Hey friend,
I want to talk about something close to my heart today — art. Not just resin art, not just jewelry, not just the things I get to make with my own two hands here at the Cottage. I mean art in every form it takes: painting, music, writing, dance, pottery, photography, baking, gardening, woodworking, quilting, singing, building. All of it.
I believe, all the way down, that the ability to create was placed in us on purpose. We were made in the image of a Creator — the very first thing we learn about God in Scripture is that He made something out of nothing. And when He made us in His image, He tucked a piece of that same creative fire inside every single one of us.
"See, I have called by name Bezalel... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts." — Exodus 31:2-3
I love that verse because it's easy to think of the Bible as only caring about the "spiritual" gifts — prophecy, teaching, healing. But right there in Exodus, God fills a man with the Holy Spirit specifically to make beautiful things. Skilled craftsmanship. Artistry. That was the gift, and it was called holy.
So if you've ever felt a little silly or indulgent for loving your art — whatever it is — I want you to hear this: it's not silly. It's not extra. It's not something to apologize for or set aside once you're an adult with real responsibilities. It's part of how you were built to reflect the One who made you.
Maybe your art is a paintbrush. Maybe it's a camera, a mixing bowl, a garden bed, a guitar, a journal, a sewing machine, a pottery wheel, or — like me — resin and dried flowers and wire-wrapped stones. It doesn't matter what it looks like. What matters is that when you create, you're doing something echoing all the way back to Genesis 1.
Here's what I've learned making things with my own hands these past few years:
Creating isn't about being good at it. It's about being obedient to the pull. Some of the most meaningful things I've made were far from perfect. The imperfection didn't cancel out the sacredness of making it.
Art is a form of worship, even when it's not "Christian art." A well-tended garden, a well-written sentence, a well-thrown pot — all of it can be an offering, whether or not it ever mentions God's name.
The world tries to convince us art is a luxury. That it's only worth doing if it turns a profit or gets applause. But art was never meant to only exist for permission or payout. Sometimes it's just meant to exist because you needed to make it, and that's enough.
If you've been neglecting whatever your art is — however small, however "unprofessional," however long it's been sitting untouched — I want to gently nudge you back toward it today. Pick the paintbrush back up. Open the journal. Turn on the pottery wheel. Sing in the car like nobody's listening. You were given that gift on purpose, and the world needs what only you can make with it.
With so much love,
Momma J 🤍