God Doesn't Require Artists to Have It All Figured Out

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Have you ever felt like you can’t fully step into your creative calling because life feels too messy, uncertain, or unfinished?

In this video, we talk about what it really means to thrive as a Christian artist — even when you don’t have it all figured out. If you’ve struggled with artist perfectionism, fear of creating, creative block, artist identity, or wondering whether your art truly matters to God, this message is for you.

God and creativity have always gone hand in hand. Whether you’re a painter, musician, writer, designer, or creative entrepreneur, your creativity is not separate from your faith — it’s part of your kingdom creativity and divine inspiration. Too many kingdom creatives stay stuck waiting for the “perfect season” before they begin creating, but God often calls us forward before everything feels clear.

In this video, you’ll discover:
 • How to overcome creative block and artist block
 • Why artist perfectionism keeps Christian creatives stuck
 • The truth about art and faith working together
 • Why your creative calling still matters to God
 • How to thrive as a Christian artist in imperfect seasons
 • What prophetic art and Spirit-led creativity can look like
 • Why your desire to create is not selfish — it’s stewardship

If you’ve ever felt behind, unqualified, overwhelmed, or afraid to fully pursue art for God, I hope this encourages you to take your next step with confidence and freedom.

#ChristianArtist #KingdomCreativity #CreativeCalling #ArtAndFaith #ThrivingChristianArtist #KingdomCreatives #PropheticArt #GodAndCreativity

Transcript

The Messy Life Creativity Tension

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, have you ever felt like you'd love to be creating, but somehow your whole life just feels too messy, too uncertain, maybe even too unpredictable to really have time to do it? And the more you try to find that perfect balance, the more elusive it becomes. I want to walk through five things that Christian artists often think they need to figure out before they can move forward creatively and how to finally start doing what God created you to do as an artist with without feeling guilty. And hey, be sure to stay with me to the very end because I want to share one thing that God showed me that helped me absolutely stop living in that constant tension of feeling behind or guilty or like I was never doing enough and finally got me into that creative flow with him. So let's jump in. So as somebody that's been a professional artist for over 30 years now and mentored to thousands of Christian artists all over the world, I'm talking to artists every week. I can tell you 100%, this thing of having to have everything figured out is one of the biggest struggles that we artists face. Most artists stay stuck in this thing, going round and round, because somewhere along the way, they started believing that they had to resolve all the uncertainty in their life before they could fully say yes to what God put inside of them. And listen, friend, that mindset will keep you waiting forever. There's never a season where everything becomes, you know, suddenly clear and perfect, and oh, and yet, and yet all throughout scripture, right? God never waited for somebody's circumstances to become perfect before inviting them into his purpose. I mean, look at Moses. He felt unqualified. Gideon felt insecure, David felt overlooked. And artists do the same thing today, right? We we tell ourselves things like, well, you know, once the kids are older and out of the house, or once my finances improve, or once my, you know, style is there, or once I feel more confident, once life settles down. Listen, that's all fine and well, but here's the deal life keeps moving and years go by while this beautiful thing that God has placed inside of each of us is quietly waiting under the surface. So the first lie a lot of artists believe is it's you know, you have to earn the right to create. You know, for a lot of us artists, creativity becomes something that we only allow ourselves to experience after everything else in our life is done, right? The important stuff, right? After the chores or work or our responsibilities or after everybody else's needs are met. And somewhere along the way, our art and creativity get pushed into the category of a reward instead of a calling. I see this so many times in Christian artists because so many of us, many of us were raised with this subtle idea that productivity equals virtue, equals value, right? And so when you're doing something like resting or dreaming or exploring or experimenting or playing in the studio, it can almost feel irresponsible. And listen, I know that feeling deeply. I know a lot of you do too. There were there were so many times in my life where I felt guilty for taking time to create because there were so many other things that were going on in my life and demanding my attention. But what God began to show me was this my my creativity and your creativity is not separate from your calling. In fact, it's part of your calling. If your gift of creativity was important enough for God to give it to you, then it ought to be important enough for you to give it the time and attention and resources that it needs to flourish in your life. Listen, that's that's not selfish. That's actually what the Bible calls stewardship. You know, I think about the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible so much around this topic because, you know, Martha's frustrated because Mary's sitting at the feet of Jesus while all the work still needs to be done. And but you know, when you look at that story, Jesus doesn't rebuke Mary for slowing down and and choosing connection. He actually says that's that's the better thing. Now, obviously, you know, responsibilities in our life matter, right? We've all got real lives, real responsibilities and obligations, but but some of you have spent so many years serving everybody else that you slowly abandon the very thing that God put inside of you to bring you life. And the crazy thing is that the more disconnected that artists become from their creativity, the more emotionally exhausted they often feel. And trust me, God never designed the creative part of you to be buried under all of this endless obligation and busy work. That is 100% a recipe for continued frustration and really just wasting away on the inside. Now, another huge lie that artists believe is that, you know, I'm I'm too late, right? I've heard this from so many artists over the years. And it's one of the saddest things, really, that I hear artists say that, oh Matt, I should have started this years ago, I should have paid attention years ago. And listen, maybe you're watching this now, you're in your 50s, 60s, 70s, maybe even older. And you look back over your life and you're thinking, I've missed it. I've I've waste too much time. I've, you know, my best years are behind me. Listen, can I tell you something? God is not intimidated by the timeline that you're on. He he is the redeemer of time. In fact, Joel says that he restores the years that the locusts have eaten. And all through God's word, he constantly calls people into meaningful kingdom purpose later in life than anybody expected, especially them, right? I mean, gosh, Moses was 80, Abraham was really old, Anna was in her 80s serving in the temple. Listen, the the kingdom is not obsessed with age, the the way our culture is. And honestly, some of your greatest art may now only be possible in your life because of what you've walked through all these years, right? The the grief, the good times, the bad times, the the healing, the disappointment, the wisdom, the perseverance, the character, all of what we've experienced in our life, just it just becomes texture, right? In the hands of God is He's creating our life with him. And here's the deal as an artist for over 30 years now, myself working in the studio, I can tell you this technical skill as an artist alone rarely creates powerful art. It's depth that does, right? Story, honesty, healing, life, connection with God. That's what allows us to create meaningful art. I mean, some of you that are that are watching right now are carrying years of life experience and breakthrough that God wants to breathe through creatively through you in this season. And so listen, you're not behind. You're you are being formed and shaped by God for such a time as this. And maybe the the reason that the desire won't leave you alone is not because you've missed your time, it's because God never removed the calling in the first place. It's it's been there all along, dormant the whole time. And he's been waiting for you simply to say yes. Now, hey, real quick before we keep going, if this is really resonating with you right now, I want to invite you to something that I'm doing next week. It's called my free thriving Christian Artist Discovery Week. It's a free uh live stream session that I'm doing, three sessions I'm hosting right here on the channel, where I'm gonna help you understand and discover who God created you to be as an artist, maybe what's holding you back and the proven pathway forward that I've been teaching artists for years that you can start using to confidently create and share and sell your art without all the confusion and overwhelm. And hey, when you register, you also get access to my free Thriving Christian Artist assessment to help you identify exactly where you are on your creative journey right now. Like I said, the whole thing is free, but registration is required so we can send you the workbook and reminders and all that. So I'll put the description uh the or the link in the description right below. And I really hope that that you can join me. All right, let's keep going because the next one is a really huge struggle that so many artists struggle with. And it's one the one that says, you know, well, Matt, I'm not in the right season. It's not the perfect time, right, for me to be creating. And and so many artists feel like they're waiting on the ideal conditions in their life before they can really step into their creativity, right? The perfect time, the perfect energy, the perfect amount of money, less stress, less responsibility. Listen, I get that. I mean, I understand life is real, right? I mean, some of you are caring for aging parents, some of you are exhausted from work or kids or grandkids or dealing with financial issues or health issues. Listen, life is real and and it doesn't stop, but God showed me something years ago in my own life that really helped. And he said, Matt, your calling doesn't begin when your circumstances become ideal. It begins when you say yes with what you already have in your hand. You know, I love that story about the widow and the oil in 2 Kings. You know, the miracle didn't happen after she had abundance. The miracle began when she used what was in her house and what was in her hand. And friend, listen, some of you are overlooking what God wants to multiply in your life because it seems too small. Your sketchbook, a kitchen table, 20 minutes, you know, the little corner in your garage. So listen, you don't need six interrupted hours in a beautiful, perfect studio with a full bank account for you to honor God and your creativity. You don't need a whole life overhaul to give yourself permission to start small right where you are. Listen, I know even though that sounds simple, I think this is where a lot of artists can get trapped and stalled out in perfectionism because if the conditions don't feel perfect, right, we're feelers, right? If it doesn't feel perfect, then it feels like it's not worth starting. But listen, little acts of faithfulness matter. Tiny yeses matter, small, small steps of faithfulness matter. They add up. And that additional 15 minutes of creativity, that choosing just to do it, that can reignite your heart in a way that you haven't felt in years. And listen, when you do that, it's life-giving. It feels like breathing again. It feels like remembering who you are, like coming home. And that is not just valuable to you. It's valuable to God because when you create, you're doing the thing that He designed you to do in the first place. And that really leads us right into the other, you know, another one of the struggles that so many artists deal with. And it's that lie that says, sometimes, you know, I feel like something's wrong with me because I feel this urge, this desire to create so deeply. You know, I've met so many artists over the years who quietly carry this internal tension in their life because they do feel things so deeply. They feel beauty deeply and emotion deeply and the desire to create deeply. And, you know, when they feel disconnected from their creativity, they feel restless and frustrated, even emotionally heavy and depressed. I know I do. In fact, when I'm having a bad day or, or you know, I'm just having in a mood, my wife often says, uh, you need to go to the studio and make something. And listen, that's funny, but it's so true, right? I've seen so many artists assume something's wrong with them because they feel this deep desire to create or feel disconnected when they're not creating. But friend, listen, that desire to create, to draw, that that's not the problem. That's actually the invitation. It's actually the solution, right? You know, one of my mentors told me a lot of years ago, impression without expression leads to depression. And I've found that so true in my life because God designed your creativity to flow through you, not just sit dormant inside of you. And when that creative flow gets shut down for months or years through fear or shame or comparison or exhaustion or responsibility or religion, things start to wither. I'd love to think about Bezalel because the Bible says that he was filled with the Spirit of God with wisdom and understanding and also skill to create beautiful works of art. I mean, think about that. God just didn't give him the skill, he gave him the spirit to create, not just preaching and teaching, but creating. Beauty mattered to God then and it still matters to God now. The creative process mattered to God then and it matters to God now. And that desire that you feel to make something beautiful, that longing that won't leave you alone, listen, that is not random. That may very well be, I believe it is, the Holy Spirit continuing to invite you into the very thing that He created you for. And the best part is you don't have to fully understand it all or have it all figured out, have a 10-year plan to do it before you say yes. Listen, the last thing I want to talk about today is one that I know has confused a lot of artists who are believers over the years. And it's this lie that says, well, my art has to look overtly Christian or religious, you know, for God to use it. I can't tell you how many artists I've talked to over the years who are quietly wondering if the kind of art and creative expression that they have is is less spiritual because it wasn't obviously religious. Maybe it's abstract or fantasy or landscapes or photography or texture or color or sculpture work like I do or conceptual work. But somewhere along the way, something got inside of them that said, you know, well, is this something that God could really use? Is this something that God really wants me doing? Does he want me making this? Listen, I've just learned over the years, God cares so much more that you create and than what you create because he's interested in partnership and obedience. It's not an either-or. Obedience comes as we partner with the Lord. And as we partner with the Lord, we learn to be obedient with him. These are not mutually exclusive things. They work together as we flow with him in relationship. Again, you look, you look at Bezalel in Exodus 31. God didn't hand him a you know a paint-by-number kit, right? He filled him with creativity and wisdom and craftsmanship and imagination. He he gave him direction, sure, but he also trusted his expression. And the beauty that he created naturally reflected the beauty of God and the nature of God. You know, one of the biggest breakthroughs in my life and what I see in my students is when we stop yielding to everybody else's creative expectations in our life and start actually doing the thing that God created us to do. You know, for me, that's always been the forest and weaving and natural materials and textures, mixed media. I don't know what that is for you, but listen, God's not confused about how he made you. Your attraction and desire toward colors and materials and forms and patterns, that that's not random. That's the nature of God wanting to express itself through you. Now, obviously, we submit ourselves to the Lord in the process, right? We walk in wisdom and purity and and obedience, but you again, you don't have to fully figure out your entire theology of art or your complete artistic voice before you start creating. That understanding grows as you do what God's created you to do and as you walk with Him. And honestly, some of you are waiting for so much certainty that when God invites you into something just to start a relationship, you you're not even stepping into that. And I can tell you 100%, that is not God's plan. God's plan is that you give him your yes, that you walk by faith, that you say, you know where, God, what God, I'm gonna trust what you put inside of me. I'm gonna trust that even though I don't know where we're going, I'm going with you. And when I go with you, everything's gonna work out exactly the way you planned. Now, earlier I said I was gonna share the one thing that changed everything for me and how I approach my creativity with without feeling guilty. And it really is this I started treating my creativity as a calling rather than just my selfish indulgence. I started inviting the Holy Spirit into my creative process rather than feeling like I was being, you know, all out here selfish by myself. And that one thing for me changed everything. Because I knew, and I still know today, when I do the thing that God created me to do with him, God is glorified. I'm transformed in the process, and I know, I trust somebody's gonna encounter him through what I create. Listen, friend, you don't have to have uh it all figured out. You don't have to earn the right to create. You're you're not behind on your journey. You don't need the perfect season, the perfect resources, the perfect studio. And the desire that you feel to create is not a flaw. It's your unique artistic voice and desire that God is trying to invite out of you. Listen, God's not asking you to have it all figured out. He's asking you to just to surrender to him, to say yes, to trust, to walk with him in relationship. And honestly, that is the exact reason why I started doing the Discovery Week, because so many artists actually don't need random information or more, you know, five steps to freedom. They need clarity, they need confirmation, they need understanding of who they are, where they are now in their journey, what's been holding them back, and what their next step actually looks like. And so during Discovery Week, I'm gonna be personally walking you through the same proven pathway that I've taught for years that's helped thousands of Christian artists around the world move from confusion and frustration into clarity and confidence and momentum as artists. And again, best part, completely free. And hey, plus when you register, don't forget you're gonna get access to the free thriving Christian artist assessment that I've created so that you can identify exactly where you are in your creative journey right now. And again, all the the link is right below so you can you can get registered. All right. Listen, I really hope you'll join us for that. And uh, I believe for you and for so many artists, it's gonna be a big, big turning point in your life. Now, hey, before we go, uh I'd love to hear from you in the comments. As usual, I read every one. So let me know which one of these struggles maybe that you've struggled with the most. And um, let me know a little bit about your story and where you are and and what you're thinking you know you can move forward with from this video today. And hey, if you like this video, which I hope you did, make sure that you subscribe to the channel, share it with another artist who needs some encouragement, and I always remember I love you. Until next time, you were created to thrive. Bye.