A believing creative's manifesto
Thoughts on how to position the heart in a content-filled world where there are kingdoms to be made, masses to be reached, millions of dollars exchanged, and stories to tell
There’s a content boom. Have noticed? What a time to be alive!
As believing creatives there is more opportunity than ever to create and fewer excuses than ever not to develop our inner life and our craft.
This is a time for faith-filled creators to flourish. More than ever, there’s a sense that if you can imagine it, you can do it. With phones in our hands and super-computers in our pockets, we can publish to almost any platform and reach global audiences with our faith and creativity.
But why do we do it?
As believing creatives, how are we to position ourselves in a time when content kingdoms are being established, masses are to be reached, and millions of dollars are to be made?
The following is a manifesto for artists of faith. They are core beliefs and intentions for people seeking stewardship of creatives gifts. If you dedicate yourself and your time to faith and creativity feel free to use, adopt, challenge, and take any of these to heart and into your practice.
Who is the manifesto for?
You can use these guidelines if you’re a streamer, a writer, a filmmaker, a musician, an illustrator, a designer, or an actor.
They will help and support you whether you create content for social media, Substack, podcasts, YouTube, or any channel in between.
I’m using this manifesto as a way to face the algorithmic pressures head-on while nurturing my inner life and craft as a Christian content creator.
I’ll be expanding each point into its own essay in the coming weeks. Share this with a faith-filled creator who you think should follow along!
A believing creative’s manifesto
I will remember that I already have it all. As I create and pursue artistic goals, I will remember that I already possess the ultimate prize, the ultimate gift, the greatest love: God himself (and he possesses me). There is no secret or more satisfying thing I can acquire beyond what I already have—which is no less than “every spiritual blessing” in Christ himself.
I will invite God in. I’ll do this by regularly spending time in God’s presence to pray, devote my heart and my craft to Him, to humble myself, seeking wisdom, guidance, and forgiveness (which includes confessing sin and acknowledging my waywardness).
I will be faithful to steward the creative gifts God has given me. Because they are talents he has deemed suitable to invest in me, I will develop them. Burying them is unfaithfulness.
I will allow for joy. My craft is a gift—for myself to enjoy and for my character and life to be shaped by—just as it is a gift for others to enjoy and to be impacted by.
I will write to follow not to be followed. I will run after God and his ways, hungry to discover truths, to get to the heart of things, to say what needs to be said.
I will write to discover, not to be discovered. I want to be curious about the world and people, seeking to learn. I will be open to surprise. I want content creation to be like a treasure hunt—seeking out and unveiling new insights, truths, and mysteries.
I will not treat my art like some view romantic love. I will not view creativity as a shrine or temple, a golden statue or a prize that I covet, worship, adore. Furthermore, I won't view art like something I cannot control. While inspiration may fall upon me, move me, dazzle me, it isn't something that possesses or controls me. I will wield it and, if I am possessed by anything, it will be God's Spirit.
I will not be driven or tossed by spontaneous creativity or by the algorithmic sea. I won’t release content in fits of ecstasy or run to channels simply to jump on trends. I will be careful not to confuse the strong waves of spontaneous creativity or the strong currents of pop culture as ultimate truths. I will temper these passions and pulls.
I will recognize that breakthrough and opportunity can come at any moment. Just as creative genius can emerge in small and big ways, from surprising places and through unexpected people, so too can creative or career breakthroughs arrive unexpectedly.
I will value the little things. I will not despise small acts of faithfulness, modest creative output, or the “small” people. I will remember always that God looks at the heart. He does not measure the value of things by human standards like net worth, bank statements, follower counts, media exposure, or creative résumé.
I will have Key Performance Indicators that differ from the world’s. My KPIs will include:
Did I speak the truth in love?
Did I encourage and build up?
Was I obedient and faithful?
Did I ask God what my responsibility was to share and did I share it?
I will do my best to develop my inner life. Without a deep inner world, I will have a shallow creative one. I will recognize that what is in me matters. If it is not surrendered to God, then what is on me will crush me.
I will remember that there is no substitute for a life lived with God.
I will bring out of my treasure what is new and what is old. I will hold on to Matthew 13:52 and take the parable to heart. Treasures include timeless truths, new and old ideas, new and old forms and media, and new and old practices.
I will view my craft as part of a greater inheritance. I will learn from and be aware of the creatives that have gone before me and upon whose shoulders I stand, creatively. I will seek to make a contribution that adds value and extends beyond my life and time.
I will not box myself in. I will follow my interests as I listen to my life and look at the world around me, responding with creativity. The world will try to niche me, and it can be strategic to market myself or my work in particular ways. Still, I will permit myself to write or create in different styles and lanes.
I will be faithful to share my craft when the time is right and with the right people.
I will invite the right voices in to speak into my creative process. I’m free to invite different people in at various stages of creative development. But I will be careful not to invite people in too early, careful to select trustworthy voices, and will put clear parameters about what input I’d like to receive.
I will be careful what voices I listen to. I recognize there are cruel voices and I permit myself not to listen to them—acknowledging that I am often my own worst critic and limiter. As a result, I will also be careful what I say about my work and myself.
I will allow myself to be hungry for success and to go after it. I permit myself to be audacious, to think and dream big, and to make creative risks. But I won’t confuse success (audience size, royalties, clicks, views) with righteousness or the measure of my personal worth to God or others.
This manifesto for believing creatives is a living document. I’m writing it for myself first and sharing it in case it helps you too. Take what serves you!
I’ll be expanding each point into its own essay in the weeks ahead. I hope that you’ll join me as we go deeper and that this list encourages you in your faith and your craft.
Which of these ‘I will’ statements do you most need right now?
Reply and tell me, I’d love to know what’s resonating with you!
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An aside from Andrew…
I don’t have a paywall on the content here. My hope is to bring encouragement and hope to readers and make my writing available to as many people as possible. But as an independent creator, quite honestly, I need all the support I can get. If you’re able to give a gift of any size, I’d be grateful, and it will help me continue to create and keep this space free for everyone. If you’d like to give, just click the button below. Thanks friend, AK.