Taking Stock

Do you find that sometimes September is a time to look at the future?  More than at New Year?

I think it's to do with the school year starting in September in England.  Especially as the daughter of teachers, then as a pupil and as a teacher myself, and as a mother of a child at school, my year was regulated by term times and the new school year.  I haven't been ruled by that since Andy left school in 2005, but still September feels like the time to re-set.

I feel it's time to take stock of what I'm doing with this blog.  Obviously Covid has something to do with feeling unsettled.  I often blog about my holidays and workshops I've attended, and neither of these things are happening much just now.

I would really appreciate it if you would spend a few minutes replying to this blog in the comments when you've read my questions.

I write my blog for me.  It's a bonus that people read it - thank you.  However maybe now is the time to make it more focussed for your interests.

So what keeps you reading my blog?

Which of these topics would you like to see featured here?

Travel (when I can do it again!)
Days Out
Textiles
Mixed Media
Step by step photos of a piece of work
Challenges
Photos and photography
My faith
My Word of the Year and the journal that goes with it
How to make books
Other people's work
Posts about mental health issues

Is there anything else you would like to see not in the list?

And my last question. I post every week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Is that about right? Too many posts? 

I would really love you to reply in the comments below.  If you prefer to cntact me privately clik on Contact Me on the right of this page.

Thank you for joining me today.
Bernice

Faith & Creativity: Debby Hudson

Please welcome Debby Hudson today.

My husband and I are ordained ministers working with men in a residential recovery program. Walking the beaches of South Florida restores our soul. I find myself in many creative pursuits. I like my tea sweet and my music loud. If laughing were a sport I’d be a champion.

My hands are always busy. Doodling, writing, coloring, shooting photos, editing….it is a quiet busy but the eyes study, the hands move and the mind runs.

The first drawing I did that was recognized for some artistic ability was of a postal truck. I was in first grade and my drawing was chosen to be part of an exhibit at our local Sears store. I liked that my mom encouraged my interest in drawing. She never stopped.

"Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.” Titus 1:15 NLT

My art isn’t Christian. Or unChristian. Art is lessened by labels. It is an expression, an offering of sorts. More than that, it is, as Madeleine L’Engle says, “an effort toward wholeness”.

I push myself to try something new. To learn a new form or technique. To not become stagnant. The struggle isn’t with skill but with not being so critical of my work.

Another challenge for me is feeling there must be a purpose. Over the years I made more cross-stitch pictures than I had walls to hang or friends to give them to.

One year I was making paper mache Santa’s. Too many Santa’s or too few friends. And selling, while I did some of that, has never been my strong suit.

Now, it’s my computer filled with more and more photos thanks to the still life class I’m in and I ask myself, what am I going to do with this? Just let them sit on my computer? Make another photo book? How many watercolor pads can I fill with paintings? How many can I share with friends? There has to be some purpose in everything. I’m far too practical to be a real artist I think.

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Pablo Picasso

A friend reminded me that the purpose is in sharing. Sharing touches others. To bring a spark of joy, a smile or a laugh, at times maybe a tear. With social media, sharing our art is easier than ever.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
Edgar Degas

Realizing this has opened me up to see that art is broader than paint brushes and canvases. It goes beyond musical scores and skillful fingers flying across the keys of a baby grand piano.

“Art is communication.” Madeleine L’Engle

I would even ask you to consider what is the art in you?

Tone deaf? Can’t draw a stick figure? Do you have trouble threading a needle or every photo you take is blurry?

Look deeper. I believe that God who is the masterful Creator of the universe, has made us to share in his creative process. He’s put art in you.

Preston Yancy, who writes beautifully about his spiritual journey, finds a spiritual connection in making bread. I prefer buying it ready made. I don’t get the art he finds in this but I find beauty in knowing this is what God uses to draw him closer.

Not all art is public. Nor is all art made by those called artist. It’s definition can only be defined by what God puts in your heart.

To my husband, art is a well tended golf course.

Art is a smile, a child’s laugh.

It’s a new born baby and an aging woman helped to the sea by her daughter.

It’s a daughter sitting with her mother who doesn’t remember her and loving her anyway.

Art is the orchestra and the conductor.

Art is revealing little pieces of you in everything you write.

Art is hearing God’s voice and letting it mark your life in all you do.



Thank you Debby
You can find more from Debby online at
Blog: debbyhudson.com
Twitter: @debby_hudson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbyhudsoncreative

Faith & Creativity: Mary Brack

Today's guest is Mary Brack.

Mary is a wife and a mother to adult daughters and works in church outreach ministry. Creative pursuits of art journaling, blogging, photography, and hunting vintage items keep her sane. 


“In the beginning God created….the earth was formless and empty…” Genesis 1:1-2
God took nothing and created something.

”God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

We were created by a creative God who made us in His image to be creative also. When we create, we reflect the image of God, the Creator.

Through creative self-expression we become more of who we are and who God created us to be.

Erwin McManus, in his book The Artisan Soul, says,
"He who is the Creator God is the creative God, and he created us in his image and likeness. He created us with imagination and curiosity, with the capacity to hope and dream, and he placed within us all the material necessary to live an extraordinarily creative life. The proof is that more than anything else we are a soul, and that soul is the divine material with which we are made to create. The difference between humans and every other species on this planet is that humans are artists. This is our uniqueness - we were created to create."

For me, my creativity and my faith are very closely intertwined. In fact, in times of dryness, when I am experiencing a creative block, I generally find in looking back that I was experiencing a time of dryness spiritually also. Once my spirit is refreshed, I find that my creativity is refreshed as well.

Much of the time when I create, my ideas for art journal pages come from my time spent in God’s Word and in prayer. I may make a page that has a Bible verse on it, or a page that has a quote, or just a word or two. Those quotes and words may be spiritual or not, but they have all come about as a result of my time connecting with The Creator in prayer and in the Bible – it is all created from my soul.

Over the years that I have been art journaling and making mixed media art, certain symbols appear often in my art. They are not overtly religious or spiritual symbols yet they hold spiritual significance for me. Circles, for example, remind me that God is whole and eternal and I find my wholeness in living out who He created me to be. I have a love for birds and enjoy watching them. They appear often in my art simply because I enjoy them. But they also hold a place of significance for me. We went through many tough years and those times brought us to a deeper faith and a deeper place of trusting God for provision and care. Reading Matthew 6:25-34 during those hard times would help me keep my focus on God and remind me of His care for us and that in caring He would provide what we needed. So a bird became a symbol to me of God’s care and love and a reminder that I can trust and depend on Him.

Nature is another thing that appears often in my art journaling and in my photography. Time spent in nature, walking and taking photos, is a very sacred time for me. I see all that God has created, the beauty that it holds, and it is a time of worship and praise. Nature reminds us that we are finite beings who serve an infinite, mighty and merciful God.

So, whether you look at my art pages and see a verse of Scripture or simply a quote, those pages reflect who I am in Christ. They reflect my journey and my heart. Many symbols on my art pages, while not speaking directly to the observer, reflect the ways God has transformed me and the ways He has made Himself known in my life.

Thanks Mary.
Find Mary's faith explorations of life and art at Found on Brighton.

Faith & Creativity: Valerie Sjodin

The second guest post in the series on Faith & Creativity comes from Valerie Sjodin, a longstanding guest contributor to my blog and the art challenges.


I am an artist, workshop facilitator, and certified spiritual director. My passion is encouraging people to connect with God through creativity. Teaching Art Journaling and Art & Faith workshops in person and online are ways I live out that passion and connect with other like-hearted people. My hope is to inspire people to believe in their creative ability, and to connect with God through the creative process. Taking time to listen and respond to God through art making is a natural part of my life and faith journey, a combination of being and doing, a collaboration and conversation with God. I am blessed to be living an artful life in Hillsboro Oregon, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband Keith. We have three grown married children and four grandchildren.

When Bernice asked me to write a guest post about how my faith and creativity interact, and then quoted one of my favorite books, Walking on Water, by Madeleine L’Engle, I knew it was a good fit. To be honest, I can’t separate my faith and creativity. I believe every person is creative because we are all created in God’s image, the Great Creator. For me personally, painting and praying often go hand in hand. When I paint, I find myself praying, listening, yearning for more of God in my life. The subject I paint or draw may or may not be overtly “Christian.” I don’t really like the term “Christian” artist, musician, writer etc. I believe if a person’s heart is intent on following Jesus, and creating from the heart, then what the person makes will reflect Jesus, no matter what the subject matter. Basically, what’s in comes out and because God’s creativity is unlimited, the Holy Spirit can speak through so many things in addition to the Bible, such as nature, beauty, the golden mean, color, people, story, etc. I love how Jesus used stories to explain truth, expose the heart of the hearer, with an invitation to encounter God. He approached individual people differently, often defying the cultural norms.

The limitless creativity of God inspires me to trust Him more, to risk creating outside my box, and to learn new things, therefore improving my skill. Sometimes I know what I am creating and have a plan. Other times, I just start painting or doodling. Knowing God loves me helps me to give myself permission to make mistakes instead of judging my falling short as failure. God speaks to me through the process regardless of the product.

If I had to reduce my faith and creativity down to one word, it would be GRACE: experiencing God’s unearned goodness. Grace is the God given ability to grow and flow with the Holy Spirit and do the impossible, to overcome and accomplish the purposes of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want more of that!

Faith, like art-making, often requires stepping out without knowing exactly what the outcome will be. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

This painting hung around my studio for months, and I would work on it now and then. I needed to paint something without a deadline or expectations. I started it as a prayer of longing to hear God and follow. I painted by faith, not knowing what it would look like. I started with color and without a plan. It wasn’t until it was finished that I knew what it meant to me: “The Beginning” when the Spirit of God hovered over the waters creating.

Most of the things I’ve learned about art making require experimenting, risking what I perceive as failure. No matter what the outcome, I move on as a more educated and experienced artist. In faith and in art, sometimes I just trust God as we walk through the process. In this season of life, I am challenged to hold on to God closer and harder than ever while trying to let go of my expectations and outcomes.

I cannot imagine my life without my faith in Christ and I cannot imagine my life without art-making. It seems like I’ve only scratched the surface of faith-filled creative expression. So exciting!

Cheers to you and your grand creative faith-filled adventure!



Thank you Valerie .
Find out more about Valerie's art and online line classes on her website.

Faith & Creativity: Susan Mulder

Welcome to the first in a new series on Faith and Creativity. Let me introduce you to Susan Mulder who I met on a retreat in Fremont, Ohio earlier this year.

An award winning, classically trained artist, Susan works in multiple media including oils, sculpture, installation and encaustics. After receiving her MFA in painting from Kendall College of Art and Design, Susan has served as an executive director for an arts organization, taught at the collegiate level, designed and led workshops for regional arts organizations, colleges and conferences and has spoken at national conferences on arts related topics including arts and entrepreneurship and religion/spirituality in art. She currently resides in Western Michigan with her husband and enjoys spending time with her growing family, reading, writing and creating.

Anomoly, 2017, 60"h x 40"w, oil & mixed media on linen

Susan Mulder: Christian Art
If you ever want to have an awkward conversation with an artist, bring up “Christian Art”. I don’t think I have ever had one that wasn’t filled with strong opinions on either side-there seems to be no middle ground. This may have to do with the fact that it is incredibly difficult to nail down what the term “Christian Art” means. Some believe it is religious art, some see it as spiritual art; but one thing we can all agree on is that it is difficult to agree.

I’ll begin by defining the terms religious and spiritual, as I will use them, because I believe there is a distinct difference in their application in regards to the nature of art. Religious represents a more didactic turn in which the work exhibits characteristics of ‘telling’. It is obvious in it presentation and leaves little room for interpretation on the viewers part. A good example would be images of the crucifixion, biblical stories and almost any image that contains a visage of Christ. Spiritual, on the other hand, is more enigmatic. The content is less direct and may be parabolic in nature, distinctly indiscernible as specifically spiritual in nature and can serve as an extension of the artists spiritual inclinations.

How this applies in my own work has been a journey. Long before I had any formal training I had an idealistic viewpoint when it came to the role of religion/spirituality in art. As an artist and a Christian I believed that I was called to be deliberate in my choice of subject matter and have a moral punch line for each piece. I worked with my church to bring about a better understanding for the role an artist could play-besides merely watering plants-in both the worship space and the worship experience. While this fed my creative nature it left me feeling constrained and, at times, not much more than a propagandist for leadership. In my attempts to create ‘good Christian art’ I was operating under the misnomer of what, I thought at the time, Christian art should be.

When I returned to complete my degrees I walked away from any idea of creating work with religious or spiritual implications. I was heavily vested in conceptual interpretations and often imbued my work with densely layered philosophical underpinnings-which I loved. I still love deeply hidden meanings in my work but the difference now is that the meaning really only applies to what happens in the creation process-which I’ll touch on in a moment. I have an undergraduate and graduate degree in painting and also work with installation, sculpture and dabbled in performance work. While working on my undergraduate degree I undertook a course of study that led me down the path of researching religion and spirituality that carried through into my graduate work. I was fortunate to have a professor who supported me (she was an art history prof.) and allowed me to spend a concentrated course of independent study that included seminary courses at an outside institution and the production of a lengthy thesis on the role of religion and spirituality within the context of contemporary art.

Pour Some Sugar on Me, 2011, 72" x 72", oil, mixed media on canvas

Following the completion of my MFA my art has undergone several permutations and, at one point, the complete suspension of any work at all. I walked away from creating for a period of about three years because I could find no reason to continue to paint. It wasn’t an existential crisis of any sort it was in response to a fresh calling to let go of everything. My personal life, my work and my spiritual life were in a season of deep transitions and when I finally went back to my work I found that the old ways of creating were of no use to me. Concept felt empty and I was forced to reevaluate what it meant for me to create.

The work I now began felt directionless but more necessary than what I had previously done. I discovered that when I was in my studio I entered into a space where I was finding a deeper expression than I had previously known. It was as if all of the training I had undergone had peeled off and I was painting from a place that lacked a definitive explanation. I couldn’t tell you the why of it, I only knew it was what I was supposed to do. That doesn’t mean I erased what I had learned-I still have a conceptual foundation based on ideas that have clung to my work all along-I just didn’t rely on knowledge but more on spirit. My work became more intuitive, abstract and, ultimately, satisfying.

It also became more spiritual. Not in the physical manifestation itself but in its creation. In my studio I encountered a kind of communication with God than I could not find anywhere else. As I worked, I found I would ease into a sense of suspended time-a kairos. I poured out my frustrations, my prayers and soul longings without the use of words. Would I call the work I am doing now ‘good’ within the context of the contemporary arts culture? Probably not. This said, the work I do now is infinitely more valuable to me as a person-it possesses meaning and purpose in a way my previous work did not.

My understanding and appreciation of the role of religion and spirituality has evolved. I use to argue the intrinsic necessity in application of both within the context of the contemporary art world. Through the experience of how my own development as an artist has transpired, I have come to value one over the other. The larger argument of religion and spirituality in art has roots that date back all the way to the reformation but I will speak only from where I stand at this point. My work itself is neither Christian nor non-Christian. It is certainly not religious but could be categorized as more spiritual - but, being abstract it can be argued that it is neither. It possesses qualities that only express themselves through individual interpretations. No one comes to a work of art without bringing their own experiential narratives to the interpretation process and, therefore, the work will be defined not by whatever intent I put into it but rather what they bring to it themselves.

Bookend, 2017, 24" x 24", oil & mixed media on carft fabric

Thank you very much Susan for your contribution to our discussion on Faith and Creativity.  Thank you for telling us about your experiences and your thought processes in creating your art.

Next time: A guest post from Valerie Sjodin

More exciting news

What word is God giving you in 2015?

His Kingdom Come will be leading our members in Logos365 during 2015.

His Kingdom Come believes that there is great power in the Word of God. Many people choose one word that represents what they want to see more of in their life during a year. There are websites and books dedicated to this. New Year resolutions come and go very quickly, but this process is allowing God to work in your life and for your focus to become His word for you that lasts an entire year in your life. People choose this word through thoughts or through a word occurring in their reading or devotion time that “speaks” to them. At His Kingdom Come we believe that God will guide us to what he wants to see more of in our lives during the year.

The logos365™ project is our way of finding your word through prayer, bible study and reflection. What do you do with your logos365™? You live with it, you invite it into your life, and you let it speak to you. You follow where it leads you. Your logos365™ is not some promise you will keep for the rest of the year to be better. The intent of your word is that it will become a part of your for the rest of your life. Your word builds upon each other each year, and springs forth from the places you feel you left off from your previous word. Each word you choose builds upon each other as God’s heart becomes embedded in your character. So, the question is

As you consider selecting a word for yourself this year, remember there is no right or wrong choice. Words like abide, abundance, obey, expect, prayer, surrender, delight, submit and listen can be a very powerful experience as you allow God to guide you in your word. This happens in your daily life, in prayer, relationships and bible study.

So how do you find your logos365™? Feel free to use the self- assessment tools posted at His Kingdom Come in the logos365™ group to help you identify your word and to set some personal goals around your word. If you have participated in a one word program before choose the logos365™ returning student worksheet, or if you are totally new to the process use the logos365™ new student worksheet.

To make logos365™ real in your life, consider keeping a logos365™ journal, or creating a scrapbook or a photo book. Keeping a journal throughout the year is crucial to making this word project not just a new year’s resolution, but a change in your walk - a transformation! If you are participating in the take me deeper process, then you can incorporate your logos365™ into your journal. If you are not participating in the take me deeper process here are some logos365™ suggestions.

Go deeper

Find out how logos365™ will impact your daily life

And draw you closer to the person God wants you to be

Will you walk out in faith with us in 2015 and live by your logos365™?

Come and have fun, faith and friendship for free at His Kingdom Come!

Join us at His Kingdom Come and sign up for the logos365™ group.

Exciting News

His Kingdom Come is so excited to announce the preparations are done and we are ready to launch.

Take Me Deeper™ is a free weekly journey at His Kingdom Come beginning Friday, January 2 2015. Take Me Deeper™ will be a weekly devotional and verse that will prompt us to spending time in His word. It is about each of us encouraging, sharing and studying the word.

Each week you will get the opportunity to translate bible study into art- mixed media, a journal, a photograph, or a digital page, poem, music. Every Friday HKC will post a verse, devotional, worship video and examples of how we interpreted the bible study in our art. We pray that these 52 weeks will change how you approach, engage and apply God’s word in your life and art. At the end of the year regardless of how many weeks your participated, you will have created a legacy of the faith walk. This legacy will show you how God has moved in your life!

Who can join?
We welcome anyone who wants to take their faith walk deeper into understanding God’s Word and deeper into their creativity. We will begin on January 2nd, but you can join at any time during the year. You can’t be “behind” since this is about your personal journey with God and your creativity. The community at His Kingdom Come will walk with you, support and encourage you!

Where will the devotionals be?
Posts will be on the HKC site and on the HKC Facebook Page.

Where can I share and discuss my preferred art medium?
Discussions will be across all the art mediums, so feel free to check out each art group for ideas, questions, suggestions and creative ideas.

So how do I start?
First, become a member of His Kingdom Come. It is free and the first step in accessing all the creativity on the site. Beginning December 2014, HKC will have suggestions for making a journal, decorating a journal, what journal to use, and supplies to gather.

If I am doing other projects, can I incorporate them into Take Me Deeper?
Yes, if you are part of the Journaling Bible community, or any other art community or project, you can mesh all the projects together. Take Me Deeper will assist you in reading your bible, understanding God’s word, and helping you learn how to express your God-given creativity.

What about One Little Word or My One Word? How does that fit into this process?
So glad you asked! Part of Take me deeper will be the opportunity to participate in Logos365™- finding the word God gives you to focus on for an entire year. Logos365™ will be a component of Take Me Deeper. We will offer a worksheet for you to use to discover your logos365™, discussions about how to identify your logos365™ and how to live your logos365™ out through the year. Then, monthly Logos365™ prompts will initiate discussions about how you are doing living your word.

Go deeper

Find out how 52 weeks will change how you

Approach

Engage

& apply God’s word

52 devotions

52 verses

52 art projects

Will you walk out in faith with us in 2015 and go deeper?

Come and have fun, faith and friendship for free at His Kingdom Come!

Join us at His Kingdom Come and sign up for the Take me Deeper group.