It’s Leap Day

This day happens only once every four years and it’s a huge marvel when you think about it. Long before the advent of computers, satellites, etc., back as far as the 1500s, someone figured out that it takes 365 and a quarter days for the earth to travel around the sun. To some that quarter day, six measly hours, wouldn’t make a difference. In fact the difference it makes is huge. Every four years, we’d lose a day and eventually seasons would get all mixed up, summer would be winter and vice versa. It would create a plethora of problems. Leap day was the solution. Once every four years, February gains a day and the problem is solved.

So happy leap day. Now let’s take it a little further. A once in four years day deserves something special. So today the challenge is to create something worthy of a day that happens only once in four years. Maybe something odd, or unique, or just plain cool. What will you create for leap day?

I’d love to see it. Share a link in the comments.

It’s Beginning to Look Nothing Like Christmas… A Call to Creative Action

Twas the day after Black Friday and all through the web are videos of people who have clearly missed the point. Fist fights breaking out over stuff, stuff that will be broken in days or weeks. Some of these people will wind up in prison for their behavior, more of them probably should and for what? To show love for their families, and friends??? Hardly. “Where’s daddy?” I have to go bail him out of jail. “What was he doing?” Christmas shopping. “My daddy sure does love me…” I think not. Somewhere, we’ve missed the point. When people are willing to lie, cheat, fight, steal and occasionally even kill to get stuff to give on the day when we celebrate the One who came to free us from stuff like,lying, cheating, fighting, stealing and killing, we have lost the story. This stuff looks nothing like what Jesus came to give us and everything like the work of the one who came to steal, kill and destroy.

It’s not surprising. Christmas has been coopted a long time ago. It’s stopped being about Jesus and started being about stuff. Stuff is how we show love now. Haven’t you heard? The story has been lost. It is a season of giving… there’s nothing wrong with gifts… but in the gifts we need to remember the Gift and the fact that so much of society has lost the narrative is a call to action, both for the Church as a whole and especially for those of us in the church who have been blessed with the communicative, creative gifts, the storytelling gifts. It’s November 28. We have 27 days ’til Christmas. Not 27 shopping days, but 27 creating days. Just under four weeks to get the story out.

I call upon all creatives to do at least one thing creative thing over the next 27 days, to bring the story back to the forefront. Write a story, make a piece of public art, make a creative gift for a hurting person. Serve someone, bless someone, create a way that shows the world or at least one person in that world what Christmas really means.

This is one of those times when it is probably best to let the world know what you’re doing. I’m not talking about boasting about yourself. You don’t have to identify yourself, but spread the word and be an inspiration. Here’s a Thanksgiving example. Magician Murray Sawchuck helps a homeless man on Thanksgiving.

That’s how he used his gift. Please notice he put it out there to inspire others. Our savior deserves much better than Black Friday mayhem. How can we use our gifts to draw people back to the true meaning of Christmas?

Time to get creative.

Let’s Get Creative…

I try to share a lot of things here to help us all get past our fears, get motivated and get ourselves creating. Today I thought I would simply post a challenge. This challenge is designed to get your wheels turning.

I want you to apply your creative discipline to the challenge. If you’re a writer, write. If you’re a visual artist, make some art. Whatever you do, use it to express this concept, then post it and share a link in the comments below. Remember, this is a family site so please keep it clean.

We’ll start with something huge. Create something that expresses this concept:

The meaning of life.

Have at it and don’t forget to share a link to your creation. For extra added fun, I will be crossposting this on our sister site http://dweisscreative.com

The NOTHING Challenge

It’s been a while since I posted one of these, but it’s time for a creative challenge. In truth, this is more than a creative challenge, this is me being stuck and looking for a little help. I’m working on a new message called NOTHING and so far the image is not coming to me. Here is a portion of the passage I am working on:

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The point, nothing can separate us from God’s love. It’s a powerful message that will preach, but how do I express it visually? How would you express it?

That’s the challenge. How do you express nothing in a way that changes everything?

CCM-Creative Challenge Monday

I was out on my prayer walk this morning, asking God about some of the things I’ll need for my upcoming new presentation 4-Given which I’ll be presenting for the first time in about two weeks. I have all the basics down, but there are a few things I am still trying to get. 4-Given is about sin, repentance, grace and forgiveness. I needed a really good opening and this morning, this line came to me:

“It all started in a garden…”

I know what that line triggered in my heart and mind. The challenge for you today is to create what it triggers in you.

Create something and post a link to your creation in the comments.
Coming Soon from AMOKArts and Dave Weiss Artist Speaker

Creative Challenge Monday: Christmas Present

If you’ve been around this blog any length of time, you know the guiding verse of this ministry is 1 Peter 4:10 which says, “Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others…” Each of us with a creative artistic gift has a responsiblilty to use that gift to be a blessing. For today’s challenge, I want to take that to the literal.

Use your creative gift to create a creative gift for at least one person on your gift list.

Find someone who would be blessed by what you do and create something just for them. I have two in mind for this year. I can’t tell you what they are, but I will try to post photos after Christmas.

Who could you bless with a gift from your gift and a gift from your heart?

CCM: Creative Challenge Monday!

 One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

This Monday’s challenge is:

Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17  pray continually. 

What does grace mean to you? How would you like to express it to the world? How do people miss the point on this concept?

If you want you can share your results by posting a link to your work in the comments. If you don’t have a way to post your work, you can share them on the AMOKArts Facebook page.

CCM: Creative Challenge Monday!

 One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

This Monday’s challenge is:

Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:18  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

What does grace mean to you? How would you like to express it to the world? How do people miss the point on this concept?

If you want you can share your results by posting a link to your work in the comments. If you don’t have a way to post your work, you can share them on the AMOKArts Facebook page.

CCM: Creative Challenge Monday!

 One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

This Monday’s challenge is:

Love

1 John 4:8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

What does grace mean to you? How would you like to express it to the world? How do people miss the point on this concept?

If you want you can share your results by posting a link to your work in the comments. If you don’t have a way to post your work, you can share them on the AMOKArts Facebook page.

CCM: Creative Challenge Monday!

 One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

This Monday’s challenge is:

Peace

Job 2:21 Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

What does grace mean to you? How would you like to express it to the world? How do people miss the point on this concept?

If you want you can share your results by posting a link to your work in the comments. If you don’t have a way to post your work, you can share them on the AMOKArts Facebook page.