Beauty

It was once said to me that there is no such thing as natural talent.  That every skill in the arts is something that you can learn with time. While I no longer believe this to be true, I used to. And after years of inner-struggle over this idea, all I now have to say to this is that no one taught my sister how to have a beautiful singing voice, or taught my dad how to be a painter and woodworker...no body taught me how to craft a photograph or taught my mom how to decorate...and certainly no one taught me, my sister and my brother how to draw.  In fact we were born that way...it came to us naturally, those gifts are instinctual....

It used to be that loving art and being creative caused me to have a dilemma in my life.  I always felt that I could draw and take photographs for a reason, that talents don't just happen to people, they are gifts.  However I always discredited myself for being the sensitive type.  Art doesn't make the world a better place, and everyone who says that is just using their talents as an excuse not to work a steady job.   I know that lots of people, whether gifted or not, are stuck in that kind of thinking.  Luckily I have a heavenly Father who made me who I am and has a plan for me to live out my life as a creative being.

Lately I've been learning a lot more about what God wants me to do with my artistic gifts.  How can I use them to better the world? How can I bless those around me? How can I be a better wife for my husband with them?

The answer is simple; be ready.  I never realized how crucial creativity is to the body of Christ.  If you read in Exodus 35, it reveals a most amazing story about God's plan in utilizing the imagination and skills of the artisans to decorate the temple and glorify Him.  They tithed with their gifts!  It paints a beautiful picture and biblically accounts for people who take after the creative side of God.  Exodus 35 states that art is a spirit of knowledge, and God handpicks those who he fills with that spirit.  We have a unique calling, fellow artists.  We help reinforce that nothing happens by chance, and that life was crafted by a skilled visionary.  We help to bring beauty to the world, and no one appreciates it more than He who made beauty.

So carry that with you and remember that God made you special in that way...God gave you such wonderful gifts to give life a golden hue.  No matter how we try to deny it, beauty is an important part of life.  Its those things that take our breath away that impact us the most.
Go forth armed with your bright shining gifts, and be the creator you were meant to be!


Love & Pretty Pictures,
Caryn