Art

 

 

I’m so not athletic, no one asked me to perform the solo in choral assemblies, and I would much rather order take out than whip up a spontaneous creation in the kitchen. 

So I fell in love with art. 

I was praised in elementary school when my doodles of Spongebob actually resembled a cartoon, rather than a slice of bread.

Somewhere throughout the chaos of Junior high, I took on the observing role in place of the making role, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that except when I wanted to start creating, all of the artistic prodigies continued to excel. 

And then there was me, still proud of my spongebobs. 

 

I spent so much time comparing my work to the project of the kid next to me. 

If you’ve ever been to a gallery, you know that this is artistic suicide. 

Heaven knows Pollock’s work cannot be viewed in the same way as Monet’s.

                  

Jackson Pollock.                                            Claude Monet.

 

I got angry and upset, feeling a lack of talent, and eventually fell out of love with art. 

Which was probably one of the worst moves I could do. I lost something I had been so passionate about.

Then God gave me an opportunity that absolutely terrified me.

My church asked me to paint during a worship service.

On a Sunday morning. In front of everyone. In my paint clothes.

 

I spent the night before freaking out to my mum, explaining that I was probably going to make something only recognizable to a three year old. The entire ride to church was full of my prayers asking God what He was thinking asking me to do something like that. 

Then I remembered something I learned before.

All of art is based on something God already made. 

I can’t paint anything I haven’t seen or been inspired by that God did not make. 

I was painting something He already painted,

for Him, in my church’s worship service 

to praise God.

So I painted. My hands were shaking nearly the entire time, and I was in a ratty sweatshirt rather than a pretty dress. Still terrified that I was in front of everyone. 

It shouldn’t matter what the project of the kid next to me looks like,

I’m painting me, in my own style. 

My job creating art isn’t to make anything wonderful but to show how wonderful God is.