Welcome!

 

 

Hi, hello welcome, hola! Welcome to my blog and page, Otts Creative Ministries. I started posting my art over a year ago, but I wasn’t entirely sure what direction to go with my art, (or my life in general due to a breakup lol). However, over the past few months, God’s been watering a seed that was planted a while ago in a class I took before I switched my major from worship leadership to studio art.

The class was Survey of the Arts in Worship, which was a class about using different forms of art in worship such as lighting, video, graphics, and visual art, not just music. Reading those books in that class, I wasn’t thinking as a worship leader, thinking “Oh, I should use these forms of art in worship at whatever church I end up at.” No, I was thinking as an artist, thinking, “This book is defending my work as a Christian artist, that it is needed just as any other talent God gives people
.”  To my teacher of that class, Collin Clardy, thanks for having us read those books.

It was shortly after that semester I changed my major, and then a few months later I started posting my art, however with very little direction of what I was doing. About a month later or so, I would experience my first breakup, which is always the worst one. Long story short and to not say anything that would , it wasn’t what God had for me. Experiencing that pain, I did the one thing I know to do and that was run to God. My walk with Him had not been the best for the better part of a year due to that relationship. I got plugged back into worship at my church at home and then at a new church my pastors recommended I come to when I moved back for my junior year. I had been serving with my talent of music and my time, but I started to wonder, how can I use my talent of art for the Lord?

I began to research other Christian artists, not seeing any like me. I couldn’t find any Christian artists that focused on fine arts. It seemed to be mostly graphic designers, the occasional illustrator, and almost all of them had one thing in common: minimalism. Now I have nothing against minimalism, but it’s not for me, and if you’re here, I’m sure it’s not for you either. As I continued to look, I began to find Christian artists doing more fine arts and thought, “Ok, this isn’t impossible.”

After that, I looked at the art world today. That was easy thanks to taking a class on contemporary art and seeing my work in a student gallery alongside art from other students my age around the area. I think that is what finally pushed me to take all these ideas and make them a reality. I had a painting of the statue of David in a gallery where most artworks were spiritually the opposite. The current day art world can be beautiful, but it’s also probably one of the spiritually darkest places today. 

And that is what has finally pushed me to launch my art as a ministry. I want to show other Christian artists that they are not as alone as they feel, that their work is just as important for the Kingdom as anyone else’s. I want to use my art to minister to other Christians, to remind them of the beauty of God’s Word. I also want to use my art to minister to the unbeliever, to make my art show them the Creator of all.  Overall, I want my art to reflect Jesus. I hope you’ll join me on this journey through engagement, prayer, and support. Thanks for being here 😊.