About Artists 2 (Artists are FLAKEY!)

Some people think that artists are just inherently flakey.  That’s because many artists are flakey.  Like totally flakey, absolute flake-jobs, man.  Wing nuts.  Goof balls.  Whack-O’s.  Dingbats.  But God has not chosen for us to be flakey, He has chosen for us to be COLORFUL! 

Being colorful is an important part of our design.  Flags, banners and standards are also colorful.  They are designed that way for a purpose.  When the army is large and spread out the soldiers cannot always instantly recognize the leader.  Because he may well be far away, they look for and follow the flag, the standard, the banner.  Isaiah 11:12 says, “He will raise a banner for the nations”.  Though the reference speaks of Jesus being the banner that will stand for the people - the banner the nations will rally around.  But we too are banners, who’s colors unfurled capture the attention of the people of God and direct their gaze heavenward.  We are like a glorious standard whipped with the wind of the Holy Spirit pointing the lost to a sure hope.  Yes, artists are colorful, and for a God-ordained purpose, to be seen even from a distance, a pennant emblazoned with the colors, the insignia, the emblem of majesty.  We’re supposed to “stand out”, as we stand up on the platform so that others may see how glorious God is.  And not merely “stick out”, noticed by others for our peculiar, offbeat or weird behavior, or attitudes that tend to put others off.   

Artists are by nature creative people, visionary and inventive. Creative is good, and creativity, vision, and imagination God-given.  But some folks take creativity, imagination, and vision into a fantastically selfish area. Here’s a good rule-of-thumb (use it, or don’t):  If what you are and how you act as an artist pulls you away from people, separates you, tends toward isolation because “people just don’t get me, man”, or simply causes others not to want to be around you, it’s a good bet that you’ve drifted from the center of your God-given gift.  God gave you the gift you have, so you can lead OTHERS to Christ.  Nothing more.  But absolutely nothing less.