The Thriving Christian Artist

Today we celebrate 400 episodes of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast.  Can you believe it?  That’s almost as many episodes as Bob Ross made of “The Joy Of Painting” (403, according to Wikipedia)! When we first started this podcast back in 2018, I couldn’t possibly have foreseen the number of episodes we would go on to produce, all the amazing people we’ve met, or the doors that God has opened up for us!  It’s just a blessing that I can’t thank all of you enough for being a part of.  With all those episodes under our belts, I was bound to learn a thing or two!So in this episode, I’m sharing five things I’ve come to realize along the way.  I hope you’ll find them useful in your journey in art and in life.  Celebrating a milestone like this is both humbling and inspiring.  I hope we’ll get to do this many more times as we hit many more milestones to come.  So once again, let me just say thank you to all of you.  Whether this is your first episode or you’ve been with us from the beginning, you are an importan

You know, being a Christian doesn’t mean every day is sunshine and lollipops.  We have the same struggles in our lives as anyone else, and they can lead to heartbreak, anxiety, addiction, and all of the other negative outcomes you can think of.  What separates the Christian from everybody else, however, is our faith and belief that we have a loving God looking out for us who can help us through these dark times and troubles.  That doesn’t mean that He will always snap His fingers and make our problems disappear.  It means that He will comfort us, walk with us, guide us to other people who can provide the help we need, and be there for us to turn to with whatever we’re facing.  As my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist, Rebekah Middleton, was trying to find her place in the art world and the world altogether, she was also struggling with eating disorders.  And one of the issues that this struggle brought about was a tendency to want to keep her art hidden away from the world just as she was

There are a lot of things out there that we might find ourselves seeking in this world.  Fame, fortune, comfort, power, pleasure, and so much more are idolized, obsessed over, and available to us right now, more than at any other time in history.  But just like Yoda told Luke that a Jedi doesn’t crave adventure and excitement, we Christians have been told not to crave those types of worldly things either.  Instead, we are clearly told, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” But what does that actually mean?  And how do we go about doing it in this day and age? In this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I’ll give you my thoughts on how you can focus your life and your art on God’s Kingdom every day.  And when you do that, you’ll be amazed at all the things God will add unto you.  When you’re ready to stop striving and start thriving, here are 4 other ways I can help: 1️⃣  Get my FREE Guide, “5 Biggest Misconceptions About Prophetic Art” Wondering how to create your art with God or what prophetic

When you look at all the difficulties facing the world today - like poverty, hunger, war, depression, and so on - it can be easy to think your calling to art doesn’t matter that much to the world.  But don’t despair!  Your calling to be an artist is a calling from God, and that’s never a small or insignificant thing.  As my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, Darrow Miller, will tell you, the arts can play a very important part in advancing the Kingdom.     His newest book, A Call For Balladeers, takes a close look at our worldviews as they relate to beauty and art and their role in the discipling of nations.  So give a listen to the podcast for Darrow’s inspiring take on how God can use your art for His purposes. And while you’re at it, go to https://disciplenations.org/ to see how Darrow and the Disciple Nations Alliance are advancing the Kingdom of God by discipling all nations.  (And don’t forget to get your copy of A Call For Balladeers at https://disciplenations.org/resources

It can be easy to think that your role as an artist in this world is somehow unimportant when weighed against what else is going on.  After all, it's easy to downplay the role of the arts in light of the heavier issues of life like injustice, poverty, famine and war.  But as we see in the Bible, God has a way of using the most unexpected people and things to His purposes great and small, and that includes artists and their work.  I invite you to listen to this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring to get maybe a different perspective on your role in the world and just how much impact you and your art can make.When you’re ready to stop striving and start thriving, here are 4 other ways I can help: 1️⃣  Get my FREE Guide, “5 Biggest Misconceptions About Prophetic Art” Wondering how to create your art with God or what prophetic art is all about?  Grab my free guide and make sure you’re not stuck in any of these misconceptions about prophetic art!  Download here ➡️ https://thrive.matttommeymentoring.com/5-biggest-mi

Stanton Lanier grew up playing the piano and writing songs, but he never seriously considered it as something he could make his living doing.  Instead, he went the more practical route, attending Georgia Tech and getting business degrees that led him to years of work in the financial industry.  But his desire to make music never left him, and he never left it behind.  Even working a “normal” day job, he managed to compose around 30 songs and release CDs of his music.  These songs were all meant to glorify God and had their basis in Scripture - even the instrumentals - and the more Stanton created, the more he felt called to create.  So of course the time came for him to make a choice - stay with the safe and secure job and keep his music on the side, or dive into what he felt God was calling him to do with everything he had.  And you can hear him tell how that choice worked out on this podcast episode.  And after you’ve listened to this episode, you can visit his website, or you can plug his name - Stanton La

Everybody has ups and downs in their lives and in their businesses.  So how are some people seemingly more successful at navigating the downs than others?  How do these people keep their eyes on the prize?   Even when you’re at your highest peak creatively, you’re selling your art, you’re making your voice heard, it can be easy to get distracted.  Emergencies.  The holidays.  Car trouble.  A vacation.  Life gets in the way.  And next thing you know, you’re out of the habits that brought your art business to its greatest level of success.  You’re not creating, you’re not connecting with other artists or potential clients, and you’re not making forward progress like you were before.  The key to recovering from these derailments - and preventing them altogether - is establishing a good routine and sticking with it.  In this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I’m going to tell you about some simple actions you can take on a daily basis that will keep your creative and business train on track, no matter what life thro

I believe God always puts people together for a reason.  That sure seems to be the case with Janalyn Arnold and Henny Koonstra, my guests on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast.  After different paths lead these two young artists to the same school, Jana and Henny are on the cusp of graduating from the art program at Redeemer University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.  And they are going out with a bang.  They’ve combined their two Senior Exhibition Shows - “Distortion” and “Rhythms of Divinity” into one show called “Expose,” which highlights the juxtaposition of the ugly nature of pornography and the beautiful nature of the heart of God.   Their artistic visions and expressions make a powerful, challenging experience that could only be accomplished by two artists who love the Lord and trust in His guidance.  And in this episode of the podcast they tell you all about how their lives have led them to this moment.  I hope you’ll listen to their inspiring story!  You can check out both of these a

Jesus told us that when we feel heavy-laden, we should just come to Him, give Him everything that’s weighing us down, and take up His light and easy yoke.  “Just come to Me.”  Come as you are.  No judgment. Don’t try to fix yourself up before you see Him.  Just come on.  That can be a hard thing to remember at times when we’re really feeling the burden of our human struggles.  But we don’t have to try to solve our problems before we get to Jesus.  Jesus will take care of everything - if we just come to Him.  What the Lord wants us to do when we’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, confused, or wounded, is to take our burdens directly to Jesus. In this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I’ll tell you how I came to understand that I didn’t have to unburden myself and make myself presentable before I went to the Lord.   Have a listen and take this message to heart.  When you’re ready to stop striving and start thriving, here are 4 other ways I can help: 1️⃣ Join Us in November - Every artist was created by God to cre

What's the strangest place you've found inspiration for your art?  For Bert Ballou, my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, inspiration came from a wise-cracking donkey on an adventure with a grumpy, green ogre.  On a rewatch of the animated children’s classic, Shrek, Bert was rather surprised to hear God telling him to write a children's story about the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem.  But the next thing Bert knew, he was writing the text, commissioning an illustrator, and working with editors.  Before long, his first book, Anthony’s Amazing Journey, was released - and it wouldn't be the last.  God put it on Bert's heart to spread His message in the world of children's books, and Bert picked up that ball and ran with it.  Have a listen to this episode of the podcast to hear how Bert is responding to God's call and writing amazing books for kids, teens, and young adults. Keep up with Bert, Anthony the donkey, and the latest news!  https://www.fac

Economy got you down? Nervous about the prospects for your art business at this particular time?  Afraid you won’t be able to sell your art for what it’s actually worth because potential buyers may be tightening their belts to get through this downturn?  I hear ya.  Being a full-time artist can feel pretty uncertain even at the best of economic times, especially when you’re just starting out.  It can really be tempting to slash your prices across the board so you can be sure you’ll make some sales, even if they aren’t bringing in what they should be.  But is cutting prices the only solution?  (Spoiler alert: No! Not at all!)There are better ways to increase your sales without lowering your prices, and I’ll give you a great one in this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring.  Have a listen!  When you’re ready to stop striving and start thriving, here are 4 other ways I can help: 1️⃣ Join Us in November - Every artist was created by God to create with Him to both experience and release His Light and Life through their c

Sometimes it’s not the destination but the journey that matters.  To say my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast has had a winding road leading to his life as a full-time artist would be an understatement.  Tist One - a name he took on in a graffiti-centric part of his journey - spent his elementary school days in South Korea before moving to the United States around 6th grade.  Communication with his new schoolmates was hard while he was still learning English, but his art broke through language barriers when his words couldn’t.  As he grew up, he was always drawing, painting, exploring graffiti art, and expressing himself in every other form of art, but he could never seem to find a place to settle down or a niche to focus on.  School in L.A., school in New York, the fashion industry, the Army, the L.A.P.D.… you name it, Tist has tried it. Along the way, he met an evangelist at a campus crusade who cultivated his vague notions about God and shared the good news of Jesus with him.  

Ever feel like there's just not enough time in the day to do the things you want to do?  Is that feeling keeping you from pursuing your artistic dreams?  Feeling like there's not enough time is a common concern for everybody.  We’re all given the same 24 hours every day to accomplish what we want and need to do, but sometimes you feel like you could accomplish so much more if you just had a couple more hours to work with.  And there are folks out there who we perceive as go-getters, doing all the things we wish we could find the time to do.  How do they do it?  Where do they find that time and energy and focus to make it all happen?  In this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I'm going to give you their exact secret formula for a time-extending potion that you can make in your own home!  No, wait, that's not a thing.  Sorry

If you're like basically everybody in the world today, you spend a good deal of each day interacting with people through social media.  And if you're an artist trying to build a brand and a business, you are surely putting a huge portion of your time and energy towards building up your social media presence.   So if all that work and all those connections just got snatched away from you in an instant by criminal scammers, that would be pretty devastating, right?   Well, that's just what happened to Pat Butynski and her 76,000 subscribers on Instagram.  Pat is a mentor, teacher, and mother to creatives all over the world.  She's a long-time friend of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast and was featured way back in episode 22, telling her incredible story, including how she built her Instagram following and how it was a boon for her art business. And now we are super privileged to have her on again, this time telling a story that's much more of a cautionary tale.  You're going to

This could be goodbye, - But don’t worry, it’s probably me, not you…There comes a time in every relationship where you have to ask the uncomfortable questions.And in our relationship, I often wonder “Am I really doing everything I can to help them thrive as an artist?”  I know you might say “Oh sure Matt, you’re doing great” but I want to know what’s really going on in your heart. Because if I’m not producing resources and opportunities that are meeting your needs, this might as well be my last email to you. Not because I don’t love you and care about your success.  It’s just that I don’t want to waste your time.That’s why I wanted to ask you to share your heart with me about how I’m doing... with everything. From the podcast to our books, courses, conferences, retreats and more.  And the best way to do that is through this little survey: https://forms.gle/Dg7t164p4dTuYSgW8In fact, when you do complete this survey, I’m going to enter you into a drawing for a gift certificate to one of my favorite online art s

Have you ever felt like just when you're approaching mastery of one of your artistic pursuits, you become enamored of something else?  We creatives have a natural tendency to want to try everything.  And that's great!  All sorts of art can be fulfilling and fun.  But if you're trying to run a successful art business and you start dabbling in media or styles or even whole different categories of art, you run a great risk of derailing your business.  So what is a creative person supposed to do?  On this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I'm sharing my thoughts on how to keep other pursuits from getting in the way of your business, and even how you can merge all this creativity together in a constructive, successful way.  Ready to build a business that helps you thrive spiritually, artistically, and financially?  Here are 4 ways I can help: 1️⃣ Join Us in November - Every artist was created by God to create with Him to both experience and release His Light and Life through their creative express

I’m not exactly sure how, but my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, Rachel G. Scott, must have 30 hours in each of her days.  It's the only logical explanation for how many creative areas she excels in.  Rachel’s love of creativity was established at a very young age and grew with every new creative outlet she tried.  Learning the flute, teaching herself the piano, singing in the church choir, on top of loving to draw and write poetry, all led her to feel connected to God's presence.    Of course, not every season of our lives is filled with perfect harmony.  For a long period, Rachel felt unable to connect to her gift of singing.  And that's the story I really want y'all to listen to in this episode.  Because everybody, for one reason or another, can feel disconnected from their art.  But that doesn't have to be the end of it.  Let Rachel's story help you recognize the season of life that you're in and how to follow where God leads you in the se

I believe there’s a key way to discern the truth of what you’re hearing, and it involves the tone and tenor of the message you’re receiving.  The character of God is to give invitations, not accusations.  If the voice you’re hearing is accusing you of not being good enough, or of not being deserving of success, or words like that, you know that’s not the Lord.  It’s time to tune that out.  On this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I’ll tell you how to recognize God's invitations so you can move toward a closer relationship with Him.   Take a listen to this episode, then start listening for the inviting voice of God to guide your way.  Ready to build a business that helps you thrive spiritually, artistically, and financially?  Here are 4 ways I can help: 1️⃣ Join Us in November - Every artist was created by God to create with Him to both experience and release His Light and Life through their creative expression. Join us for a powerful 3-day healing event for artists called the “Unlocking the Heart of the Ar

Have you ever met a kindred soul, someone who just gets you?  That’s how I felt when I met my guest on the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, Chris Lumry.  Chris and I share a love for Jesus, a love for creativity, and a passion for seeing people’s hearts unlocked.   Chris grew up very achievement-oriented, and without much of a feeling of being a creative person.  He was educated in the finest schools, got a job in Silicon Valley, and was on his way to achieving what he thought were his life’s goals.  But it was coming at a cost.  He lacked fulfillment.  He battled addiction.  He was hurting inside and in denial of his own struggles.  Eventually, praise God, he sought counseling for his issues, which led him to a church in Northern California.  And that’s where he experienced something he never had before:  the presence of God as a father in his life  This life-changing experience opened him up to childlikeness and creativity he didn’t know he possessed, and he turned it into a mission to provide this experi

If you're just starting out with your art business, or if you've been in business awhile and are experiencing a bit of a slow period, you're probably looking for a way to get some cashflow in a hurry.  But what can you do?  Luckily, as artists, we have a LOT that we can teach others!In this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I'm going to tell you how you can incorporate teaching into your business as a way of injecting instant cashflow.  You may not think teaching is up your alley, but it can make a big difference in weathering the rough places if you can make it happen.  I would also encourage you to join our Artist Cashflow Bootcamp if you are looking for ways to build regulated cashflow and go from hobbyist to being a professional, successful artist.  Register for our Artist Cashflow Bootcamp:  https://www.artistcashflowbootcamp.com/  Whether you’re just getting your business off the ground or have been at it for years, cashflow is a game-changer.  Join us in the Bootcamp to learn how!Ready