Have you ever stood at the precipice of giving up on your creative dreams, the wind of economic uncertainty and self-doubt howling in your ears? We've all been there, feeling that maybe our calling as Christian artists was a fleeting fantasy. But hold fast, because this episode is your beacon of resilience. I pour my heart out to you, sharing why these trials are not the death knell of your aspirations, but rather the forge in which your determination is tempered. Together, we dissect the essence of grit, the power of a steadfast mindset, and the unyielding support of a community that holds your vision as sacred as you do. There's a reason you're facing resistance; it's because you're making waves in the right direction.
Yet, it's not just about weathering the storm—it's about sailing through it with a fleet of fellow artists at your side. That's why I extend an invitation to join our vibrant online community and become part of a movement where inspiration circulates like a life-giving river. With resources aplenty and connections that spark creative fires, I guide you towards platforms like our Thriving Christian Artist podcast, social media spaces, and matttommymentoring.com. It's about creating a haven where your talents don't just survive—they thrive. So, carry this torch of encouragement until we meet again, and let it illuminate the truth: you were absolutely made to thrive.
Join us inside the Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program for just $14 and let us help you fulfill your purpose as an artist, connect with others and start making a living from your art. http://www.matttommeymentoring.com/artmentor
Have you ever stood at the precipice of giving up on your creative dreams, the wind of economic uncertainty and self-doubt howling in your ears? We've all been there, feeling that maybe our calling as Christian artists was a fleeting fantasy. But hold fast, because this episode is your beacon of resilience. I pour my heart out to you, sharing why these trials are not the death knell of your aspirations, but rather the forge in which your determination is tempered. Together, we dissect the essence of grit, the power of a steadfast mindset, and the unyielding support of a community that holds your vision as sacred as you do. There's a reason you're facing resistance; it's because you're making waves in the right direction.
Yet, it's not just about weathering the storm—it's about sailing through it with a fleet of fellow artists at your side. That's why I extend an invitation to join our vibrant online community and become part of a movement where inspiration circulates like a life-giving river. With resources aplenty and connections that spark creative fires, I guide you towards platforms like our Thriving Christian Artist podcast, social media spaces, and matttommymentoring.com. It's about creating a haven where your talents don't just survive—they thrive. So, carry this torch of encouragement until we meet again, and let it illuminate the truth: you were absolutely made to thrive.
Join us inside the Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program for just $14 and let us help you fulfill your purpose as an artist, connect with others and start making a living from your art. http://www.matttommeymentoring.com/artmentor
Welcome to the Thriving Christian Artist, the podcast, where we hope you connect with God to bust through the roadblocks that have held you back for years, create the work you love and really live the life you know. God created you to live as an artist in His kingdom. I'm Matt Tomah, your host. Let's get started. Well, hey, my friend is Matt. Welcome to another edition of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast. Super glad that you are with me today.
Speaker 1:You know, a couple of weeks ago I made a post, actually did a reel on Instagram, and you know me, I'm just always trying to encourage people and that sort of thing, and you know the economic uncertainty that we're in the world we're in right now, the craziness of all that. I just keep feeling like I was seeing a lot of artists out there who were giving up, like throwing in the towel and just like you know, I'm just going to go work my job and and just maybe this artist thing is it for me and that sort of thing. There's been so much of that out there, so many artists just, you know, kind of throwing in the towel and giving up hope, and it just rose up inside of me Just this desire to go hug everybody and be like you can do it, you don't give up and and that sort of thing. But listen, I get it and I just wanted to. I wanted to record an episode today letting you know that if you're going through a situation in your life or a season in your life where it just feels like nothing is going the way that you thought it would go, if your sales are down, if your galleries aren't responding or people aren't responding, if you're just having to kind of do some of the grunt work of growing your business, that seems like nobody's really paying attention, if you're feeling that rejection and feeling alone and just all the stuff that we can feel as as artists, when we're sort of, you know, plowing the field, if you will, that God's giving us as creators, I just wanted to reach out today and let you know you are absolutely not alone.
Speaker 1:You don't have to stop being an artist just because things are not going exactly the way you thought they would go. And in fact that's, that's the ploy of the enemy, right? The enemy wants you to give up. The enemy wants you to throw in the towel. He wants you to say that, hey, this thing of being an artist is really not God's plan for my life and I really, you know, need to be doing something else.
Speaker 1:But one of the things that I've learned and I teach this in the mentoring program all the time is that if you're going to really thrive in what God's called you to do number one, you got to realize it's not going to be an easy journey. There's going to be challenge. All right, it doesn't mean that God's not going to be with you. That mean there's not many grace and favor and peace and joy and all that, but it's you're going to have to have grit. You're going to have to have a sticktutiveness and a perseverance about you to to keep pushing and to keep moving forward, even when things don't seem like they're working out.
Speaker 1:And I and I tell people all the time, and I'll tell you you guys as well you know, doing that in community is a whole lot easier than trying to do that by yourself, and in fact that's the thing that the enemy wants to get people to do. Right, well, you don't need to be in that community, you don't need to connect with others. You can do this by yourself. Or just get your husband or your wife to support you, or just get a friend at church to support you when, in reality, what you need is creative community, and that's the very thing the enemy tries to push us away from so many times. So realize, you know, you've got to have some grit and you've got to stay connected to a community of people that get you, that know you, that can support you, that can speak into your life in a way that's going to keep you moving forward.
Speaker 1:The other thing that I would say about you know, staying encouraged in these times and, believe me, you know and I'll say this parenthetically some of you think, oh, matt's got it all together. He didn't ever have any problems and he's always just so positive. Listen, the reason I talk about mindset and the reason I talk about renewing your mind and staying positive all the time is because I preach it to myself. Hello, these are the major issues that I struggle with in my life and these are why I think God raised me up to be able to speak into these issues for you as artists as well, because I know the intense struggle that it takes to stay motivated and stay connected and stay at peace and stay, you know, again, connected with everything that God has for you, not only from an external situation, but also from an internal perspective as well, because everything on you know, our external life starts in our internal life, and the thing that the enemy wants you to do is to switch your focus from the hope that you have in God, the hope that he's given you in regards to the vision for being an artist, the vision for creating and selling your work, the vision for making a living, the vision for, you know, having enough abundance in your life to be a blessing to others. He wants you to switch and take your eyes off of that vision and put it on another vision.
Speaker 1:What's the other vision? The other vision is Life is hard. I can't do it. Maybe I'm just not supposed to be an artist. Maybe I just can't do this. Maybe this was never God's plan for my life in the first place. Maybe I'm just supposed to be a hobbyist. Maybe I'm just supposed to to play small. Maybe maybe all of this resistance that I'm feeling is really just God's way of of saying that this is not, you know, my, my real Calling, when in reality, that has nothing to do with it. Of course, the enemy is gonna resist you at every turn If you're, if you're going in the right direction. So the issue for you and I is we've got to stay Motivated. We've got to stay focused on the hope that God has given us the vision. This is why we talk about this so much in our artist cashflow bootcamp, in the mentoring program, in my books. You've got to get with the Lord and get settled in your heart that, hey, I'm an artist. God's created me as an artist. He put these desires inside of me. This is part of my, my calling, the way that I release the kingdom, and and no matter what's going on in my life, that is not gonna change and I'm gonna keep stepping toward that and Pressing into that in my life so that I can fulfill the things and the calling that God has for me. You've got to come do a decision on that, otherwise the difficulties of life and your emotions will take a toll on you and drag you away From the very things that God's trying to bring you into. Listen, my friend, I could talk for days and days about this, but I want to give you a specific you know encouragement today in regards to God's word.
Speaker 1:Right out of Psalm 27, 13 and 14, it says this is one of my favorite verses. To go back to, it says I would have lost heart Unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the Lord. Listen, david is saying the very same thing that I'm saying today. Listen, if it were not for having a solid belief in the goodness of God and the belief that he's created me in this way and Called me and designed me for this thing in my life and for me and you, that's being an artist If I hadn't I had that, I would have lost heart.
Speaker 1:And so he says what? Wait on the Lord. In other words, though the vision tarry's, though it doesn't work out the way you think it's gonna be, though it's a little bit harder, though you can't figure everything out right now, though You're getting discouraged, wait, wait on the Lord and be of good Courage. In other words, you're gonna have to man up, you're gonna have to warm it up, you have to put on your big boy pants, your big girl pants, and be of good courage and say this is who I am, this is what God's called me to do, and I am not moving from this. And when you do that, when you wait, and when you, when you stand in that courage that only God can give, it says he Shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord, my friend.
Speaker 1:One of the things that I have learned in my life is that waiting on the Lord is a whole lot easier when you're in community than when you're by yourself. And if you are still trying to do this thing of being an artist by yourself, I want to tell you you're playing a game that God never designed you to play. The Bible says that we were designed to be a part of the body of Christ, that that we're supposed to be iron, sharpening iron, bearing one another's burdens, encouraging one another, celebrating with and and and, and you know, also dealing with difficulties with each other. And the best way that I know how to help you to do that is inside of our created to thrive artist mentoring program. Listen, we've made it so easy for you. You can get started today for just $14 for your first month. We've even got other ways for you to save as well once you, once you come in, either through yearly or lifetime opportunities.
Speaker 1:Listen, we give you everything from live coaching every week, opportunities to ask me and my expert team that I've put together Art, critiques, technology, help. We teach you how to renew your mind. We teach you how the kingdom works. We teach you how to build an art business. We teach you how to start from Absolutely scratch, even if you've never done anything like this before. The only question is are you willing to trust God to step out and Let us help you? My friend, I hope you will.
Speaker 1:I hope you'll click the link that's inside of the description today and become a part of Creative, to thrive, even if you put it off before, this is a great, great opportunity this year to join us and let us walk with you in this journey of thriving as an artist and being everything that God's called you to be. I love you, my friend. It's always a joy to be with you here on the Thriving Christian Artist podcast. Join me again here next time, as we are hopefully bringing you teachings and encouragement every week to make your life as an artist a little bit easier and point you to Jesus and help you be all these called you to be. I love you, friend, and I'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 1:Bye, hey. Thanks so much for spending a few minutes with me today on the podcast Listen. I hope it's been a huge encouragement to you on your journey as an artist. Hey, also, before you leave, make sure to hit the subscribe button so you don't miss any of the other episodes of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, and also be sure to connect with me on Facebook, instagram or at my website, which is matttommymentoringcom. Until next time, remember, you were created to thrive. Bye, bye.