It took me a while to come up with what to write for this article. After a full of week of University, finishing up a few assessments, I felt all dried up and had not much energy to write anything else. Usually my mind is racing with ideas of what I’d like to write but I was experiencing writers block!
I'm sure many creatives experience this problem some point in their creative journeys. And so, I wondered what they do when they can't seem to break down the walls that are blocking their mind from creating beautiful art. And suddenly, it came to my attention that we, as Christians, can look to God for our inspiration.
Ask God for big ideas
When wondering what to write I reached to the bible looking for some inspiration. I gazed at the beautiful descriptions and word pictures that God breathed out in divine creativity. God is a wonderful artist, the very best and so it only seems right that we turn to him when we are about to create art. How God wrote the bible is truly inspiring.
The pages are filled with important detail, profound wisdom, links between stories and unique plot lines and characters. He spoke every word with purpose and vision. He knew what he had in mind for the whole book before he even began! What an artist to follow.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm chapter 8, verse 3 to 4). When we look at this verse we see how huge God’s creation and creativity is! There’s a whole universe out there full of His awesome ideas. Therefore, He’s surely got some ideas to help us in our creativity.
God's got big ideas and is super creative! Who else is better than He to give inspire us with new ideas. He has made all things with such diversity and imagination. It’s a mystery to how He thought of everything! We only need go for a short walk down the road and be inspired by the beauty around us. The complexities in all the different types of flowers alone could lead to hours of pondering and many different forms of art.
Look to the Jesus when making art
There is always something to discover about the story Christ. The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus is a story with still many pages unknown. Many commentators, pastors, theologians and scholars have spent years digging into the depths of the wonderful mystery. So why can't Christian artists do the same?
Whether it's a song, video, journal article or painting we can look to Jesus and his story to guide us in our God inspired art. Many of the puritans wrote so eloquently and thoughtfully about Jesus' life, death and resurrection. They often used word pictures and profound analogies that cut to the heart. If only I could write like that I say to myself! But I can, if I seek to know Jesus and his story. If I dwell on the richness of it, the creativity behind the mystery of it and the awe it creates.
Samuel Rutherford wrote, “Put the beauty of ten thousand worlds of paradises, like the Garden of Eden in one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all loveliness, all sweetness in one. O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it would be less to that fair and dearest well-beloved Christ than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and foundations of ten thousand earths.”
My art, whether in pen or paint or any other medium, can never match the awesomeness of the greatest artwork of all - Jesus. But I hope to portray a small glimpse, a small stroke, a small chord or note that can turn people to him and give my art the greatest purpose - which is being a work that glorifies Christ.
So next time you have writers block or painters block turn to God and turn to his son for inspiration.
Renee Jenner resides in Sydney, Australia and is currently in her third year of studying Social Work. She is the first born of home-base missionary parents whose ministry has made a huge impression on her heart. She always writes from the soul to the soul, desiring to encourage readers to enjoy God, relax in His goodness and spread His love to the utmost parts of the earth. She loves a good cuppa with a deep, thoughtful conversation. You can find her other writings at renee.jenner.wordpress.com