Being an Artist Is My Spirit Animal

Okay, maybe that’s not exactly how the Bible says it. But being an artist really is a big part of who I am. Give me a camera, a sketchbook, a blank page, a beautiful piece of light, or a walk through the woods, and I’m a happy guy.

Being an artist is so deeply wired into who I am that it feels instinctive.

I notice things.

The way sunlight hits a tree. The strange shape of a branch. A cloud that looks like it shouldn’t be there. The colors of a sunset.A face. A story. A moment.

One of the gifts of being creative: you learn to pay attention.

Maybe that’s part of what God intended.

The first thing we see God doing in Scripture is creating.

Light.
Water.
Land.
Plants.
Animals.
People.

Our God is a Creator and we’re made in His image.

Perhaps our desire to make, imagine, photograph, paint, write, build, compose, design, and tell stories isn’t accidental.

Creativity is one of the ways we reflect Him.

That’s why I don’t think we should be embarrassed by our creative side.

Make something.

Take the photograph. Write the story. Paint the picture. Plant the garden. Sing the song. Notice the beauty.

And give thanks to the One who made it all possible. After all, we’re just reflecting the creativity of the Original Artist.

And that’s a pretty good spirit animal to have, in my opinion.