The Thriving Christian Artist
The Thriving Christian Artist
Overcoming the Fear of Sharing Your Art
The paralyzing fear of sharing your artwork might be the very thing keeping you from walking in your divine calling. Whether you've felt that rush of pride when completing a piece only to immediately want to hide it away, or you've struggled with thoughts like "I'm not ready yet" or "It's not perfect," you're experiencing what countless artists battle. But what if this fear isn't actually wisdom at all?
Fear often wears the disguise of prudence, whispering seemingly reasonable hesitations that keep your art hidden. "Maybe I need to grow more first" or "This isn't the right season" might sound wise, but these thoughts frequently mask deeper insecurities rooted in the lie that "if you really knew me, you'd reject me." The truth? This voice of accusation and fear isn't from God.
Scripture offers powerful perspective through 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The Greek word for power here is dunamis—the same root as "dynamite"—representing the explosive, transformative force that God has placed within you. This power, combined with love that compels action and a sound mind that provides spiritual focus, forms your divine equipment for overcoming artistic fear.
When you hide your art because of fear, you don't just limit your own journey; you rob the world of encountering God through your creativity. Art becomes a means of grace, a light shining, tangible evidence of things hoped for. Your creative expressions can become mountain-moving, roadblock-destroying forces in others' lives when offered to God with even a mustard seed of faith.
Take practical steps today: declare truth aloud when fear attacks, start sharing your work in small ways, and release the need for perfectionism. Remember, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." Your art matters more than you know—it's time to let it shine.
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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 Tama, your host. Let's get started. Well, hey, my friend, so glad that you're here with me today on the podcast. I want to jump into something that I know is going to hit home for a lot of my listeners out there today, and it's really the fear of sharing your artwork. Now, I know that may sound on its surface like what People are afraid of sharing their artwork. Well, listen, I've found over the years people are as much afraid of success as they are of failure. I've found over the years people are as much afraid of success as they are of failure. They're much afraid of making art as they are sharing their art. There's just a lot of fear around art, primarily because I think it's the thing that God's called us to do, and anything the enemy can do to pull out all the stops and stop us from doing the thing that God's called us to do is a huge, huge thing that's on his list in our life. Listen, if you have ever stared at a finished piece of art and felt proud of it, or felt that joy that's in your studio, like man, I love this, but then, at the same time, like I got to go hide this in the closet, or I don't want to show anybody, or it's not perfect yet, or I don't want to share this on Instagram, or what if people don't like it? Or all the stuff right, all that swirl. I just want to let you know today you are not alone. I've been there, tons of artists have been there as well, and, as they say, the struggle is real. Right, there can be a big struggle, especially if you're working on a new body of work, but anywhere in your journey that can be a real struggle.
Speaker 1:And so today I really want to jump into what fear is, where it comes from and, more importantly, how to deal with it, how to start breaking free from all the ploys of the enemy that he tries to bring, that start many times in our mind and in our imagination, and really start walking in the boldness that the Holy Spirit gives us to walk in everything that God's created us to. So the first thing I want to say about this is that many times the fear of sharing your art may not be coming out in your mind as fear. It may be wisdom. I think it was Bill Johnson that said years ago fear often masquerades as wisdom. You know, it kind of comes into our mindset like well, I'm just not quite ready for this, or this is not the season for sharing my art, or maybe I need to grow a little more artistically first, or I'm just kind of waiting for the right time.
Speaker 1:Again, our fear often hides behind what can be really good intentions in our life, what we think is wisdom, but really at the bottom of the pile, when you start digging and trying to find out what the root of this thing is, it's not a winning strategy for your life, right? It's actually a lot of insecurities. It's a lot of the, the, the I guess how would you say it? Residual of that old lie that all artists tend to believe, which is if you knew me, you'd reject me. If you really knew who I was, if you really knew the things I struggled with, if you really knew that I wasn't a real artist, that I didn't go to art school, that I'm not qualified to do this, all the stuff. If you really knew that, whatever it is, I'm not enough, then you would reject me. But listen, and I know you may say well, matt, this is kind of basic. Well, yes, basic, but it's the things that we deal with all the time.
Speaker 1:You got to realize that voice that is accusing you, that is scaring you, that is bringing fear on you, that is not the Lord. And the longer that you neglect, taking every thought captive and just allowing those thoughts to come into your mind and you just kind of let them, you know, wallow around and do whatever you want to in your mind, the more you let that happen in your life guess what? The more you're going to struggle with this. And so part of learning to come against this fear and defeat it once and for all in your life is learning to come in the opposite spirit. Anytime the enemy attacks you, you always want to come in the opposite spirit that he's bringing. If he's bringing fear, you want to bring faith. If he's bringing depression, you want to begin to declare joy. If he's bringing, you know, all this anxiety about finances, one of the greatest things you can do is begin to give. Why? Because you are coming against the spirit of fear that the enemy is trying to bring.
Speaker 1:And that's why I love 2 Timothy 1.7, right, because it says this in the NIV for the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power and love and self-discipline. You may know it in the King James Version, you know, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a power and of love and a sound mind, and I love that because it just reminds us listen, fear, timidity, shrinking back, that ain't the Lord, that is not from Him. So if you are feeling anxious and paralyzed and insecure and all that kind of stuff 100% of the time, you can be confident that that is not a gift from the Lord, that is not an invitation from him to come into the deeper things and experience life abundant. No, that is absolutely a ploy of the enemy to keep you paralyzed. So he said God didn't give you that. But what did he give you? Well, he gave you power, love and a sound mind, or self-discipline, as the NIV says.
Speaker 1:So that word power, there is the Greek word dunamis, which is actually where we get the word dynamite from right. So the Spirit of God gives you this explosive power, this transformative power, this power to break things open, if you will, that you could never have on your own. Remember, the Bible says in Acts 1.8 that you will receive what Power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Listen, the Holy Spirit is living within you right now. That was a part of the package when you got saved. You don't have to be afraid and be bound in fear all the time. You got to say nope, god's not giving me that spirit of fear and timidity and shrinking back and paralyzed. I've got power. I have the dunamis power of God. The same power Think of this the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is living and active inside of you right now, and your only choice is to do what To activate it, to step into agreement with it in your life Now.
Speaker 1:Number two it says it's given us love. Right, how many of you know that when fear comes, it always is bringing the opposite of love, which is rejection, which is not caring about somebody, which is ignoring people, right, and so you can always, again, you can always realize. If you're feeling those kind of feelings, you can recognize that is not the Lord. This kind of love that he's talking about right here is the kind of love that compels you to act, even when it's uncomfortable. Right?
Speaker 1:Even in Galatians 5, 6, it says the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. In other words, what faith expressing itself through love? In other words, what you got to step out by faith in order to be able to experience the love of God in your life, to be able to walk in the love of God in your life. It's always good. Walking in love is always a choice. Right, it's always a choice, because the easier thing to do many times on the surface is just to slide down the slide that the enemy has given you of lies and fear and anxiety and believe oh yeah, I'm not enough. Well, listen again, that is not the Lord. So you got to step into power, step into love, and then this, this last one, which is a sound mind or self-discipline.
Speaker 1:You know, this is the part of this scripture that says hey, it's that spirit-led focus and resilience that's going to keep you going, even when you're scared and even when you're tired. You have to start telling yourself and reminding yourself listen, god, I'm not on my own out here. I'm not just thinking with my own thoughts. I have in me the mind of Christ. Why? Because I've been made a new creation in Christ. What does that mean? I can think like Christ, I can think with Christ, I can see life and see situations through his perspective. I can see myself and the art I create through his perspective.
Speaker 1:Listen, so many of you maybe you went through years ago a challenge I did online we did this for years called Artists, rise Up. I just think of this verse as an invitation to rise up. Right, it's an invitation for you to say I know the enemy might be bringing in fear of me sharing my artwork with others right now and of holding the thing that God's given me and hiding it under a bushel, but that is not the Lord. Fear does not get to lead the way and write the script in my life. The Spirit of God does by faith and so, listen, it's so, so, so important that you get this. Why? Because if you don't get this, then all of the art, all of the calling, all of the impact and influence that God has for your life will never be expressed. God's not going to make you express his nature and his image through your life. He gives you what An invitation. He gives me what An invitation. Genesis 1, 7 says what God created us in his own image.
Speaker 1:My friend Ray Hughes said in the foreword to my first book, unlocking the Heart of the Artist, that we were created by the creator to be creative or to create. That was how God set it up. I loved it.
Speaker 1:And so, hiding your art because of fear, it doesn't just hurt you, right. It doesn't just mean that you're just kind of kowtowing to the enemy and say I'm just going to do what's easy right now, I'm not going to really stand up. No, it robs the world of what God has placed inside of you. But Matthew 5, 14 through 16 says what you and me, we're the light of the world. And so what? Because of that, you got to let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father who's in heaven.
Speaker 1:Listen, art is a means of grace. Art is a light that's shining. Art is a sign and wonder. Art is the proof that the things that you see and hear from the Lord and the spirit are actually true. Why? Because art is a reflection, it's experiencing the supernatural in a very tangible and real way. Remember, the Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When you create art, you are engaging in that faith process. The art that you create proves, it is the tangible evidence that the thing which God showed you and the thing which you agreed with and put your hands to in your studio is actually true and it can be a sign and a wonder, a table, if you will, where God comes and meets with people in the context of your art and they receive breakthrough through that.
Speaker 1:Listen, I absolutely believe with all my heart and I've written about it for years that when you create art with that mustard seed of faith, that art can be a mountain-moving, yoke-destroying roadblock-destblock, destroying place in somebody's life. Because when God moves in and through that art that you're creating, in and through that song or that book or that play or that, whatever it is that you do, all of a sudden you're saying God, I give you permission to come and move in and through what I'm doing right here in this art and I want you to use it for breakthrough and for power in somebody else's life. Come on, of course, the enemy doesn't want you to do that, right. See, this is why we spend so much time in everything that we do, whether it's the mentoring program, the foundation scores, the whatever Everything that we do comes back to identity, right? Because if you are continuing to believe, well, my art is just a hobby. Well, I'm not that good, I'll never be that good.
Speaker 1:Well, I don't know if that's really what God has for my life. And you know, it doesn't really seem as spiritual as what other people do. As long as you're in that mess all the time, as long as you're continuing to just keep that stuff going around in your mind, guess what? You're never going to step into the fullness of what God has for you. But, my friend, when you realize, hey, god's not giving me a spirit of fear, but a power and of love and a sound mind. And but a power and of love and a sound mind, and by goodness and for the sake of Jesus, I've got to begin to stand in this calling as an artist, begin to walk in the things that God has called me to do, not just so I get to walk in the abundant life, but so this abundant life gets to overflow out of me into others. So listen, just a couple of practical things. Number one I think you got to start declaring this truth out loud, not just in your head, not just in your journal, out of your mouth. When the enemy comes against you, you tell him God's not giving me a spirit of fear, but a power and of love and a sound mind. That is who I am, that is what I'm walking in, this is my inheritance in the Lord, and you are a liar and I'm calling you on it and I'm turning the other way. Number two I would say this If you're, if you've been freaked out for a lot of years about sharing your art, putting yourself out there, start small, right.
Speaker 1:It's not like you got to go out and and, uh, apply to art Basel or the Smithsonian show or something like that. You know, put a post out there on social media, share it with a friend behind the scenes, whatever it is. Begin to share the story. But start somewhere, all right. And as you start, make that a regular rhythm, whether it's daily, whether it's weekly. Now, listen, I'm not saying getting bound up by social media and trying to prove yourself and perform for others' approval. That's the other side of the pendulum, right. But you can use this rhythm of sharing your work almost like a spiritual discipline, right, just like you're spending time with the Lord. You're in His presence worshiping, you're in the studio creating. Just make sharing what you do a part of that spiritual process. Why? Because you know that when you do, god is going to bless it. And you know?
Speaker 1:The last thing I would say is you got to let go of the outcomes and the need for perfectionism and just celebrate the fact that you are in this journey with the Lord. I love Colossians 3.23. It says this whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord. Listen, everything that we do, whether people see it or don't see it, whether it's on social media or not, whether we feel like it's worthy of celebration or not, is worthy of being offered to the Lord. Why? Because when we being offered to the Lord, why? Because when we offer that to the Lord, he comes and uses that for His glory, not only in our life but through our life, in ways that we could never expect. Father, I thank you right now, in Jesus' name, that you are moving in the lives of artists to break the spirit of fear and timidity off of them. In the name of Jesus and God, begin to bring faith in them to share this beautiful gift that you've given them with the world, in whatever way it is that you lead them. God, I pray for faith and boldness for them in Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 1:Listen, my friend. If this episode is really challenging you in this area, I want to invite you don't delay, jump in the foundations course right now. This is absolutely everything that we focus on inside the course and a whole lot more. It's digging up these foundations that are not serving us in our life and actually stepping into all that God's got for us. So, listen, if you were just to get real with yourself and the Lord just for a second and say self, you know that you are still dealing with a lot of fear and self-doubt and confusion and overwhelm and feelings of inadequacy. Why aren't you doing this? Listen again, I want to invite you to come into the foundations course and allow us to walk you through a proven process that helps you step into everything that God has for you in your life as an artist. The link's right here in the podcast description and I hope we'll see you inside the Foundations course real soon.
Speaker 1:Listen, my friend, I'm so glad that you're with me every week and until next time, remember, you were created to thrive. 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.