Art Creativity

Lost Art and Creativity

Before my spirit was quickened (brought to life) by the Creator of Everything, I intuitively knew my spirit longed for more. I, like many others could sense the effect of the world around me on my spirit and the spiritual bondage my body, soul and spirit was under.

"When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure." Victor Frankl

The only thing that seemed to rejuvanate my being was seeing signs of something divine outside in nature, using music/games/fantasy as an idol or in occult practices (the self-help, spiritual, meditative, new-age sort) that teased my soul-plumbing. I sought the divine in relationships too. I devoured information, learning about soft addictions and dopaminergic pathways etc. thinking perhaps it was my neurochemistry that I needed to "reset". I learned about trauma, changed my diet to appease my conscience and be more healthy -- I even studied psychology, psychotherapies and developed a new kind of creative psychotherapy. Very quickly, other therapists wanted to learn these creative techniques.

All these soul 'bandages' had good effects because I got the body and soul bit right ... but it was still all spiritually empty so nothing truly fulfilled me. In fact, some of it even hindered me spiritually, an understanding only revealed in hindsight.

Creativity

Art can reflect what's happening within our being but the art I loved to see/create was the kind that appealed to or temporarily satisfied my spirit's search for that something bigger. Even art/visual beauty/nature had become an idol to me.

Why Do We Create in the First Place?

Humans are built to create! We create tools to survive, find better food and build better homes. We create to transcend and make real something that is invisible.

My earliest memory of disatisfaction with myself was when I tried to draw art as a small child. Although we might have the ability and intellect to create, it's a journey to learn the skills to become any kind of master. Like any creator, I loved the experience of getting in the flow. I believe the desire to be in flow, or getting into a state of effortless, joyous experience is something God has put in our soul. God uses those experiences to lead them to Him.

In the grand scheme of things, we're not like other creatures. Many creatures create amazing structures (e.g. the bower bird with its beautiful nest, the Japanese pufferfish with its underwater sand circle) or poetry in mating dances, birdsong etc., Unile other creatures though, humans are the only ones that can bring the invisible into this dimension.

God built everything to sing His praises but somehow, with humans, something went wrong and most completely forget God. Our creativity then gets hijacked by unGodly motivations and desires that are cut off from omnipotence, omnipresence and omnisentience. Instead of revealing the Kingdom of God to others, most literally sell out. Many well known artists speak about how they've sold their soul to "the Devil".

I believe God uses even a fallen creation for His grand purpose. We can know what this is when we seek Him.

Below is a sample of art made when I was still searching without God. Here's an article about creativity IN God.