The Creative Call: An Artist's Response to the Way of the Spirit

by Janice Elsheimer

Book Overview

Perhaps you're a "closet writer" who's been scribbling in journals for years. Maybe you once had a passion for playing the piano or violin--a passion that is still flickering somewhere deep inside you. You may have a knack for photography, drawing, gardening, cooking, or some other creative gift. Or you may long to express yourself creatively, but have yet to discover your unique talents. Your creativity was meant be used. Whether you are an artist...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877881383
• ISBN13: 9780877881384
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Shaw Books
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.3" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Wow!!

I'm only half-way into this book, but it's life changing. This book is aimed to help you integrate your art into your Christian life and walk with God (be it writing, cooking, visual arts or performance). She walks you step by step to exercises to help unlock your talent and help you hear from God, including scripture memory and journaling. This book is aimed at someone who just wants to look deeper at their gift, or someone who has squashed their creative gift, or even someone who is trying to uncover exactly what it is. Excellent!

Goes Deeper than Artist's Way into Faith

This is an excellent book. I've done Julia Cameron's, The Artist's Way" and loved it but Creative Call goes a step further. Using Biblical references, prayer and journaling, Creative Call takes you through an eight week journey of creative discovery. God gave you your creative gifts for a reason and he intends for you to use them to his glory. Creative Call contains excercises that help you explore how to make time for your art, forgiveness of those who have discouraged you (it may be you) and encourages taking steps to get started. If you feel God has given you a creative gift and you're ready to find out what to do with it, this is the book for you.

An exhortation of importance

As a journalist and arts critic, I've found it all too easy to lose a sense of the "holy" in writing for newspaper deadlines. Often, I ignore the spiritual stirring to write something personal -- not for print, because it isn't practical or saleable. I had come to see my gift as a commodity.Somehow as a professional writer, I lost the sense of writing as an act of worship, incarnational and transforming. The Creative Call reminded me that creating is holy business, to and for our Creator -- for the sheer delight of creating. This book encourages accountability and stewardship of our gifts.

My Creative Call

I grabbed up The Creative Call in the midst of artistic anxiety. I earnestly read and did the assignments. Some of the assignments reaffirmed what I already knew but I had not been taking action. I am thankful for Janice's words encouraging me to stay on task. There are other parts of the book which required me to do some deep spiritual digging.Then some people call it synchronicity others know the touch of God's hand as people came into my path and events started to emerge. To my joy a group began doing the book on a weekly basis. We share and discover more. The memorization verses spring up as we immerse ourselves in His word. I came to such an epiphany and will continue to follow the guidelines in the book. I had always believed in the Lord working through my hands but now I see my work as a form of worship. I have passed on my enthusiasm and belief to everyone at Gallery523. Wishing you a good journey too.

Committing Your Work to the LORD

As a painter who had hit a dry spell, this book, The Creative Call, has helped me to rethink the whole process of "art making". I now see each painting as a gift, a "love note" from God. I also see both the process and the finished work as an act of service, a means of worship, once I have committed that work to the LORD (Prov 16:3) and have opened up "to the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit" (p161). More than ever, I see myself as a vessel, an instrument for God to use for His creative expression. And, as the author writes, I too have begun to see my painting as "a pathway to a closer relationship with God, not as a glorification of myself" (p65). Janice's clear and insightful writing thoughtfully guides the artist (and would-be artist) to a new place - a place of pure gratitude and love for God and for the gift which He has given.