Featured illustration by S from NB.
Henri Matisse was a French painter in the early 1900s. He painted for more than fifty years, and is now known as one of the most important painters of the modern era. People often compare him to Picasso.
Matisse has a very popular quote: “Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working.” I think what he means is this: If you want to become a better poet, illustrator, or painter, you must practice every day. You must write; you must draw; you must paint. For many people, making art is not optional. It’s like breathing. You cannot wait for inspiration to come, because if you wait long enough, you will never make art — and you will never feel alive.
This is not unlike faith. If we want to be more like Jesus, we must spend time with Him every day. We must spend time in His Word; we must pray; we must sing hymns of worship and praise. If we wait until we feel like praying or reading our Bible, some of us never will. And the Bible says that to live life without Jesus is like dying (see Romans 6:23).
The Good News of Jesus is that, through Him, we find eternal life. We find Divine Inspiration. We live!
For this reason, we collect the art that our students often submit to us with their lessons and publish a bi-annual art book. We send the art book to our students to inspire them, to comfort them, and to tell them that their work and gifts are meaningful. We’re proud of the art that our students create, and excited to share their God-given gift with you.
Romans 12:6-8: “If your gift is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” Join us in celebrating our students’ gifts!
