Step Into Your Destiny: YOU Are an Artist

YOU are an Artist!

“Well, not really, but I want to be,” you say.

You ARE an artist.

A five-year-old with a fist full of crayons is an artist.

Your friend who dresses funky and is always collecting things and making stuff for her home is an artist.

And so are YOU.

You create.

You paint.

You make art.

So why do you feel bashful telling others you are an artist? Who are you comparing yourself to?

You are an artist.

But why? What for?

For whom?

What’s the point?

What do you want to do about it? Where are you going with all of this creativity and desire to make beautiful things?

Since you were young, you have always felt you were different. You thought a little differently. You saw things differently. When you saw colored paper and scissors and crayons and glitter glue, your heart leapt. When you gazed at a blank piece of paper, you saw the possibilities. You only wanted time to yourself to create your world. You have always known you are an artist, even if you weren’t creating art.

But when you paint, you love to feel the buttery paint fill the hairs of your brush as you mix a color on your palette. You get deep satisfaction watching the paint glide across your canvas and mix with other colors in perfect harmony.

When you apply thick, heavy amounts of fresh paint, you love to see it break into dry-brush texture as it serves its purpose, releasing light and form. You sigh in deep satisfaction as you step back from your painting and see the beauty that just effortlessly fell out of your brush.

Well…okay, these are the good times at least. These are the moments that draw you back into this emotional life as an artist.

The Passion Inside You

Maybe you paint because you like to make others feel happy or deeply touched when they see your art. Maybe you love to hear the words, “That is so beautiful!” Maybe you just love to see the viewer’s face light up in wonderment as you watch their eyes follow your brushstrokes and move around your painting.

Or maybe, on those days you are feeling brave, you want to change the world. When you allow yourself to dream and you are in that private, quiet place in your heart where desire burns deep, maybe you see yourself as a champion of your cause, filling the earth with your creations that turn the world upside right again. Maybe you are a culture warrior who rides through the city with colorful banners of restoration, proclaiming love, peace, and justice.

You are an artist! And you know it.

When all perceived obstacles are aside and you live in that future space of complete freedom, you see canvases full of possibilities. You see your dream art studio basking in natural light, rows of paint tubes as far as you can see and canisters filled with every brush, all in perfect condition. You dream of a life of color, bold marks, and guilt-free creating.

The Time is NOW!

Did you know there is no better time for an artist to be alive than right now?

Did you know this is YOUR time?

Did you know you were born for such a time as this?

Your assignment as an artist is to illuminate the hearts of man with the light of beauty and the magical moment of an Act of Creation. Your job, your duty, your purpose is to shine your art and change the world. This world needs your art. Everything in your life to this point has prepared you for this moment to shine, to step forth, and to move into your destiny.

You have what it takes. You lack nothing. Forget talent. Who cares about that! Your passion and desire will carry you past any shortcomings because you can learn! Your destiny as an artist has waited for you all of these years. There is nowhere else to turn, no more places left to hide. You know that this is your time. You can no longer avoid it or pretend to be something other than an artist.

You have wanted this your whole life. You have told your closest friends when you have dared to step to the edge. You have now resigned yourself to a creative life. That moment of decision, that commitment of your heart to finally go for it, cannot be undone.

You have crossed a threshold and stepped onto a path, and the way behind you has closed up. There is no return to safety and comfort. You are left with no other choice but to move forward into the unknown and embrace your awaiting destiny with hope and trust.

Better are the days in front of you. Warmer is the light that illuminates your road. The steps forward now feel inviting and more certain. Living your life as an artist feels like your true self. Your true identity is found on this road.

As you walk and learn more about the terrain of this road, you feel your steps grip the ground with sureness. You walk in authority and power. Your confidence is ever-growing. Your vision for what is next is clearer. Joy returns to your heart. You have always wanted this life of purpose and to live out your true identity. You are no longer hiding or avoiding who you really are. You now feel authentic and genuine, walking down the road of your true destiny.

This is your time. The future is now. You are unstoppable.

The Movement Begins

Your Renaissance is here!

It is just beginning...

Can you hear the sound?

Can you feel the movement coming?

You know you are not alone in this.

The world is ready for you. The world has been prepared for a time like this. Culture is shedding its dark days of elitism and conceptual mind games. Culture is left dry and thirsty, waiting to be quenched by what is beautiful, what is true, and what is worthy.

For too long, the world spun in the vastness of reason and logic, where man is the sum of all things. Culture has been warped and twisted and deranged. It has been forced to live as an imposter and has deceived all of its people. It is a house of mirrors, a labyrinth of distortion. It has reflected a world with inverted values. What is bad, is good. What is good, is bad. Ugliness is beauty, and true beauty is mocked.

Culture has been held captive in shackles, drugged into a stupor, and enslaved to perform dark tasks. It has been forced to serve a master who is the sorcerer of all lies. It aims to lure, entice, and seduce you to serve him. It works to wrap a heavy chain around your neck so that you can no longer lift your head. It is this culture that has convinced you that are NOT really an artist.

But you have been charged to set culture free.

A new day is dawning, and its light rises above the mountain peaks. This is the start of something new. It is true Beauty revealed.

Beauty stands like a bride in the fullness of a new day, waiting to be unveiled. She is free and unfettered. She is free of religion. She is unbound by politics. She knows nothing of reason or logic or of proven theories, or even of distorted histories. Beauty is no longer subjugated to utility or productivity or efficiency. She is no longer held captive within industry or functionality. Beauty is no longer enslaved by lack, or held captive by the fear of wasting paint or canvases, or bound by the idea that creative time is frivolous.

Beauty forgives, holds no grudges, and remembers the past no more. She is pure of heart and cannot be tempted by pride or the decadent desires of flesh. She is not given over to the resistance to paint or time in the studio. She is wisdom and knows a lie from truth. She is a virtuous beauty that shines and glistens with the splendor of heaven.

She delights in love, honor, and all things above. She is the promise of life.

She is the hope of eternity.

She is your beauty to paint.

Your Sacrifice

In the light of this splendid Beauty and the responsibility that surrounds her, a fear grips your heart. It tightens its fist and begins to squeeze your life away from you. It whispers in your ear as if it were your own voice: “You can’t do this. You are not good enough. They will all laugh at you.”

You begin to think you made it all up. Maybe you imagined the moment you felt the stirring inside of you. Maybe you never heard the voice in your heart that spoke your destiny to you. You remember the words of your father or teachers saying, “You can't do it. You don't have what it takes. You are not even talented. Get your head out of the clouds and get a real job!”

You start to believe you are not an artist. You think it is all a childhood fantasy. It is a frivolous cause and not worth your time to pursue.

Doubt becomes wisdom, and fear becomes truth.

The light on your path grows dim, and you cannot see beyond your next step. There is probably a cliff coming where you will fall to certain death. You turn away from that road and look for the path back to all that you knew before. The life of routine and monotony. The life of safety and what is familiar. That life of comfort and mediocrity that feels like a dark, quiet room and a warm bed. Your flesh cries out for that easy place of leisure.

But you see that you are hedged in. The path behind you has closed up. There is no way back that is easy. There are only briars and thorns behind you. You can't even make out the path. You are lost, and the shadows are becoming long. The day is falling into darkness, and soon it will be night. You know you don't have much time left.

You realize the only way you can move is forward, back on your road to your destiny. It is time for courage. It is time to face fear and doubt and step forward anyway. You close your eyes and take a step of faith.

You feel fear loosen its grip. With each step, you realize the light has not failed you and the next step is illuminated. You realize your fear and doubts are all liars. Your memories and past words are deceptive mirrors that distort your identity. You realize that you were created for this. You are not alone, and following the lit path will lead you to your destiny. Your responsibility is to just keep moving forward and trust.

You see that your destiny as an artist has a price. It will cost you. Your sacrifice comes in the form of a battle. You will have to fight your enemies: Resistance, Fear, Doubt, Complacency, Pride, Self-Sabotage, Lack, Unbelief, Rejection, Abandonment, and Unworthiness.

They will ambush you when you least expect it. They will arrive like a vast army to intimidate you, thwart you, and keep you low and feeling weak. You must keep your armor of Purpose, Destiny, and Calling on you at all times. You must know that your are not alone and you have a much larger angelic army by your side the moment you agree with heaven. This sacrifice is one of a gladiator or warrior always ready for battle.

You see that you must sacrifice and pour yourself out like an offering. You must allow yourself to be seen. Your heart will be laid bare for all to see and judge. You will endure risk and maybe even persecution. You may have friends who turn away. You will know those who will not understand. You may feel alone and isolated at times. You realize with such a great task comes a great price.

To rescue culture and manifest Beauty, you must be vulnerable and exposed. You know that you will be judged and misunderstood. The price you will pay is perseverance. You must look beyond the battle in front of you, to the face of the one who has called you to this path. This is the only voice that matters. To hear this voice above all others requires only one thing. The most important virtue that exists.

It is love.

Yes. Love.

It is LOVE that supersedes Fear, Doubt, and Lack and makes self-sacrifice a joy.

You must love in order to be an artist.

Love that is not self-serving.

Love that is unconditional.

Love that is steadfast and unwavering.

Love that is a decision, a declaration, and a mandate.

The only way to create this Beauty that will set the captives free, is to love.

The Next Step

Now what?

What is next?

There has never been a time like this before in history. All things are converging to give you opportunities in art beyond your wildest dreams. You have access to more art materials than ever before. Art supply companies create new innovations and materials with improved pigments and safety every month. There are pens and crayons and paints that artists in the past couldn’t even conceive of. Information on techniques and art processes are more accessible than ever before.

Art collectors are abundant! There is a strong appetite in the world for owning artwork. More art sales have occurred in the last few years than ever before in history. Art collectors span every social and economic group. Young and old, rich and poor—all collect art.

Art is everywhere. In the past, art could only be seen in sacred places or palaces. Then it could only be seen in museums or the homes of the very rich. Now, art is in nearly every home and every business. It is found in airports, malls, and banks. You see art in the streets and on people’s skin. Never before has there been such a demand for art.

Artists have traditionally been subjected to the whims of the patrons. Artists have relied on a church or king to commission their work. Then the artist was beholden to the salon or academy to approve and sell their work. Then the artist was managed by galleries, agents, and critics.

Today, the artist is free.

Those old structures that upheld elitism and cultural agendas are crumbling as the months pass. These structures served to cause a chasm between the artist and the collector. There was a dark hand that existed between Beauty and the Beholder. It decided what would be seen and what would remain hidden.

Now you can sell your work directly to the collector. You can print your creations on almost everything to touch a wider audience.

Now the artist has been given her power back. For too long, the artist has been cheated, lied to, and stolen from.

Now the artist has a platform to shine.

Imagine if the Impressionists or Surrealists had access to modern branding and social media. Imagine if Van Gogh had Instagram. What if his message of love could have touched millions in real time? What if you had a virtual live portal streaming into his studio and you could watch “Starry Night” come to life?

These are the times you live in as an artist! As a lover of Beauty, YOU, with just one click, can release your vision to the world in moments and impact culture in an instant.

The world waits for your art, for your love.

What will you do?

You will paint.

You will learn new things.

You will find your people, your community, your tribe—and join us.

You will step into your destiny.

You will shine your art and change the world.

YOU ARE AN ARTIST!

When did you first decide to call yourself an artist? If you’re still struggling to step into the artist identity, what is holding you back?

Share your story in the comments!