Taking Care of Artists

Donna & Mark Turner, Co-founders

     Some people are so passionate about their visions of "what could be" that they can not be contained by conventional institutions of society. Artists are usually in this group.  

 

     Some learn to navigate the boundaries of their world. Others are tolerated as "pets" or "jesters" of their society. But most are not so fortunate. At a young age they may be spotted and forced to give it up for training more practical in the job market.  

     For those of us who adopt the non-conformist's path, life is always tinged with skeptical looks and closed doors. How to be true to our heavenly vision while pushing the boundaries of society: this is an art which we have been learning over the decades and try to impart to other artists. We have realized that it is not enough to just talk about the beauty beyond the conventional, or to just create our pictures of ideals. We are called to live it in the midst of the conventional world.

    

     We tend to get in the way, or to complicate the flow of systems set up for orderly life. Often such people are eliminated gently, or violently. But, a wise society makes room for such prophets, poets, artists and innovators. Most of them are not tough and self sustaining like Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, or many famous names you could recite. A wise society looks for these and nurtures them from infancy. 

     Do you think your society tends to nurture, or inhibit artists? Ultimately, God calls everyone to live the heavenly kingdom each in our unique way with the goal of all humanity enjoying the ideals which now seem such "wonderful, but crazy dreams". (Please look at the biblical background which sparked these thoughts. Click here: II Corinth. 3:6b, 17-18  .)