What is your story? Why are you interested in the topics you’ve been drawn to?

In my case the intersection of art and religion. That is where I have lived. Why. My mother is an artist my dad a minister.

All my life I’ve tried to see how art and spirituality can conjoin in Christ, or are already together in Him. I’m interested in where art and spirituality come together in an authentic way.

I’ve quested after that integration in myself and others, and the church.
I have blind spots or wounds also, where i felt rejected by the traditional church, yet i was also validated both as an artist and minister. So I’ve tried to live them as one.

My mentors have been those who have integrated their creativity with their faith in an authentic way and expression of their relationship with God.

When i was a kid, my dad used to have many artist and thinkers over to the house to do bible study and question and answer nights. Several of the artist who came, impacted my life. Noah was one, who i really liked, and who later killed himself.

I always wanted to know why Noah could not find a context for his art in the church. He was not making “Christian” art, but just making art. And I really liked his art.

When he died, i vowed to find a place for artist in Christ. I wanted to see how the church could expand its roof to include the arts, and haven and mentor the artist to be themselves and explore God through art.
That’s been my life’s theme.

I studied at Labri and other places to try to find this integration point. I also became an art therapist and worked with homeless in and outside the church, largely to experience the place where God heals people through creativity.
I’ve also always had favor in both the art and church world.
That’s been my journey.

I still work with people who are trying to help integrate art and spirituality. And have help run communities focused on that integration.
I really enjoy working with artist who desire to bring those parts of their lives together under one roof.

Giving people tools to help them bring those parts of their lives under the one enormous Roof of Christ is my passion.

I don’t like art as propaganda for God. I prefer just helping artist find and meet and be formed by God through their creative process.

My core passion is to integrate creativity and spirituality in an authentic way, which honors the unique identity of each person, and gives God room to express Himself through the uniqueness of how each person is made, and to help them integrate their creativity into their authentic spiritual relationship with God. .

The spiritual practices of prayer and making art with God–ie listening to God as you create, and responding to one another through art, are my three of my favorite practices to bring the integrate art and spirituality! This is one way in which we bring more of our stories together.