There’s a story behind this nine foot easel smack dab in the middle of our living room. I was not always thrilled about it being there. Now—I can't imagine it not being here.
It sits in a little corner of our living room that used to bother me. Tim took it upon himself to make this corner his "art studio". The messy paint brushes, oils, and scattered paintings felt like the spot ruined the interior design vibe of order I was going for.
It drove me crazy. But now? I absolutely love it.
What changed my mind?
I’ve witnessed first hand what the power of creativity and art can bring to a space. Instead of gathering around a device, the girls gather around the easel. They ask simple questions like, “Is it done yet?” which leads to deeper discussions about what it means to be “done”. We discuss the mood of the painting, the details, the beauty.
And inevitably I later find the girls working out their own creativity in their spaces. My youngest, Zion, now grabs her portable easel and carries it to the lounge upstairs to do her own watercoloring. She’s imitating the creativity she witnessed of her dad downstairs.
Her own heart is now burning with a desire to make.
I love that in the middle of the center of our house you can find this "messy" corner where creativity is being worked out.
We were made to create. YOU were made to create. Out of the disorder we were made to bring order. To be beauty makers. To participate.
In The Beauty Chasers, Tim writes,
"The world grooms me to be a spectator rather than a participant. I'm encouraged to disentangle myself from the natural world and to attach myself to devices."
We were created to participate in life. But so often we don’t.
It's so much easier to pick up our phones or the tv remote rather than a paintbrush, our musical instrument, or our journals. But we were designed to put into motion the creativity He has placed in each one of us.
We were made to feed upon soulish things. To make space for beauty in our lives.
I love how Tim described this on his Instagram post yesterday:
“I hear the Creator whisper, “Get to work, Tim.”
And I find my hands shaping things. The landscape around my home. The words that build sentences that build paragraphs that form thoughts that fill books. The paint on canvas in late hours when no one is watching. The offering of my praise uttered in hushed tones during dawn delight.
The pursuit of the Builder. This is what I find awaiting me each morning. The movement to find new materials that wait for me down hidden paths. Paths arduous to walk. Paths of delight. Paths that require something deep from my soul. And when I find these treasured materials, I seize them and build with them.
Let's get busy building today, friends. Let's feast upon the food of wonder. And maybe we will find creativity flowing from a simple ole corner in our home.
Perhaps you are feeling the pull to build in your own life. We have a few spots left in Foraged Beauty- a live art workshop we are doing in Eastern NC in June. We would absolutely love to have you join us!
Join us for a two-day art workshop where we will explore loose landscapes, mixed media collage book-making, and creative journaling. Tim will help you explore techniques in creating loose landscapes on paper and canvas; and I will lead a workshop on creative journaling. We will enjoy a European Picnic outdoors as we discuss beauty and why it matters. We will forage on a local Greenway. And so much more!
If you know anything about Daune Pitman’s cottage experience, you will not want to miss this! When we did our book tour this summer and gathered around her cottage table there are no words to describe how delectable and delightful an experience it was. You just have to find out for yourself! (wink)
I am so excited about this workshop not only because of the things you will leave the workshop with— your own completed loose landscapes and handmade journal to name a few—but the opportunity to be together and discuss beauty and building around canvas, journals, and the outdoors is a priceless gift. Would love to see you in NC in June!
Let's be participants today, rather than spectators.
~Chris xx