It’s Creat-Moteo’s 1 year anniversary! This time last year, my wife and I were preparing to leave everything we knew to pursue God’s will for us at seminary. It was during this time that I wrestled with achieving the balance between my uniqueness and God’s calling on my life. I felt called vocationally to make disciples, but I also had a deep passion for artistic expression. It was at this crossroad that Creat-Moteo, the blog you are reading right now, was born. I posited that my uniqueness and God’s calling could mesh together beautifully, so Creat-Moteo was created in part to figure out how such could practically take place. I am glad to say that this year has been very fruitful for us. Below are 9 things we have learned:

1. A good mission statement is the compass for bold first steps.

Creat-Moteo was born with an unwavering mission: to fulfill the Great Commission and Inspire Creative disciples. This mission has continually been our compass for uncharted territory. I have found that it is alright if you do not know what you are doing, so long as you keep going in the direction of your compass.

2. God will fund and resource his vision.

A faithful pastor used to preach to me “God will pay for what he orders!” Abraham was commanded to step out in faith as God did his part, and my wife and I were no different. God continues to show up in amazing ways as we step into his will. He has provided for us financially, placed the right people in our paths, and so much more. Our job as Christ followers is to do our part excellently with the strength of Christ (Phil. 4:13), and then allow God to handle the rest.

3. An artist is a Creative Agent.

This year, I have wrestled with understanding just who an artist is. In my latest hypothesis, I reason that all branches of art share a commonality: simple elements form a composite. Audio engineers combine sound waves into symphonies. Painters mix basic colors into beautiful exhibitions. Musicians play the musical phrases of a whole composition. Graphic designers form shapes into logos. God himself, the supreme Artist, created the building blocks of the universe to form the world around us. We as artists join God in a similar task. For this reason, artists are Creative Agents who combine simple elements to form composite artistry. (Agents work on behalf of another person, in this case our great Creator).

4. Strong Creative Agents are strong spiritually.

To separate your artistic gifts from your walk with Christ is a grave mistake. Purpose-driven Christians are maturing multipliers. Purpose-driven Creative Agents also seek to multiply themselves even as they grow closer to God and hone their creativity. See our Guardrails series to learn more.

5. As we observe Creation, we should thank our Creator.

God made our earth with a loving heart and deserves a big thank you. As creatives, we know what it is like for our art to be overlooked with ingratitude. It is for this reason that we should fall down in worship of God in his majesty as we observe the wonder of his handiwork.

6. Sometimes our best work is a platform for multiplication.

While planning for Cople family’s support video, I had an inkling it could become a small blog series. After research and strategic execution of their shoot, I launched a three-part series on the video making process. I have learned that the best work of your portfolio can be a fantastic way to reproduce yourself.

7. Community facilitates artistic development.

Where I am today as a Creative Agent is a result of my mentors and community. Some prefer to work alone, but the feedback and inspiration of others always helps me get to my next level of creativity.

8. A disciple is like a tree.

In May this year, I combined my hypothesis of who an artist is with a developing hypothesis for disciplemaking. I have found that a disciple is a lot like a tree. Their soil is the Bible, their trunk is Christ, and they share common branches of spiritual disciplines like prayer and worship. Every disciple also bears a peculiar branch that represents their uniqueness. Thus, a maturing disciple is one who bears fruit from each of their branches (including their uniqueness) and helps others do the same. In this way, a Creative Agent is a maturing and multiplying disciple.

9. Just try it out and tweak as you go.

Doing nothing about my hypotheses of disciplemaking and art would simply be poor stewardship. That is why I formed Creat-Moteo’s first discipleship group this summer. I was unsure in most aspects of implementing my idea, but I decided I would at least try and then tweak later if need be. Now, several weeks later, our group has created art even as we have matured in Christ together. Remember to keep moving in the direction of your compass even if the path is uncertain. It will certainly pay off!

It has been a fantastic year full of learning with Creat-Moteo. We look forward to more growth, as well as another year of fulfilling the Great Commission and inspiring creative disciples.

What have you learned in the past year? Share your thoughts with our community below and share this post in your circles!