Tag: Creativity

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Is Your Creativity a Mirror or a Flashlight?

Is your creativity a mirror or a flashlight? Is it a thermometer or a thermostat? Does it reflect what’s in the heart already or change the surroundings?

A mirror reflects what’s in front of it. The viewer sees what’s already there.
A flashlight sheds light in darkness. The viewer gains new insight that’s useful in moving ahead.

Here’s an observation about Aaron’s creating the golden calf in the book of Exodus.

During their time in the wilderness, the Israelites became restless while Moses was away receiving the Ten Commandments from God.

They strongly encouraged Aaron to use his creative skills to make a golden calf they could use to worship. Aaron used his artistic ability to create an art piece that reflected the sinful nature that was already in the hearts of the people.

Watch this.

The people were already disobedient and had sin in their hearts.
They expressed that they wanted Aaron to create a golden calf, a creative work that would give life to the disobedience that was within their hearts. Aaron complied, pleasing the people with his talent rather than pleasing God.

Our creative talent has power because it’s a gift from God. It has the ability to influence people.

How will you use your unique ability?
Will you use it to make people “look” . . . or help them see?
Will you use it to make people hear what they want or to listen to what they need?
Will your creativity reflect the culture or shine a light for it?

What if Creatives were the key to revealing an age-old conspiracy? What if those flighty, imaginative misfits we all know were the key to an invisible battle for the destruction of mankind?

I’ll talk about it during my workshop “How Creatives Impact the Culture” at Write2Ignite 2017.

Take a peek:

WHAT IF: The Battle Against the UNSEEN! from Tony Snipes on Vimeo.

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Tony Snipes started out as an entrepreneurial artist and has grown with the times to become a digital strategist, with a focus on marketing and small business. He spent most of his career in the news media industry, blending his internet marketing and sales experience with his passion for the arts and entrepreneurship. Tony now devotes his time to illustrating, writing, consulting, and speaking, especially using his blog ArtLessonsFromGod.com as his primary platform.

 

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Making Mud Pies

I’m told I was a particularly difficult baby and a challenging child. The family blames the first on colic; I blame the second on a vivid imagination.

Whatever the cause, a series of photos seems to substantiate the claims of my parentals, aunts and uncles, and grandmother. One snapshot in particular comes to mind.

Picture a “sweet” toddler (me) in a two-piece pink bathing suit (circa the mid-sixties). Black mud smears my white tummy, mats honey-colored curls, and plasters my face. Two green eyes peek out. Mud even coats my arms to the elbows.

What happened? Armed with a Banquet pot pie tin (pre-microwave days), dirt, and water, I “cooked dessert” with joy and abandon. In the middle of a puddle, my imagination sprang loose, and fun ran amok. Creativity happened.

Many of us enjoyed the creativity of childhood. Forsaking a bike to experiment with a unicycle, hosting a tea party on Mars, and staggering through a homemade obstacle course on stilts.

Then we grew up, leaving childhood behind. Unfortunately, many of us left our childhood sense of wonder behind, too.

Somehow grown-up responsibilities crowded out our childlike creativity. Oh sure, we are still creative in how we organize our files, decorate our homes, and manage the other things that clamor for our attention. We use our creativity daily, but we aren’t enjoying our creative nature, and we rarely devote time to enriching that aspect of our lives.

But if we want to write for children, we need to rediscover the joy of a vivid imagination.

If you want to bring back that sense of wonder, to embrace that childlike creativity, to re-accept our unique natures and use the gifts God gives each of us, join me at Write2Ignite! 2017 in my workshop “Creativity: Imagine Like a Child.” We’ll be digging into some fun hands-on exercises!

Hope to see you there. I hear the dirt at North Greenville University is red!

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If Your Future Could Speak

tony-quotesMondaysWhen I was in the 3rd grade, Mrs. Wheatley, my teacher, gave my mother a warning. She said, “Mrs. Snipes, we just can’t let his imagination run off with him.” My mom didn’t heed that warning . . . and it’s the reason why I still daydream today!

One of my favorite daydream scenarios might actually involve you.

Here’s what I mean:

I love science fiction, especially stories about time travel!

What if I were a time traveler from the not-too-distant future, sent on a mission back to this decade? Let’s imagine that I’ve been here for a few years now, so I’ve blended in very well. (I know it’s not real, but humor me for a moment!)  :)

But what if the mission I was sent on involves you?

Let’s imagine that where I’m from, your creative endeavors have already grown and have been the key to lives being impacted, prayers being answered, and people being changed.

You just don’t know it right now.

i-believeRewind back to this point in your creative life. What if you, like many creatives, are at a crossroads?

  • You’re not really sure you have what it takes, but you know it’s a passion you can’t ignore.
  • You’re frustrated because you know you have talent, but you don’t know what you should be doing with it.

 

What if you find yourself asking these 3 age-old questions:prayer of the creative

  • Who am I? (Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist, teacher, musician, etc.?)
  • Why am I here?
  • What should I be doing? (What’s the purpose for my talent?)

This is what my session at Write2Ignite will tackle head on. The session is based on my book, God’s 7 Keys for Creative People. We will discuss:

  • How to know your creative identity.
  • Why your talent is important to God . . . and significant to the enemy!
  • Why it’s not too late to pursue your creative dreams.
  • How to stay creative, even with a schedule that doesn’t allow you to!

I’m so looking forward to meeting you in person at the Write2Ignite conference! In the meantime, here’s a super short video clip to give you a better idea about what I plan to share during my session: God’s 7 Keys for Creative People—2016 (from Tony Snipes on Vimeo).

Want to hear more? Visit my website, ArtLessonsfromGod.com, and follow me on Facebook! Take a peek at video from my LIVE art events: ArtSlamLive.com, or just email me at tony@artlessonsfromGod.com.