art. Whether it's through writing, painting, music, or any other form of creative expression, we have the opportunity to create "memorial stones" that tell stories of God's amazing works, so that future generations won't forget.
In Joshua 4, we read about how God instructed the Israelites to gather twelve stones from the Jordan River and place them in a pile as a memorial. These stones were meant to serve as a reminder to the Israelites and future generations of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River as God led them into the Promised Land. They were to be a tangible representation of God's faithfulness and power.
Similarly, our art can be our memorial stones. Through our creativity, we can capture moments when God has moved in our lives or in the lives of others. We can tell stories of God's provision, healing, deliverance, and faithfulness. Our art can serve as a testimony of God's greatness and a reminder of His love for us and for all of humanity.
Just like the Israelites were instructed to gather the stones and pile them up, we need to intentionally gather the stories and experiences of God's goodness in our lives. We need to take the time to reflect on how God has worked in our midst and use our creative talents to memorialize those moments. Our art can be a lasting testimony of God's faithfulness that future generations can look upon and be encouraged by.
But creating memorial stones through art is not just about preserving the past; it's also about inspiring the future. When we create art that tells the stories of God's amazing works, we are passing down a legacy of faith to the next generation. Our art can ignite the spark of faith in others, encouraging them to seek God and experience His goodness for themselves.
So, as Christian creatives, let's approach our art with a sense of purpose and intentionality. Let's view our creativity as a gift from God that can be used to create memorial stones that tell stories of His greatness. Let's be mindful of the stories that God is writing in our lives and in the lives of those around us, and let's use our art to capture and share those stories with the world.
🙏 PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of creativity. Help us to create art that serves as a testimony of Your faithfulness, capturing and sharing the stories of Your goodness in our lives and in the lives of others. Guide us in our creative endeavors, using our talents to bring glory to Your name and inspire the future generations to seek You. May our art always point back to You, the ultimate source of all creativity. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
🤔💭 APPLICATION:
Reflect: Take time to reflect on the stories of God's goodness in your life. Write down key moments that you want to memorialize through your art.
Create: Use your artistic talents to create art that captures and conveys these stories. Be intentional in using your creativity to tell them in a way that is authentic and impactful.
Share: Display your art in a way that others can see and appreciate it. Use social media, galleries, or other platforms to share your art and the stories behind them. Consider how your art can inspire and encourage others, and share it with a wider audience.
Pass it on: Think about how you can pass down the legacy of faith through your art. Think about future generations and how your art can serve as a testimony of God's faithfulness for years to come.
💡 TIP OF THE WEEK:
🔍 Research and understand your audience: Consider the target audience for your art and research their preferences, interests, and needs. Understand their perspectives, cultures, and beliefs to create designs that not only tell your story but also resonate with them on a deep level. By understanding your audience, you can create designs that effectively communicate your intended message and make a meaningful impact.❓Q & A:
How do you tackle thoughts like “my designs are not that great”? —Ankit Andrew Paul
As a graphic designer, it's common to experience self-doubt and think that your designs may not be up to par. This feeling is particularly prevalent among those who are just starting out in the field. However, it's important to remember that this self-criticism is not necessarily negative. In fact, it aligns with what Ira Glass refers to as "the gap." This is what he says: (and always love to quote this whenever I get the chance, because this really changed my life, haha)
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” —Ira Glass
Thanks for this question Ankit. I hope this helps you get past this phase! Keep creating!
Brian Vee,
Founder, Indie Beginning
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read this a few days before going to camp. really, really timely for such a week as this! thank you so much for this. i'll surely think about this while serving the next generation at our camp. 🤍