Wise-Hearted Ones: 3 Frameworks to Survive and Thrive As An Artist
In our series on the Wise-Hearted Ones, we’ve seen how God holistically provides His people with everything they need to serve in the areas He calls them to. God’s gifts of creative and spiritual knowledge and skill provided Bezalel with the practical means to live out his calling, but they were tethered to real human needs that God also met.
A Community of Support
Our best creative work and growth is done in community, not outside it. Though God does send his servants on solo missions, singular callings are not lived out alone. Consider Oholiab, Bezalel’s assistant, or the cohort of artisans who were ready to labor and learn. Hundreds of patrons were moved to give of their own means to see the work complete. All of this had the sign off and encouragement of Moses and Aaron, too.
We can’t create in a vacuum. To reach our full potential as artists, we need to invest in our relationships with God and those He has placed around us. While it may be more comfortable to work in solitude, true growth can’t be accomplished in isolation. Character development is proved in community. If God has truly called artists to engage in prophetic imagination, our voice needs to listen and learn from a variety of perspectives before it can speak the language needed. A well-honed, community-forward position enables us to lift up other artists, too.
A Framework and Structure in Which to Live & Work
God created us with a need for community and spiritual formation. In both Exodus 31 and 35, the calling of the Wise-Hearted Ones is immediately preceded or followed God’s reminder:
“You must observe my Sabbath. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” - Exodus 31:13
God commands us to observe the Sabbath; it’s a non-negotiable. Rather than an arbitrary rule, keeping the Sabbath meets both our need for God’s presence and restoring rest from our work. Just as creativity wanes without quiet reset, our clarity about God’s will is sustained by abiding in Him. It’s a blessing that God commands us to stop!
Regular, daily rhythms of faithful spiritual practice are the trellis upholding the convictions, principles, and ethics that intimately inform our creative vision. To stay rooted, focused, and emboldened in our work, soul craft and artistic craft must go hand-in-hand.
Teach & Lead Others
Have you ever considered your role as an artist to be one of leadership? This, too, is a gift God bestows on the Wise-Hearted ones, equipping them to mobilize, encourage, and mentor others.
Bob Johansen of the Institute of the Future identifies our culture’s need for leaders that inspire hope. In 2017, he predicted that the direction the future takes depends on whether young people are hopeful or hopeless. As we see how lack of vision affects our society today, the need for artists to herald a new imagination is being rediscovered. For the first time in a while, it’s like the artists are getting their jobs back!
As James K. A. Smith puts it, “artists are our apologists.” Through committed community engagement, the practice of spiritual liturgies, and the power of a living hope, we can be emboldened to lead others in meeting the broader culture’s longing for deeper meaning and a better story. Listen to 3 Frameworks to Survive and Thrive As an Artist>
Be. Make. Do. is an educational podcast with a conversational format that conveys the foundation of the soul|makers path. To prepare the next generation of culture makers, Lisa Smith shares her unique perspective gained from over 20 years of mentoring and ministering to artists. In addition, the podcast explores some of the big (and sometimes controversial) topics that come with being an artist of faith.
Host Lisa Smith received her BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and worked as a professional actor for many years before attending seminary. Seeking a way to merge her calling as an artist and a person of faith, Lisa went on to receive her MTS degree from the John Leland Seminary in Arlington, VA. She teaches classes at the John Leland Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Virginia Theological Seminary on the subjects of worship, theology and arts. Lisa is currently working on the soul|makers curriculum to equip artists to serve as prophetic critics and imaginative visionaries in the world.
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