Category: Christianity & Creativity

Categories
Christianity & Creativity

Does God Use Entertainers?

Unfortunately, if you struggle long enough as a Christian artist, you’ll probably eventually go from asking, “Is it because I’m not a good enough artist?” to “Is it because I’m not a good enough Christian?”

Over the past couple of years, I’ve become ever more strongly aware of the power artists have. I’ve been watching other artists and discovering what I want to do and what I don’t want to do with this power. I find in the Christian author community, there are really three approaches people tend to take to making sure their work counts.

An author has a platform. And to make the most responsible and impactful use of it, she needs to be at least one of these three things:

  • Teacher: a practical mentor helping others become better for the glory of God
  • Preacher: a voice of truth using art to teach moral lessons
  • Activist: an advocate using art to raise awareness and inspire action

The Problem

These are all very good things to be. For years, I tried to find out which vocation best suited my skills and personality. I tried teaching. This blog used to be dedicated mainly to writing tutorials and essays detailing what I had learned studying the craft. But honestly, I felt a little bored writing them. What’s more, I didn’t feel qualified since my techniques and insights were constantly changing.

I’ve never been much for preaching through my art. I hope my work reflects eternal truth and provokes thought in my readers, but I’m never sure exactly what I’m trying to say. Most of the time, I’m just vibing with a vibe and hoping it comes out pretty. I’m shallow like that.

Then there’s the big one. It’s pretty much considered irresponsible and cowardly not to be an activist these days. If you have any platform at all, you really need to be speaking out on The Things. There’s way too much wrong in the world for anybody not to. So, of course I needed to be an advocate for justice.

But I did not want to.

And this is where the guilt comes in. I didn’t want to repost things. I didn’t want to join movements. I didn’t want to create propaganda with my art. For a long time, I thought this was wrong of me. They say if you’re silent, you’re part of the problem.

Should I have just done it?

It seemed selfish. It seemed weak and cowardly. I was supposed to style myself as a warrior and dive into the fray wielding my weapon—creative art. I mean, I’m literally a Christian dystopian author. How could I not go into the battle of social and cultural issues? Isn’t that what the genre is for?

But I didn’t want to do that to my art. I didn’t want to be known for my views and opinions. I didn’t even want to be known for my morals. (!?) I’m not a role-model and I wouldn’t want anyone looking up to me as a standard—for literally anything. I didn’t want to use my platform to put my creative life on display as an illustration of my ideology. The thought of taking the stage that way paralyzed my brain.

People would start following me for my beliefs and my stances on issues rather than for my work. My career would be swallowed up. Sure, I would probably get a lot more attention if I spoke on hot-button topics. But it would almost certainly destroy my love for sharing my art.

But if I didn’t take a stand, was I really doing anything for my true mission here on earth? Was I ignoring God’s call? Was I rendering my work meaningless?

More than anything, I wanted God to use my work. Could He still use it if I refused to teach, preach, or fight for justice?

The Entertainer

Entertainment. Pop-culture. Distractions from what really matters in life. I engage in it pretty much every day—always chasing that temporary high of a song with a great beat-drop or an atmosphere that gets me out of this monotonous headache called reality. I want to laugh and dream and borrow emotions from other people’s hearts until I can feel again. I want somebody to articulate things I couldn’t quite grasp before and remind me I’m not alone.

What a waste of time.

And yet, it was in the middle of my time-wasting that I discovered something that would begin to open my eyes to my true mission as a creative. God showed me something beautiful—something that gave me hope and a new sense of meaning for what he was asking me to do.

And who did He use to reveal this to me?

A kpop idol.

Doing it all wrong

This was not the correct way for me to learn deep truths, was it? Somebody should have told God that’s not how it’s supposed to be done. You don’t use messed-up, secular pop star boys in heavy eyeliner to inspire revelations. Well, who’s gonna tell Him that?

Turns out He can use whatever He wants. Even artists who aren’t teachers, preachers, or activists. He can use people who might never even have invited Him into their creative work. He can work through anyone. And he does. He probably works through everyone, at least once.

I was sitting around worrying that somehow my art wasn’t going to point anyone to God and would languish in meaningless darkness until it disappeared in the ashes of time. I thought maybe it was because I was too greedy or jealous, or scared, or self-absorbed to do what I was meant to do.

I thought I was going to completely fail because I didn’t follow a very particular method of using my platform and beating my work into a very particular mold and He dropped an artist from an extremely different situation in front of my face and showed me something no one in the Christian author community ever could have.

Something Beautiful

Art can be used in many ways. Yes, it can preach truth or inspire action. It can be a powerful vehicle for driving the culture in a certain direction or bringing injustices to light. But that’s not all it was meant to do.

I could rant for a lot longer about what I think entertainment could be if more Christians would realize it had value in itself. It might be a bit of a controversial opinion, but I’m not sure we were supposed to focus on the dead-seriousness of life every waking minute. Of course, retreating into the world of entertainment can be overdone. Everything can be overdone. Even doing good work in the real world will eventually burn you to the ground if you never step back from it. Constant battle has destroyed too many people.

Art can be a means of deep connection to lift spirits, ease loneliness, and bring attention to things the world tries to rush past. We need the escape and the playfulness it can offer. We can grow and learn through the secret doors it opens inside us.  

Ultimately, art is communication. For me, it’s a way to reach out to a world that is becoming increasingly more isolated, alienated, segregated and alone and tell anyone who’s listening they’re still alive. There’s still hope, still laughter, still room for dreamers. And I want to show them something.

I want to show them something I saw in my mind. It was fascinating. It was beautiful. Maybe it even meant something, I don’t know. But I want to share it. And that’s why I’m going to start sharing it right here.

The New UnsweetenedDarjeeling.com

In the next post, I’ll be talking in detail about what to expect from this blog from now on. But I’ll give you a quick preview here.

I’m going to branch out into a fuller range of arts. You’re going to get to see drawings and paintings and multimedia work that you’ve never seen before. There are also going to be an ongoing fiction series…but I won’t spoil anything! Stay tuned.

I’m aware that I might lose some of my audience here. I’m not going to be running a traditional author blog anymore. Like I mentioned, I’m not as interested in writing tutorials and essays about writing. It just isn’t where I am in my artist’s journey. I don’t feel like I know much anymore. But that’s fine with me, because I’ll finally get to start sharing my real love with the world—the art itself.

I hope you enjoy it.

Categories
Christianity & Creativity

Why It’s So Hard to Find Your Mission as a Christian Creative

“Gospel-focused,” “Faith-centered,” “Based on sound doctrine.” That’s what some people are looking for in Christian media. Others are just looking for “clean,” “family-friendly,” or “positive” content.

There’s a lot out there advising Christian creatives on what they should and shouldn’t create. A lot of people out there think they know what the mission of the Christian artist should be.

It’s like they pick up a Christian book or turn on a Christian film and—instead of sitting back and being immersed in a great story, they sit at the edge of their desk chairs and whip out their pens and clipboards. Let’s see if this one hits all the right points. Let’s calculate the relevancy score and see if we can check all the Romans Road boxes in the correct order.

Should every Christian novel be a “How to Get Saved” guide? Is doctrine the highest priority in art? As Christians, we know leading people to Christ is probably our highest calling on Earth. But exactly how are we supposed to do that with our creativity?

Is Art an Evangelism Tool?

Pop quiz: who consumes Christian media?

This is always the first question that comes into my head when someone suggests the prime directive of Christian media is evangelism. I think you will find the vast majority of people consuming Christian media are…Christian.

Which raises the question, who are we trying to evangelize, here? We’re preaching to the choir.

But maybe you argue that the basic Gospel message bares repeating. Maybe you want to remind and reinforce what your audience probably already knows. Maybe you want to explore some of the details of doctrine.

With all due respect…go write a sermon. Go study the Bible and some commentaries and works of scholarly theology and write a thesis. Get it out of your system. Then come back and we’ll talk about art.

What is Art For?

We have a weird approach to art in Christian communities, sometimes. Nobody would ever tell a Christian dentist, auto mechanic or airline pilot that the first priority in their career should be evangelism. We would never look down on them if they spent the majority of their time learning to better seal teeth, repair radiators, or navigate the sky.

But we know the artist’s influence is unique. Our voices are extremely powerful. It doesn’t matter how famous or popular we are, either. Our potential to affect people’s hearts and minds is enormous. That’s the nature of art. It moves people. It can connect people and create empathy. It can heal, inspire, and enlighten those who consume it in unexpected ways.

I’m not saying you can’t present the whole gospel in your work—or even that you can’t use your work to bring attention to some real-world issues. That’s between you as a creator and God. But too many Christian artists and people who take it upon themselves to instruct Christian artists seem to assume that is the only right way to use you gift.

But in choosing this informational, educational approach where the goal is to more or less tell our audience what to think—it’s quite possible that we’re abandoning the very magic that makes art uniquely powerful.

Where Does Art’s Power Come From?

Art is different from other forms of human communication. It tends to be subtle, unpredictable, and a little ambiguous.

And it doesn’t seem to matter which soapboxes you get up on or how important the message is. A great message can’t save bad art. There’s no substitute for being good at what you do.

Creating art is an act of trust. You have to do it with an open hand, not afraid of other people’s interpretations or reactions. As a Christian creative, you’re not going to be able to harness the full potential of your artistic process until you let God do the speaking. And let your audience do the thinking. Exactly what the audience gets out of your work isn’t your responsibility.

Your responsibility is to pour your all into creating something you love and let God use it as he will.

So, How Can You Find Your Mission as an Artist?

It’s going to take time, and you’re going to have to ask yourself a lot of questions.

It’s alright to not know for certain why you do what you do. In fact, if the only answer to your “why” is “because I love it” right now, that will do. But eventually, if art is a big enough part of your life, it’s likely to become a ministry.

What do you want your art to do for people? What do people need that you can create for them? Sometimes we forget that acts of service are one of the most powerful forms of evangelism. You can serve people with what you make. You can lift spirits and heal wounds. You can lead people through dark times and dark places. You can make people feel seen, loved, and understood.

My advice is that you find your voice, enjoy the process, don’t stress, don’t preach, and don’t worry about checking boxes. Invite God to speak through you and trust that he will use your work.

I thought of this final tip recently, and it revolutionized how I think about creating. I’d often asked myself who I was writing for. Who’s going to read this? What will they get from it? It’s impossible to really know that. But I wanted my spirit of wanting to give something to come through.

So, my last tip is, always create for someone you love.

You don’t have to worry about the masses or the message most people need. All you need to worry about is one person you care about. Do it for them.

Because, as a Christian creative, whatever your mission may be, your motivation will have its roots in love. That’s a good place to start.

Categories
Christianity & Creativity Writing

5 Myths About Christian Fiction

I have recently noticed some Christian authors are backing away from the “Christian fiction” label. Some writers don’t want to write “Christian fiction” or at least are reluctant to call their novels that. Some believe they can reach a wider audience by avoiding the label, and others have just had so many bad experiences with reading Christian fiction in their past that they just have no interest in writing it.
Okay, just to get this out of the way, I certainly am not trying to say that Christian writers should only write Christian fiction. My debut was not technically Christian fiction, and neither are the vast majority of my short-stories and poems. Neither do I think God doesn’t use non-Christian art to his glory. I’m an advocate for both.
Here’s the real problem, and I think it’s important. When I find out why these Christian authors are avoiding the “Christian Fiction” label, I discover their reasons are often based on false assumptions. Myths. I’m going to break down the five big ones here, as far as I understand them.
Let’s get to it.
Myth #1 Christian fiction is a genre

A lot of authors, myself included, really dislike the idea of limiting themselves to a genre. We want our freedom and flexibility. We don’t want to get strapped down to one genre and be expected to write that for the rest of our lives.
  What if I told you Christian fiction is not a genre? Neither is YA or MG. Christian fiction is an audience label. It can be contemporary romance, spy thrillers, who-dun-it mysteries, space opera, historical war stories, and, yes, even cyberpunk dystopia set in near-future Budapest. The term “Christian fiction” defines the expected audience.
  Now, a Christian audience will expect a few things. Probably no ultra-graphic content or excessive language. They’ll also probably appreciate it if at least some of the main characters are Christians, and that Christian values are presented in a positive light, but beyond that, the genre is entirely your choice. 
Myth #2 Christian fiction is preachy

Yes. Badly-written Christian fiction is often preachy. So is some non-Christian fiction, actually. But preachiness is not and 100% should not be essential to Christian fiction. It’s actually a writing flaw to be avoided. Nobody really wants to read that.
Saying you don’t want to write Christian fiction because it’s too preachy is like saying you don’t want to write YA fiction because the characters are too whiny. Yes, a lot of YA characters are annoyingly whiny, but who controls that? The author. Who controls the tone of Christian fiction? Also the author. 
So, rather than calling out the bad writing in Christian fiction and saying you can’t write it because you will suddenly acquire the same lack of skill if you try it, maybe you could be a part of the solution and start writing non-preachy Christian fiction. It is possible, and you are that good.

Myth #3 Christian fiction must have a salvation plotline

There needn’t be a salvation story included at all. This is absolutely not an essential part of Christian fiction. In fact, I think we need more Christian fiction that focuses on all the crazy stuff that happens after conversion. That’s something we really need to see.
I’ve noticed a flaw in a lot of contemporary Christian thinking these days. There is an unspoken lie out there that all that really matters in the Christian life is “that moment” when you “get saved.” We’ve put so much stock in the alter call that we turn around and neglect new believers—and mature believers—in favor of going out and grabbing for more and more of those “decisions for Christ” that can be tragically transient. Christian readers really need to see the rest of the story. It’s a journey. It doesn’t end with walking out the door.
People seem to think you have to set up a Christian story like you would plot a romance. She’s lonely, she meets the guy, they struggle, he proposes, she finally accepts, ding-dong wedding bells, the end. Christian fiction can, and should be showing more of the narrative. It should expand to include all parts of the Christian spiritual journey, not just the very brief event of accepting Jesus.

Which leads into our next myth.

Myth #4 Christian fiction is an evangelism tool

This one is controversial, but the more I think about it, the firmer I take my stand, here. I do not believe Christian fiction should be created as an evangelism tool. I’ve talked about this on this blog before. I just don’t think it’s worth it to orient your whole novel around trying to convert your reader (who is most likely already a Christian) and potentially losing all interest and nuance as a result. The work of a Christian novelist is not to storify Romans Road or whatever your favorite get-‘em-saved formula is. Our goal is to create a deep, compelling, and enjoyable work of art that happens to be pretty bold about the truest thing in the universe.
I strongly believe that Christian novels have a purpose separate from a gospel tract. There is so much power in art, and so much good work to be done in this world. Use your imagination. That’s what authors do best. Explore new scenarios and learn how to confront the lies and difficulties of living through your writing. There are so many themes, so many ways to uplift and empower your fellow Christians.
Christians have so much more growing and learning to do after they convert. Christian fiction can help them. And it can help them in a fun, interesting, engaging, world-changing way.

Myth #5 Christian fiction is limiting and irrelevant

As I’ve kind of already stated, I don’t think Christian fiction should be limiting at all. I would love to see more authors who are dissatisfied with the current offerings of Christian fiction get to work broadening the field of options. There is so much that hasn’t been explored, but that doesn’t mean exploration is impossible. You have a chance to create something new. 

You don’t have to write Amish, historical, or contemporary romance with a pat little massage and a quick conversion scene. Write in any genre that calls your name. Write what you love the most. Create the flavorful, non-preachy, hard-hitting, actually creative Christian fiction you’ve always wanted.

“Irrelevant” is one of those dreaded words when it comes to creating something for the world at large. I don’t think the risk of Christian fiction being irrelevant is actually that high. I think if the world thinks Christian stories and themes are irrelevant, that’s kind of a sign that the world doesn’t know what is relevant. Your Christian story matters. It can help someone. Don’t be afraid to put it out there.

The fact is, we really need some young blood in Christian fiction. We actually could kind of do with an all-out revival. For those of you who grew up hating Christian fiction because it was generic, preachy, lacked substance, lacked variety, and just overall never spoke to you—I feel you. Some of my least favorite novels I ever suffered through have been Christian fiction. But that is not because there are unavoidable problems with the whole category. It’s because of the above myths. Too many authors continue to believe them and write accordingly.

So many times have I come to the end of a really good secular story and paused to think, “Man, it was great…but there was something missing.” We, as Christian authors know exactly what the missing piece is. We have the power to put it in.

Christianity needs to keep its voice. The world is so full of antagonistic voices. I’m seeing more and more ugly twisted depictions of Christianity in mainstream fiction. We need to keep speaking for ourselves—speaking for God, through our art. 

So, if you feel called at all—and if these myths, or others have been holding you back, it’s time to blast through them. You have a mission. You can write Christian fiction and make it amazing.

Privacy Policy