Start with what’s in your hand

Start with what’s in your hand.

It just might be seeds of greatness, but to you, right now, it looks like something so small and useless.

Don’t be so enamored by huge dreams that you don’t use what is before you today. Remember what seeds are. They are beginnings. They are carriers of dreams, hopes, and our desires to make great things that can impact the world around us.

But if we never plant them, they won’t be able to do what they’re supposed to do. They won’t take root. They won’t grow.

They need to go into the dark, cold ground, where sometimes it seems like we’ve buried the dead. But they are waiting for the right time to burst forth with new life, and fruit.

Don’t give up. Don’t wait for the perfect time. Don’t despise humble beginnings. Use what’s in your hand right now and plant it where you are.

Feeling like your creativity is insignificant?

Feeling invisible doesn’t mean being insignificant.

Our feelings lie and tell us if no one is noticing us, or our work, then we’re not significant, nor is our art.

Significance comes from who we are. Our identity.

When we create from a place of security in that, we have the freedom to be ourselves and release our work.

We all want to create work that makes an impact.

We want followers, likes and shares. But after we create our work and release it, it finds its own way.

Today, you are significant.

Start with that.

Then create and release.

Passion and Puropse

I had the opportunity to speak to about 45-50 high school kids at a retreat a few weekends ago.

It’s been a long while since I’ve been in an environment like that. Once upon a time, into my late twenties, I spent 10 years in youth ministry with my local church’s youth group.

To add to my sense of nostalgia, it was hosted at a retreat center where I spent many formative years myself attending youth retreats and camps. It’s a place of life change for me. Although the grounds and buildings have been updated, I can still reminisce at every turn.

My topic for this informal talk was was “Passion and Purpose”.

I opened by asking a few questions.

“How many of you know what they were passionate about?”

Lots of hands went up with answers like - dancing, photography, sports, baking, fixing things, and so on.

“How many of you aren’t sure” A few hand shot up.

“How many of you wish I would stop asking people to raise their hands?” A brave snarky few raised their hands.  “You, my friends”, I countered, “might just have the gift of critical thinking.”

When I asked how many people knew their purpose, two hands went up. And I’d say that’s probably pretty spot on. Purpose is more slippery especially in our high school years. After all, we're still trying to figure out who we are. (Let’s be honest, many adults are still wrestling with these issues as well.)

So many times students hear the word potential.

“You have potential to be great at this. Keep it up.”

“One day, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

But my challenge to them on this day was to identify something they considered a passion, and pair it with helping someone. Forget someday potential. You can do something TODAY. RIght where you are, with what you have.

Passionate about baking? Perhaps there’s a family near you that can’t even begin to think about food due to a new baby, or an illness in the family that keeps them busy with hospital visits.

Passionate about fixing things? Find that elderly neighbor who might need assistance with some household items that need fixing.

When we our passions collide with serving people, bringing them value, we can find a greater purpose. We get to use our gifts and talents, and other people get to be blessed by them. Everyone wins.

The thing is, it takes intentionality. We have to look beyond our own issues, hangups, hurts – all the self-centered things that can keep us preoccupied so that we don’t even notice the needs of those around us, let alone try to creatively serve them.

My hope is that if even a few of those students walked out of there with a different perspective, perhaps there could be a huge impact on their lives, and the ones they serve. A ripple effect of passion and purpose.

What about you? What are you passionate about? Do you have a sense of purpose?

Are there things that are causing you to not see the needs of the people around you? Who could you serve with your talents and passions?

Did you ever have a Dream?

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. ”

— John F. Kennedy

When I was a kid, all I ever wanted to do was draw, make cards and watch cartoons. I could get lost for hours in the act of creating. Growing up has a way of striping out one of the childhood joys, although I did manage to hang onto small parts of what was inside me in those early days. Even when it came time for college, I knew I had to go to art school, or I wasn’t going at all. It’s debatable as to whether or not I should have majored in graphic design. Some of that decision was guided in response to what kind of art doesn’t leave you as a “starving artist”.

Several design jobs and a career change into ministry, there came an inevitable ache that surfaced and wouldn’t go away. You know what i’m talking about? The kind that gnaws at you over time, always just beneath the surface. No amount of job or career change resolves it. It’s deeper than that. It’s hinged on purpose. This goes way beyond working just so you can pay rent, have a car, provide for a family. Beyond working to pay bills and for possessions and vacations. I think most people may not hate their job, but they’re not loving it either.

What I’m talking about is the stuff of dreams. That place where your very being comes alive, and intersects with your talents. That place where you are fully alive.

I’ve been on the journey towards that place for a long time. There were pit stops and false destinations along the way. But it kept calling.

What’s my dream? To create art that engages people; that connects with their hearts and moves them. Art that is helpful. I want to give myself to this pursuit fully, while being able to “make a living” from it. It’s a dream that is filled with creating in multiple formats utilizing all my talents and abilities. And the more I press into this, the clearer it becomes.

Do you know what I’m talking about? Having a dream and passion so consuming that you don’t have a choice but to lean into it?

Most of us turn back in fear at some point, or hear the “voices” of reason, responsibility, etc. They tell you you can’t do it. And too often so many of us believe them.

For me, as the passion grew, and the dream beaconed louder, all I could do was take the right next step. One after the other.

And now, it feels like my biggest step of all. I’m pursuing my dream. All in. What does that mean?

....I’m going full time into my own art business.

Sometimes it takes an event to interrupt your routine. Mine was my previous employer eliminating a few positions (mine included) due to financial difficulties.

I’ve been pondering my next steps for a while now, and it feels a bit like God has pushed me out of the nest. I’ve been doing my own art in the margins, but it feels like God has orchestrated recent events for me to seize this opportunity. To lean in to where He is calling me.

I will be looking to build up my “ARTrepreneurial” business in what has been referred to as the “Portfolio Life”. Think of it as a wheel with spokes (see drawing below). Each spoke represents a different facet of what I will offer.

• Graphic Design services
• Pet Portraits
• Pop Art (Star Wars, The Walking Dead, etc.) and Art Fairs / Cons
• Original Paintings
• Teaching (via online video courses, workshops)
• Communication (public speaking on Art & Creativity / blogging, writing, maybe even a book)

My desire is to use my art to touch people’s hearts, to provide a help or needed service. And I want to share my own journey and learnings with others, specifically artists, who may be struggling in their own creativity. Some of these areas have already been in the works, while others will be built over time. I’m sure things will look different down the road, but this is where i’m starting.

So, why am I telling you all this?

Because you have journeyed with me. You view my daily art that I post. YOU are part of MY story. The truth is, I’m chasing a DREAM. And I can’t do it alone. So I’m inviting you to PARTNER with me.

What am I asking?

1. I’m looking for new clients with Graphic Design needs, and those desiring Pet Portraits and/or Original Art and prints. If you know of an opportunity that might be a good fit for my talents, please let me know or pass my info along.
    
2. I would greatly appreciate shares, comments, and likes on social media. The more people who can see my art and know about my services, the better. Please share my website:  www.MikeBrennan.me / Instagram / facebook
    
3. Would you consider purchasing a piece of art from me? Take a look around my website or social media posts to see if there is something that speaks to you. This would greatly help me with some startup costs I have. I appreciate your consideration.    

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and journey with me. You have been an encourager of my art over the past few years, and I deeply value that. I am excited, nervous, thrilled, scared all the the same time for what comes next. My family and I are placing our complete trust in God, His leading and provision as we set out on this new adventure.

To infinity and beyond...

It's Bigger.

I was recently listening to a Burning questions video by designer and art thought leader, James Victore. Something that he talks about on a regular basis is the importance of “saying something”. Having an opinion that matters.

One of the things about having an opinion, and saying something through work that matters, is that you need to know yourself, before you can really share yourself. It sounds elementary but it's true.

And how do you get to know yourself? Time. Effort. Miles. You have to keep showing up. Process. Think. Discover. There are no quick routes. The goal isn't in the destination but in the road traveled. And on this journey you not only discover more of who you are, what your passions and abilities are, you'll also discover that maybe, just maybe, the things you thought you wanted (the things you pleaded and prayed and begged for) weren't the things you really wanted after all. Sometimes not getting what you want is actually the best thing. Because over time you realize that there's something better. More true to who you are. And you didn't settle for Good when Best was just ahead on your journey.

That word, Journey. That's a word that I've been thinking about a lot lately. My journey as an artist. Where I’ve been. What I’ve seen and experienced. What I have to share.

I saw this quote on Instagram the other day from Leonardo Da Vinci (I'm pretty sure it wasn't his account...): "The First step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."

“The First step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

— Leonardo Da Vinci

At this point in my journey, do I want to keep striving to create great art? Yes, but it's bigger than that. Bigger than Pet Portraits. Bigger than Pop Culture Art. Bigger than Graphic Design. Bigger than 100 Day Projects and 365 daily art making practices. Bigger. Bigger. Bigger.

What is it then? What's bigger than all of that? It’s ME. My life, insights, the way I see the world - my Journey. It's seeking to be a help and an inspiration to others. And currently, learning to embrace writing so that I might blog, or speak, or maybe even write a book about my journey and experiences (the thought of that sounds crazy to me, but maybe that's proof that I sound be leaning into it). So I'm doing my best to push my fears aside. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunities. Part of that is starting to blog again. 

So here’s your invitation: to walk alongside me. As we travel together, I’ll let you in on what I’ve learned and what I’m thinking about. And hope it encourages you. And maybe, in turn, you will share with someone else.

Meet me here on Wednesdays!  

Is there something about my journey as an artist you would like to know?

Did the Church Fail Van Gogh?

I've been on a Van Gogh journey for a little over a year now. I realize that as an artist, it's almost cliche to like him. Some might scoff, he's not "indie" enough to like. But I really do appreciate not only his work, but more recently, exploring his story. I have watched several films about his life (most not very good BTW, but I did like Lust for LIfe starring Kirk Douglas & Leonard Nimoy's one man show of Vincent). I have also started reading his biography Van Gogh: The Life (but truth be told I'm finding it a little dense reading).

Something I never heard about Van Gogh in my Art school years was that he was actually in the ministry. As an Artist and Christ follower, my faith has always been an integral part of my work (not always in theme but sometimes in attitude and work ethic). So this particular part of Van Gogh's story was intriguing to me. (Not to mention that I used to hold a pastoral position myself.)

Van Gogh... taught in a Methodist boys' school, and also preached to the congregation. Although raised in a religious family, it wasn't until this time that he seriously began to consider devoting his life to the church. Hoping to become a minister, he prepared to take the entrance exam to the School of Theology in Amsterdam. After a year of studying diligently, he refused to take the Latin exams, calling Latin a "dead language" of poor people, and was subsequently denied entrance. The same thing happened at the Church of Belgium: In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a place where preachers were usually sent as punishment. He preached and ministered to the sick, and also drew pictures of the miners and their families, who called him "Christ of the Coal Mines." The evangelical committees were not as pleased. They disagreed with van Gogh's lifestyle, which had begun to take on a tone of martyrdom. They refused to renew van Gogh's contract, and he was forced to find another occupation.

(Source Biography.com)

Van Gogh's relationship with the Church was rocky for sure. He was a rebel. Stubborn. He didn't play by the rules. The life he wanted to lead didn't match the code the Church demanded for him. Did you catch this: The evangelical committees were not as pleased. (Ah, yes the "Committees".) So, they fired him.

Did the Church fail Van Gogh or did Van Gogh fail the Church? Perhaps both. Van Gogh's life and story is fraught with strife and struggle. He was far from perfect. But the same goes for the Church. It's very complicated and I don't mean to skim surface issues to reach my own conclusions, but it made me wonder what would have happened if Van Gogh never left ministry. Would the world ever know his name or his art?

Van Gogh's life and story prompts me to consider a few things further: What can Artists who are Christians learn from his story and interaction with the Church? What can the Church learn about Artists and how to help them find their place in the Church?

{Image: Van Gogh's The Church at Auvers}