“Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” - Leonardo da Vinci
As we approach our first inaugural “Art Benefit” here at CCM, I thought it appropriate to take a closer look at the “benefit of Art.” With the season of spring here, it’s easy to observe the evidence of God’s creative handiwork all around us. God is a creative God. He is the ultimate Artist!
The first attribute we are reminded of in Scripture is this: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God is a creative God and as those created in His image, we are the ONLY part of His creation that also have the ability to create. Have you ever thought about that? We all have the ability to create and express creativity in so many ways!
God created you in His image. We are to reflect God’s attributes to those around us. He designed you to be creative just like He is. Could you imagine our world without creative people? There would be no inventors, actors, musicians, poets, chefs, scientists, teachers, coaches or authors, etc. Creative people have changed the course of history through divine inspiration.
One of my favorite examples of God’s hand on His artist is the story of a young woman writer who, in the winter of 1851, sat in a church pew praying for inspiration. She had been asked to write a fictional story about the evils of slavery in America. As she prayed she had a vivid vision of an old slave being brutally beaten and how the slave was then able to forgive his abusers and prayed for the salvation of their souls.
The writer, Harriet Beecher Stowe, used this vision to inspire her writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which ignited the antislavery sentiment in the North. Her book was later credited for being pivotal in ending slavery in this country.
God has given us all an imagination. He has given each one of us talents and gifts. Paul, in the book to the Ephesians, reminds us that “we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for each of us to do”. Consequently, we are all artists and art can be done by everyone. We are endowed with both the ability and desire to create. In short, we are artists because He is an artist. Without the ability to create we would only exist. Have you found your creative outlet to express what words cannot say?
“Art is a wound turned into light.” - Georges Braque
On another level, God has used creativity in counseling and therapeutic settings. Sometimes when we cannot verbalize our thoughts and emotions, we can express them through our God-given creative outlets.
The use of Art Therapy, creative writing, poetry, music and dance can become a powerful connection between spirituality, our souls and God our Creator. When creative techniques are skillfully allowed to enter into the therapeutic space, it has been proven to enhance transformation and healing.
“Art making has the ability to move people along their journey of grief and loss into a more balanced place of healing and hope. In the face of tragedy, the creative process can help recalibrate a mourner’s life.” - The Chandler Gallery at Maud Morgan Arts
As believers in Christ, we first seek to share the message of ultimate healing through trusting Christ. However, for those whose trust is shattered by severe emotional or physical trauma, trust must first be rebuilt, and creative expression offers a means to begin that rebuilding process.
CCM is striving to be a place where clients can express that which has escaped expression. A place where hope and trust in Christ can grow and where ultimate emotional healing can be achieved.
Please come and join us June 2nd and 3rd and observe the amazing artwork contributed by local artists to benefit our scholarship program. Not only will you contribute to helping future clients by purchasing a piece of art, but hopefully you will also be inspired and find your own artist within.
Written by Patricia Millen, MA
Tetelesti Creations