“Like little children playing before Our Father”

An artistic work is a labor of love. An artist may delight in whatever medium they use, but that doesn’t mean the process of learning and doing it isn’t painful, grueling, and downright frustrating at times.

Maybe you don’t consider yourself an artist, or you don’t think your art is good enough for the public eye. No matter your relationship with art, Created: Bridging the gap between your art and your creator illustrates the importance of beauty, quality, and how art can give great glory to God.

In this book, 50 of some of the most well-known Catholic creatives answered this question: “If you could tell your fellow artists, makers, creators, and tinkerers anything, what are your first five words?” Many well-known leaders such as Bishop Robert Barron, Christopher West, and Dr. Peter Kreeft make their appearance, as well as those representing just about every artistic avenue out there: musicians, painters, filmmakers, actors, writers, podcasters, graphic designers, chefs, and more. Each artist then includes an image that captures their five words with a single page of text expanding the idea.

What follows is an eye-catching and thought-provoking breath of fresh air. In our world that values quick profit and production, it’s worth considering the value of artistic work. Is artistic expression only a path for the especially talented with enough discretionary time and resources? Is taking the time to become a good musician, actor, painter, writer, etc. worth the effort even when it provides no monetary gain and when there are a thousand other things we could be doing to be “more productive?” Is art a path that we all take, in some fashion, creating just as God created?

Doctor Eugene Gan, a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville was featured in this book saying, “Our Father, the divine Artist, with loving regard, passes on to each one of us a spark of His own surpassing wisdom, calling us, His kids, to share in His creative power. When we create with this worldview, a worldview that encompasses all human endeavors, we are better able to engage reality and express goodness and truth. We become custodians of beauty, and ultimately, we become more like Jesus, little children playing before Our Father.”

The first five words of the Bible are, “In the beginning, God created.” It’s the first thing God did. Every time we dip our brush in the paint, warm up our voices, practice our part for a play, we mirror in some way that original act of God.

Our world is starved for good art. More than sheer talent, to capture true beauty requires dedication to the craft, patience to overcome hardships and setbacks, and most importantly, an ability to see the beauty of God and reflect that in our work. All that is truly beautiful—grounded in truth and goodness—will echo his name. It is worth pursing that.

 “As Dostoyevsky wrote, beauty will indeed save the world,” said Greg Willits, author, podcaster, and artist, “but we as artists must be willing to stumble and crawl and seek the creative guidance of the Creator so as to bring forward the beauty that is His and His alone, even if through our own deficiencies. And it is through this beauty that the world will be drawn to Him. And by Him and His beauty, they will be saved.”

If you’ve ever had the desire to create something truly great, wish you were more creative, or simply have a love for beautiful images and ideas, spend some time reflecting on the encouragement and prayers collected here. God did not create a cheap world. He did not create cheap people. The fullness of his creation did not come without a sacrifice, and that’s part of what makes the story so beautiful.
 
Kristina Lahr is the assistant editor of New Earth.