Most everyone has asked these questions:

• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• What should I be doing?

Artists in particular, from painters to musicians, may ask these questions regarding their gifts:

• Who am I as an artist?
• Why do I have this talent?
• What does God want me to do with it?

Navigating these questions might be frustrating when we don’t “hear” what God wants us to do with the gifts He’s given us. How do we know what route to take with our abilities?

Art Lessons from God is a great online spiritual resource that delves into these questions of gifting and calling. The web publication and discussion group were created with the purpose of helping artists and designers discover God’s purpose and plan for their artistic talent. The site was created by Tony Snipes of Kreative Kingdom, Inc. a non-profit faith-based art initiative.

Though the site is targeted toward visual artists it has much insight that could inspire artists of any type from writers and performers to musicians and filmmakers. Many of the topics explored can apply to a variety of arts, like “Anointed versus Talented: What’s the Difference?” to “Discovering a “God” idea vs a “Good” idea.” Often in our society we acknowledge the “how” regarding talents of individuals but may not always consider the deeper questions involved with “why.”

Click here to visit the Art Lessons From God website, www.artlessonsfromGod.com.

Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with Tony Snipes, founder of Art Lessons From God.

Here are some great past posts and discussions on the site, many of which could apply to a variety of arts:

- Anointed versus Talented: What’s the Difference?
Talent is defined as: “Natural endowment or ability of a superior quality”…

- God Never Commits to Talent
A pastor I knew mentioned this several years ago and, to me, it still is something I have to work on always…

- God’s 7 Principles of Artistic Purpose
These are the 7 principles that guide the you, the visual artist, into a relationship with the Spirit of God in order to give God access to the creative gift He placed within you…

- Artists Taking The Mystery Out of Hearing from God
How do you hear from God, especially concerning the purpose and use of your creative talent…

- Your Artistic Talent as a Weapon
Your creative ability has power… The enemy has no creative ability…

- The Artist’s Super Power: Seeing the Unseen
The ability to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear is an ability that most artists possess…

- Formula for Creating Art with Life Changing Results
Creating art that makes people “look” is one thing, but art that helps people “see” is on a totally different level. For the artist or designer that is a Christ-follower, this is not limited to “religious themed” works, but any art or design where the artist is guided by the Spirit of God…

- 3 Ways Artists & Designers Hear from God
How do you hear from God concerning your creative talent?

- Artists Becoming Able to Do What They Can’t Really Do
Think about a time when you were given the chance to do a creative project, commission or gig that was a pretty big opportunity. Now picture it as one of those projects that you knew would be almost too much of a challenge, be it skill, time, initial investment or whatever…

- Creative Level Most Artists & Designers Never Pursue
There is a level of creativity that many artists and designers have access to, but few attempt to pursue nor even believe exists…

- Artists: Discovering a “God” idea vs a “Good” idea.
There are two challenges that you face as an artist. One is the familiar challenge of not having a fresh idea or plan for the next creative project.
The other is even worse than that, yet not as evident. It’s having too many ideas and not moving significantly ahead on the right one

- Can You Lose Your Talent? 4 Ways To Revive It
I’ve spoken with many individuals who, once they discover that I’m an artist,
share the fact that they “used to be” an artist or “used to draw” as well…

Canvas is a community voting website that allows you to express yourself and glorify God through your art. The community will vote on t-shirt designs submitted by C28 Canvas members. The winning designs will be printed under the C28 Canvas Label in a limited run to be sold exclusively through C28.com. To join the community and submit your designs visit www.canvasthreads.com.

See two of the recent winning designs below, created by talented young artists, and view and purchase more winning designs at the Canvas store.

“Struggles of a Christian Artist: How to nurture your artistic soul” by Gary Nauman is a great article from Intervarsity Student Soul that talks about different ways to exercise and embrace the purpose of your artistic ability:

If you are an artist and a Christian, the odds are pretty high that you will be asked to make a poster for your church. (Okay, pass the tagboard and tempera powder!) When this happens to me, I find myself wishing that there were more ways for the church to use my artistic skills to bring God glory. Nonetheless, there are ways to find encouragement, inspiration and expression for your artist’s heart.

I am a Christian and an artist, and I care deeply about the contributions that we artists can make to the body of Christ. As Christians, our purpose — our “chief end” — is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. From our experiences as artists, we know that God has made us creative people who like to communicate and express ourselves visually. How can we bring glory to God through our artistic skills? And where do we find encouragement as Christian artists…

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Take time to reflect
• So where can you find encouragement and growth as a Christian artist?
• Do your art — and pursue what God has called you to pursue.
• Find a community that is committed to making art.
• Consider where you are in history and who God has made you to be. What does it mean to be a Christian and an artist in these times?
• In what ways are empathy, play, story, and the search for meaning part of your artistic make-up?
• What are you uniquely qualified to communicate?

Read the full article at Intervarsity.com.