faith

Design and the Kingdom of God

Something that's been on my heart lately has been the negligence of the modern church to teach us what it means to be an artist/designer and a Christian. Growing up in a baptist church I was always taught to "spread the gospel" and in youth group I was told to bring my friends on Wednesday nights for free pizza. Not that I think those things are bad. I love pizza as much as the next guy. But there has to be more than just evangelists and pastors and free pizza in the kingdom of God, right? I can't think of one time I've heard a sermon preached or a class taught on the role artists/designers play in the Church. I've been to a few conferences around "creativity" in the church, but that's mainly geared towards women who like to knit and crochet and make jewelry. That's not relevant to me or anyone I know who love Jesus and designs.

The only thing I've found remotely close to this topic is worship. People tend to lump in artists with musicians. To this day it still irks me a little when someone refers to musicians as artists. The two, albeit similar, have totally different perspectives. Don't get me wrong, I am all for using art and design as an act of worship. In fact, I think at the core of every painting, drawing, design is an act of worship. But the fact remains, the role of the artists has been a big fat gray area in the modern church.

Where have all the artists gone?

Seriously? Where did we lose our hearts? At what point in time did we put down our dreams and replace them with jobs? A job without vision is like having a heart with no courage, weak. But we've all been drinking the same kool-aid... grow up, get a job, get married, have kids, pay your mortgage, retire early, live comfortably, and try not to piss anybody off along the way. That way we can live a safe, cushy life and die happily in the comfort of a warm bed. Well I'm here to say that's a pipe dream my friend, one you can chase your whole life and never end up finding. Life is unknown. From one day to the next we don't know what's going to happen. Life requires faith. A choice we must make each day. And we need artists who will lead. We need artists who will mentor and disciple. I hope and pray that God would use me to teach and mentor others younger than myself.

Insecure and emotional

Those are two words that come to mind when I think of an artist. Why? Because that's often how I view myself. Often I lose sight of who God says I am and judge myself among my peers. This is one area in particular that I think has been overlooked in the church. And as artists we need affirmation that what we're on the right path. So it's of great importance that we come to align our hearts (and minds) with what our Heavenly Father says about us, and how He affirms us because of Christ.

Go to the source

Everything has an end and a beginning, except for God. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the Alpha and Omega. He was and is and is to come. All things that were created in heaven and on earth were made by Him. He is the great I Am. So why do we settle for 2nd best? Why do we seek out dried up creek beds to drink from when there's a fountain of living water available? Why do we peruse the internet for inspiration when the source of all inspiration is knocking at our door? Why has the modern church been so lame in their attempts to be "relevant" to modern culture instead of leading the way for the culture? Because we don't believe that God really is who He says He is. We haven't asked for His help. We are pretty thick headed about doing things our own way until we run out of ideas.

So I want to ask the Lord for understanding in this matter. I want to know His heart for me as an artist. I choose to pray and ask for His inspiration over anything else. And I hope that as a church we will begin to acknowledge the artists among us and seek ways to meet their needs and encourage them. Just as God specifically called on Bezaleel to make the ark of the covenant (read Exodus 35:30-35), I believe He is still calling us today.


Update: I wanted to share this video I found that fits perfectly with my thoughts above. Please take a few minutes to watch.

Next Steps

You guys rock. That's the first thing I want to say. After my last post about leaving my current job in a step of faith I have received nothing but encouragement. So now that I have a clear plan of what I'm going to be doing next on my professional journey I thought the least I could do would be to fill you in.

Stable Environment

I will be taking two weeks off after my last day at my current job to catch up on some freelance work as well as spend some time resting with my wife. But starting June 01 I will become the 4th member on the UX team at Fellowship Technologies. After much prayer and consideration I see this opportunity as the right move for me and my family right now. But that's not to say I didn't struggle with feeling like I was selling out to "the man" or anything. The notion of freelancing full-time still intrigues me and is something I want to pursue someday, but right now we need something stable while my wife finishes her degree.

The UX Team that has already been assembled at Fellowship is something I am looking forward to. For the past 2 1/2 years I have been a lone ranger figuring things out for myself. Not to say that it hasn't had its perks, but one can only go so far on his own. So this transition into a team environment is something I'm really looking forward to. Plus, I will be working with people my own age that I will actually have something in common with. My fellow team members include: Matt Vasquez, Nathan Smith and David Brooks.

Walk by Faith not by Sight

I am continually blown away by the grace and favor that God has given me. By continuing to seek His will, I made a decision of faith last week without any secure plans ahead of me to quit my job. I knew that a position with Fellowship was in the cards, but they still hadn't given me a firm decision. So my plan was to work freelance full-time. To which I received an immense amount of support and encouragement in. But in following my heart I found something better than I expected. Sorry, I don't mean to keep repeating myself here, but I just hope to encourage you to stop being afraid, trust God, and let go of all that's holding you back. I don't mean quit today, not by any means, but start praying and see where God might lead you. I know I've waited for over a year now before making this move.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Last but not least

I still plan to do side work, but more than likely I will be very picky about what projects I work on. (If you have already contacted me about freelance work or would like to you can email me at: hello[at]kylesteed[dot]com.) I think that's one of the greatest advantages to working full-time, you can pick and choose very carefully about what other projects you want to work on. Also, I have no immediate plans of returning to school. This last semester really proved to me that school is a waste of time. Being in my current situation I can see how school is only slowing me down from what I really want to be doing, and what I'm already doing. It's sad to me that we put so much pressure on kids to go to college and get a degree. I don't want to go off on a huge tangent, I will write a post on this topic, but I know people who have their degrees and either (A) aren't using them or (B) still don't have a job.

I know this much. I am blessed to have a vision for my life, a wife that supports me and the skills that pay that bills. Or something like that. ;)

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17

A Time To Shine

After 2 1/2 years at my employer I am taking a step of faith out on my own. Yep, in just 2 weeks I will no longer be working in a cubicle. This definitely hasn't been an easy decision to come to, but I feel like this is where God is calling me. I have spent an enormous amount of time praying and patiently waiting for the right time. Am I nervous? I don't think I would be human if I wasn't. Am I scared? No. God has always provided for me and my family and I trust that He will continue to do so.

So What's Next?

Right now I have a month's worth of freelance ahead of me, and after that I'm not sure. I do have a couple of leads right now with some other companies but nothing set in stone. I hold fast to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-27,34 -

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Community

Of course I wouldn't be where I am today without the great community I'm connected to. You know who you are. And a few of you I've already reached out to asking if you have any upcoming design work. I feel like this is a big part of not only my future, but all of ours. As one has a need another can help out. Sometimes that will be in the form of a job and sometimes not. I'm not interested in meeting people just to have a connection, but to build a relationship. And I don't expect anyone to give me hand-outs, please hear me on this. When I say community, I'm talking about a group of people who have the same vision, goals and aspirations as their peers and can depend on each other.

How You Can Help

You can pray. If you don't pray you can start. ;) Just kidding. But seriously, I would love your prayers. Thank you.

on death and dying

Death is our last act here on earth, dying on the other hand is something we must do daily.

"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." - Romans 8:36 referencing Psalm 44:22

The physical act of dying is something that scares us and yet is totally unpredictable. I remember as a child being fascinated with death and asking my mom a lot what would happen after I died. Death is just a natural part of life. We come and go, and what we leave behind us are mostly memories.

The spiritual act of dying is a constant battle. The victory is already won, Jesus Christ has paid the price and defeated death. But while we're still alive on this earth we are constantly waging war against ourselves. The devil really doesn't have to do much because he has no real power over us who have been saved. But the parts of ourselves that need to be worked out by "fear and trembling" are what's holding us back from living in the full revelation as sons of God.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." - Philippians 2:12-13

What should we fear? Homelessness? Starvation? Nakedness? Hasn't God already told us not to worry about those things?

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" - Matthew 6:25-27

So why am I still so damn concerned with my own well being? I still can't figure out if it's my genetics or the way God made me, but I seem to think that my life is a constant struggle. There are those moments of peace, but everything in between seems to be an uphill battle. My wife does a good job of helping me realize that we have it pretty good compared to other people in this world, and for that I'm thankful. But it still doesn't completely put to rest the uneasy burden I carry with me.

My pastor and I met for breakfast a few weeks ago and he shared with me something that he prayed for that he had never prayed before. He asked The Lord to receive his "flesh" upon the alter. (I know that sounds kind of odd, but I think it's completely necessary.) Our flesh is what we are constantly doing battle with. The old way of doing things. It's why I believe Paul told us to put on the full armor of God. By reading the word of God and praying and being baptized in the Holy Spirit, it's the only way I'll ever feel secure. The more that I choose to follow Christ the more my flesh will wither away.

centered

Keep focused. Stay the course. If you have a feeling that what you're doing is right then don't look back. If you fail at it then great, you can always start again. There's never been one right way to do something. But now, more than ever, we are bombarded with choices. And I'm not even talking about the complicated ones, like will you marry me or buying a car, no I'm talking about the day-to-day choices we face. And herein lies the key to staying centered, are you ready for it, it's patience. Don't be moved by emotion or by trends, be moved by the Spirit of God. I heard it said today that God is always moving, but He's never in a hurry. That really speaks to me. I hope it does to you too.

Enjoy Your Work

We all have those days when we're not 100% - that was today for me. But what really counts in this life are the relationships we have and those who can lend an ear and an encouraging word. After an uplifting conversation I had with my friend Daniel (really more like a brother) I opened up the Bible to Ecclesiastes. I ran across an old verse I had underlined that really inspired me:

"So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?" - Ecclesiastes 3:22

Regardless of whether you are unhappy at your job, in between jobs, or out of a job, we should all enjoy the work which we can get/have, no matter how small or big the task.

In Response to Zeldman

Yesterday I read this article, "Dirty Little Secret of Success", by Jeffrey Zeldman. It struck a nerve in me right away because it deals with the human condition and how that relates to being successful. But in my opinion Mr. Zeldman, with all do respect, you got it backwards.

I believe those with a fulfilled heart and a great sense of purpose can achieve more than those who are "broken" and seeking the approval of others. But then again I guess it all depends on how you define success. If it's in dollars and cents then I think you're missing the point. For me success is how much I love my family, the work I do and the God I serve. There are no standards except to do my best and give it my all.

Let me hear you

What do you think? How do you define success? Would you say we're all still broken people or a people with hope?