As a Christian, I believe that God has gifted all of us with some form of creativity. Since we were made in His image, and He is the first and best Creator, we all reflect that in some form or another.
So what do I mean when I say I co-create with the Divine Artist? What does it look like to me? I figured now’s the time to describe that process just a little bit.
I start each day plunging into scripture (and coffee haha!)…
Read MoreHey friends! Happy Friday!
If anyone out there had a tough week, a long week or maybe a long month, I wanted to share the top three ways I rejuvenate! After all, as many of you know, we just can’t pour from empty cups! I’m going to go through these and answer the “Why should I bother with this?” question too! If you’re like me, you want a good reason for why you’re trying something, right?
Read MoreGrowing up I was obsessed with art supplies. I still am. I would, and do, spend hours staring at pencils, paints, etc. But most of all, the thing that fascinated me was sketchbooks. I loved the idea of a special dedicated to my ideas brought to life. I loved closing it and keeping it private. I loved opening it and uncovering pages full of blank pages, itching to be filled…
Read MoreWhile painting this, I felt deeply just how wild life is.
One moment feels like total darkness and the next you’re swinging above it.
I’m reading through @levilusko ‘s Through the Eyes of a Lion and it struck me how resilient God made the human spirit. Of course, the thing about us that can do these mystifying miracles is the divinity with which He made us.
It is because we are crafted after His divine image..
The painting above was inspired by a photograph I saw recently. In the photo, a focused rider spurred his horse on towards freedom from the flames. Either only for himself or to go get help.
Either way, it got me thinking about freedom. Although we have a choice in the matter, we often fall victim to many things we have been freed from, even though there is a better option. Don’t agree with me? Have you promised yourself this week “I will not think badly about myself, or this person".” or “I’m going to wake up early” “I’m going to workout every day this week”? Only to when you are unable to, you beat yourself up and start the cycle over again?
How do you get free from such patterns?
Read MoreThis week, God used conversations, events and circumstances to show me something interesting.
He likes giving amazing gifts in disguise. I think He enjoys when we trust him enough to know no matter what happens, he is using it for our good (Romans 8:28).
I made a process video of the above painting here. The funny thing is, this painting even while creating it caused me issues. The paper ripped twice,
Read MoreIf you know me, you know I’m not a mom. So why am I writing this? Because I am a daughter of a mom, sister to two moms, daughter-in-law to a mom, sister-in-law to three moms, and best friend to moms. And you know what ticks me off? How Satan gets each of them to feel unqualified as a mom. I hate beyond anything that Satan makes them feel “mommy guilt” - they are amazing moms. “No, Lydia, I was a bad mom today” they have all said to me. “For pity’s sake,” I want to yell, “you are already an ALL-STAR mom simply because you CARE about not being perfect for your child!”
Also guess what?
Read MoreMy morning coffee routine never gets old. I feel as excited for the first sip each morning as if it did not happen every single day before. It struck me that my jubilee about my joe can sometimes become jumbled with my love of my Jesus. Thoughts like “well, I cant start my devotional time yet, I haven’t had my coffee.” It made me pause.
Reality check: that’s no good!
My relationship with Jesus is the best part of who I am. Without him, my artistic endeavors fall on their faces. Keeping my word? Nope. Kindness and patience? Out the window. Forgiveness? Definitely not. Nothing brings out those things in me except Him- no, not even coffee, haha.
Read MoreGifts. Talents. Innate abilities. We all have a few, even if we don’t call them that.
Some call it “a knack for.. x” I think it’s funny we do that. The Creator of the universe, who never makes mistakes, places a unique set of gifts inside of us. Instead of thankfully using them, we often hide them, reject them or jealously eye another person’s gift set. It’s akin to a little child with a pile of presents under the Christmas tree, all unopened, desperately trying to open up his sibling’s gifts instead.
Ever been there? I’d venture a yes. I know I have.
Read MoreTwo weeks ago I put on my entrepreneur’s hat to write. Today, I want to wear my scientist’s hat. Ever since I can remember, both art and science run together in my mind. If I had to guess, I would say being home-schooled by my physicist/engineer dad and art/poetry-loving mom had a great deal to do with that. In any case, the two sides appeared to be at war since I can remember. Numbers vs colors, rules vs rebellion, structure vs freedom: my brain and schedule reflected a split. I won’t bore you with the details here, but if you like that sort of thing, check out this post.
Anyways, my final thesis in graduate school took up the topic of degenerative brain diseases and how art promotes health and wellness in individuals with them. I wrote this while writing and illustrating a devotional. I was also working as an inpatient medical-surgical nurse during the early months of the pandemic. You could say I like a good challenge. More than that, though, I hope you could see how God still works miracles in all our lives today (seriously).
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