The Artist and the Craftsperson
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way calls us to step out in faith and just create. We are following God’s example when we go about the work of creating. Cameron quotes American author Stella Terrill Mann who shared, “Every time we say Let there be! in any form, something happens.” God created the heavens and the earth so long ago. Shockingly, the new heaven and the new earth are created with humanity’s assistance.
We’ve been created to create. When we go about the work of creating, we become God’s craftspeople. The craftsperson cannot develop without the artist, but the artist isn’t as productive without the craftsperson. God is the Artist, and we should be honored to be the divine Artist’s craftsperson. It is more than being a helper or even an assistant. As craftspersons, we are a vital part of the creative process and creative product. Involving our talent is what God invites us to do and be, as we go about the work of creating.
Since you and I are God’s craftspersons, we cannot be allowed to diminish ourselves or our creations. That doesn’t mean that everything we create is a masterpiece, but it does mean everything we make has a purpose and builds toward something greater than ourselves. The minute you or someone else diminishes our creative offering, God is insulted. It is a personal insult to the divine One because God calls our creativity forth and encourages our creative processes.
Today, pray for God to give you the vision to embrace your calling as a Craftsperson of the Creator. At the beginning of each creative activity, pray before you begin. In the prayer, invite the Holy Spirit to be part of your creative activity. When you ask the Holy Spirit into your creative process, you practice the creative interrelationship between the divine Artist and the human Craftsperson. God will enhance your creative products, and you will bring the Divine into your life and your work – and into the eyes, ears, and souls of those who experience your creative work.
