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Hey there Reader!

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I'm not sure where you are, but I think when we moved from Texas to Chicago, we unloaded some 90-degree weather from our moving truck! Here's a dose of some weekly art sparks for your sunny summer:

• Artists, don't get discouraged by AI. I loved these remarks by Rick Rubin: "The reason we go to the artists we go to is for their point of view. The AI doesn't have a point of view." He calls AI a "tool." This is similar to what I heard Kevin Kelly say AI is good for. Kelly says he uses AI much like he would a personal assistant.
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• Working on deadlines. Author and artist, Austin Kleon, shares 5 thoughts about working on deadlines him with his work. How he talks about illustrations being like "nest eggs" made me want to share this with you.
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• Christian Discipleship Is Rooted in Truth, but Pulled by Beauty. In recent years, I have been more appreciative of writings devoted on the imagination. Christianity Today's, Ashley Hales, reviews two books engaging with the topic. The title is fantastic.
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• Weaving art into life with kids. For those with kiddos in the house, you might enjoy this piece by Courtney Martin. In her substack article, she shares how she creates conditions for a culture of creativity in her family's home: 1) Make a little family studio, no matter how small; 2) Have supplies on hand; 3) Let go of perfection or completion; and 4) Appreciate the power of art. It reminded me a little of what Andy Crouch said about space design and how he and his wife decided to put screens at the edges of their house to not make them the central focus.
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• It takes a long time to sound like yourself. This last week, I was drawn to this Miles Davis quote. Since our family has been in transition, I have felt little gas in the tank for art-making. But that's where I know where I am at today doesn't define me. I've got multiple dreams or projects on my artsy back-burners to fill up the next several years. Some days, I forget they are even there. Other days, I have no energy to even devote to them. If you find you are there, don't beat yourself up. Just keep going. Keep playing the long game. Keep making. Keep serving others with what you make.
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• Translating the Psalms into oral communities. You might really like this. Many communities desire to see the book of Psalms translated and sung in their own languages. But what do missionaries do with the gap between a literate book (the Bible) and an oral community? Organizations like Psalms That Sing are devoted to bridging that gap. Learn about their 10-step process to go from oral to text to performance.

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- Matt

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