Kathrin: I have a tendency to be anxious, so I’ve been trying to learn to rest in Him. I have a tendency to be anxious about this — what if I can’t create art anymore? What if I lose my identity or relevance as an artist? So, I’ve been trying to learn to find rest in Him. Psalm 127 is one of my favourite psalms because it serves as a reminder that everything that we are and everything that we do or create come from Him. We don’t need to be anxious about anything, as long as we are rooted in Him.
Nelson: I would place Him first in every decision I make.
Before becoming Christian, I wanted to create art to entertain people. I was focusing only on getting attention, and feel accomplished if my artwork gets many likes–even if they are based on explicit shows that are currently trending.
Since becoming Christian, I’ve learned to ask myself; “Am I tempting my brothers and sisters in Christ through my artwork?” and ultimately; “Am I glorifying God through my artwork?” The world can see whatever we create and put out there, so we need to think twice about the impact of our art.
Brian: Sometimes we think it’s either/or, and we have to choose either one [being a child of God or being an artist]. But when we understand that our identity as artists is derived from our identity as children of God, it becomes enriched.
As for me, I believe my identity is a creative who gets my fill from the Holy Spirit. It’s not a bad thing to focus on your identity as an artist, as long as you understand that we were created that way in the likeness of our creative God.
Kathrin: I have a tendency to be anxious, so I’ve been trying to learn to rest in Him. I have a tendency to be anxious about this — what if I can’t create art anymore? What if I lose my identity or relevance as an artist? So, I’ve been trying to learn to find rest in Him. Psalm 127 is one of my favourite psalms because it serves as a reminder that everything that we are and everything that we do or create come from Him. We don’t need to be anxious about anything, as long as we are rooted in Him.
Nelson: I would place Him first in every decision I make.
Before becoming Christian, I wanted to create art to entertain people. I was focusing only on getting attention, and feel accomplished if my artwork gets many likes–even if they are based on explicit shows that are currently trending.
Since becoming Christian, I’ve learned to ask myself; “Am I tempting my brothers and sisters in Christ through my artwork?” and ultimately; “Am I glorifying God through my artwork?” The world can see whatever we create and put out there, so we need to think twice about the impact of our art.
Brian: Sometimes we think it’s either/or, and we have to choose either one [being a child of God or being an artist]. But when we understand that our identity as artists is derived from our identity as children of God, it becomes enriched.
As for me, I believe my identity is a creative who gets my fill from the Holy Spirit. It’s not a bad thing to focus on your identity as an artist, as long as you understand that we were created that way in the likeness of our creative God.
Kathrin: Stories are very powerful–even Jesus and C. S. Lewis used that format–to tell the story of God’s word.
I like storytelling that doesn’t show aspects of Christianity in a direct way, as it opens more doors to share about the faith to non-Christians. For instance, a lot of non-Christian bought and read Shadow Stories’ zines. We never know how God can use the artworks to touch their hearts. Pray the story could reach and even strengthen Christians and non-Christians alike.
Nelson: Believe what you’re drawing–that’s what you hold on to.
At first I’m afraid people might think that I’m sharing too much, or my life doesn’t synchronise with what I share. Once I actually experienced the love of God, I wanted to let others experience it too!
Nowadays, there’s too many opinions on social media, but what does the Bible have to say about these things? While I’m not good at explaining or defending my faith on social media, I can always share related content and let people read about it themselves.
Brian: How many of you have watched a movie that was so beautiful and it had a message that changed your life, and your response is to share it with everyone you know? That applies to the gospel as well.
First of all, we need to understand the weight and power of the gospel that you’re carrying. If our hearts break for the people who have not yet heard the message, then we can boldly share what we know.
Creating artwork that reveals God’s character doesn’t always have to involve imagery that is openly Christian–it can also show the intangible things such as the excellence of God, authenticity, etc.
Trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to touch lives even if it’s not openly evangelistic. Create something so excellent that people will believe in God through it.
Kathrin: Stories are very powerful–even Jesus and C. S. Lewis used that format–to tell the story of God’s word.
I like storytelling that doesn’t show aspects of Christianity in a direct way, as it opens more doors to share about the faith to non-Christians. For instance, a lot of non-Christian bought and read Shadow Stories’ zines. We never know how God can use the artworks to touch their hearts. Pray the story could reach and even strengthen Christians and non-Christians alike.
Nelson: Believe what you’re drawing–that’s what you hold on to.
At first I’m afraid people might think that I’m sharing too much, or my life doesn’t synchronise with what I share. Once I actually experienced the love of God, I wanted to let others experience it too!
Nowadays, there’s too many opinions on social media, but what does the Bible have to say about these things? While I’m not good at explaining or defending my faith on social media, I can always share related content and let people read about it themselves.
Brian: How many of you have watched a movie that was so beautiful and it had a message that changed your life, and your response is to share it with everyone you know? That applies to the gospel as well.
First of all, we need to understand the weight and power of the gospel that you’re carrying. If our hearts break for the people who have not yet heard the message, then we can boldly share what we know.
Creating artwork that reveals God’s character doesn’t always have to involve imagery that is openly Christian–it can also show the intangible things such as the excellence of God, authenticity, etc.
Trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to touch lives even if it’s not openly evangelistic. Create something so excellent that people will believe in God through it.
Kathrin: Style is not something you have instantly, and it’s maybe even an overrated word. Rather, style is dynamic and constantly changing. We can develop a style by copying other artists’ compositions, colour choices, etc. Ultimately, the sum of all these influences will turn into our own authentic style, and even then, this style will continue to grow as we grow.
Nelson: I decided to move back to Tawau after working in Kuala Lumpur for 2 years. Surprisingly, I didn’t manage to save any money, and I only had RM200 left in my bank account. That time I was so scared, I didn’t dare to ask my parents for money.
I realised that at the start, I undervalued myself–I would spend lots of time on projects, but didn’t get paid fairly for them. How I look at it right now: I would charge accordingly, and if a client doesn’t like my quotation, just let them go and trust that God will lead you to something better.
I’ve come to learn that obeying and trusting God is the key. Pray to Him, tell Him your worries and trust that He cares! I believe God wants to see how I handle fear and worries when I have no jobs at hand – to see that I can feel peace knowing that, even then, He is in control.
Put Him first, and everything else will fall into place – I have seen this fulfilled many times over the course of my career. In fact, I got my first freelance job through a sister in Christ–it was for UNICEF Malaysia. Praise God, I am still working for them right now.
Brian: As creatives, the fear of running out of ideas / being empty is a constant giant in our lives. However, when we understand that we serve a God who can create something out of nothing, and we can freely tap into that creative power, then the fear of creative blocks and running out can be extinguished.
What I learned through 10 years–creativity at its core can be as simple as putting things together. We’re putting ideas/materials together, so as long as there’s material out there, there will be an abundance of things to create.
One thing I do is to create a swipe file to compile ideas. Sometimes God drops an idea into your mind, and we’ll think, “I’m not gonna write that down coz I’ll remember it when I need it,” but we really won’t. Having a swipe file helps you organise and remember these ideas you’ve had but haven’t had the time or energy to work on. That way, you’ll always have something to work on.
Brian: As creatives, the fear of running out of ideas / being empty is a constant giant in our lives. However, when we understand that we serve a God who can create something out of nothing, and we can freely tap into that creative power, then the fear of creative blocks and running out can be extinguished.
What I learned through 10 years–creativity at its core can be as simple as putting things together. We’re putting ideas/materials together, so as long as there’s material out there, there will be an abundance of things to create.
One thing I do is to create a swipe file to compile ideas. Sometimes God drops an idea into your mind, and we’ll think, “I’m not gonna write that down coz I’ll remember it when I need it,” but we really won’t. Having a swipe file helps you organise and remember these ideas you’ve had but haven’t had the time or energy to work on. That way, you’ll always have something to work on.
Kathrin: Sometimes we tap a lot into our emotional states (both good and bad) when we create art. I have a habit of journaling. Wherever I go, I will jot down ideas and draw whatever I’m thinking or feeling. I’ll just dump everything into the journals, then look back on them to see if I can develop any of the ideas into an artwork. To recharge, I would also read God’s Word and reflect on it, as well spend time with my family.
Nelson: It’s okay to do nothing. Don’t rush a creative timeline. It’s okay to pause a while and take your time to digest what you need to do. Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to be productive all the time and it doesn’t help. Take rest when you need to. Do things you enjoy, like having fellowship with friends, going on a hike and treating yourself to a good meal.
Brian: I believe that when our passion is unregulated, it can lead to burnout. There are three things that I think could help regulate our passion. First one is to learn to say no when you can’t do something (behind every ‘no,’ there is a deeper ‘yes’). Second one is to practise the Sabbath. Finally, learn to create from a place of overflow. If you are constantly squeezing water out of rock, eventually you’re creating out of an empty shell.
Kathrin: Sometimes we tap a lot into our emotional states (both good and bad) when we create art. I have a habit of journaling. Wherever I go, I will jot down ideas and draw whatever I’m thinking or feeling. I’ll just dump everything into the journals, then look back on them to see if I can develop any of the ideas into an artwork. To recharge, I would also read God’s Word and reflect on it, as well spend time with my family.
Nelson: It’s okay to do nothing. Don’t rush a creative timeline. It’s okay to pause a while and take your time to digest what you need to do. Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to be productive all the time and it doesn’t help. Take rest when you need to. Do things you enjoy, like having fellowship with friends, going on a hike and treating yourself to a good meal.
Brian: I believe that when our passion is unregulated, it can lead to burnout. There are three things that I think could help regulate our passion. First one is to learn to say no when you can’t do something (behind every ‘no,’ there is a deeper ‘yes’). Second one is to practise the Sabbath. Finally, learn to create from a place of overflow. If you are constantly squeezing water out of rock, eventually you’re creating out of an empty shell.
