It would probably be helpful to explain what we purpose to initiate on the MomentumArt website. We do have some very clear goals and thought it best to articulate those before you participate. Anyone who is interested in creativity would probably have taken advantage of the countless resources that are available on the Internet on the subject of the arts. There are some amazing sites out there, but we still see the need for something different, a place we would like to fill.

Here is an attempt to explain this. Although we know most folks who will participate in this site will simply be looking for some inspiration, or personal growth, and maybe something fun to do. [Dictionary.com: Fun; a noun “something that provides mirth or amusement, enjoyment or playfulness; ie→ “A picnic would be fun’ ”]. Fun is good and can be inspirational; however, we do have higher hopes for this particular project. For instance, we know there are experiences beyond fun, experiences described with words that carry great weight like: fulfillment, gratification, accomplishment, realization, insight, achievement, satisfaction, or joy; these words go a bit deeper. Most people, and especially artists, need to benefit from these experiences in their lives as well. The deeper our passions, the better we communicate them. So, with this site we’re attempting to initiate a venture that will encourage and enable you to contribute to the building up of others, both in soul and spirit.

 

All art, whether it fits your particular tastes or not, can have an affect or be influential to someone (other than the artist that is). It is the type of influence that it has on us, as well as others that we need to consider. There are good influences, and there are not so good influences. Some art can be downright disturbing, whether classical in style or modern. Disturbing can have its place. For instance, it can be a healthy thing to look on images of the Holocaust for instance and be moved to set your heart against injustice, racism and cruelty. But disturbing for the sake of disturbing doesn’t really accomplish much. Besides, don’t we get enough negative influence in life as it is?

This is where we see the need for something different. Although we want this project to be about the arts, we don’t want it to be about the arts, for the sake of the arts. We want the site to be about beauty, and increasing our awareness of beauty, and we also want to take a closer look at our creative nature. Beauty has the ability to bring positive change in our lives, but not all art is about beauty. Art is a language, and we have no doubt all experienced the fact that language can be harsh and destructive, or it can be strengthening, healing, and liberating.

You may have had a lot of experience in the arts, you may have none. We are actually hoping for a lot of participation from those that have never thought of themselves as artists. The truth is, even if you have been an artist all your life, the “discovery” part of your creative experience is supposed to be good, and it’s never supposed to end, it’s part of our reward. We live in a world full of noise and distraction, lots of things to draw us away from the beauty of creation. So, in our pursuit of truth, we need to learn to be generous to the person God made in His own image. By spending some time, even wasting a little of it, enjoying things that are important to change our way of looking at life, and people and our circumstances, and therefore better conforming to truth.

We also want to use this site to work on our worldview. Our goal is to become more Kingdom, if so, we must learn to turn our focus more on the good and the beautiful and learn to ignore the bad, instead of the other way around. Recently, I have been expressing the view that creativity goes beyond material things. We know that God can also use His awesome creative abilities to change hardship into joy, struggle into peace, and even mourning into dancing. Have you ever prayed the words “Create in me a new heart oh God”? He not only can, it is His desire …and His delight. When He comes to us, and He brings us into His presence, it changes the whole atmosphere we live in. Sometimes we feel almost like our surroundings have actually changed, because we see everything in such a completely different light.

Well, I have discovered that we have that ability too. We can bring His perspective, His loving kindness, His truth and even His presence and change the atmosphere and even the environment everywhere we go. Now think for a moment about how it would look and feel if a lot of us did that, and we did it all together, and we did it in a way that was available to anyone. That’s what I’m praying will happen on this web-site, that a lot of us would decide we need a change in our attitude, and our outlook on life; and slip into the freedom and the privilege He has given us to see, hear, feel, taste and smell, to experience all the beauty He has put here on this planet and beyond. It’s all for us to enjoy. The truth is we are an art form and we create an environment around us whether we know it or not. Actually, we produce an environment people that are close to us have to live in. Maybe it’s time to give our lives a bit more creative consideration.

Here are some thoughts and quotes on beauty to think about and get you started:

Gen.1:26-27 “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Ps.27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

• God gave us beauty as a constant reminder that His goodness is still there.

• Here is a purpose to life: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the world - its beauty, its mysteries, its riddles. The more you understand, the more you look, the greater is your enjoyment of life and your sense of peace. That's all there is to it. If an activity is not grounded in 'to love' or 'to learn,' it does not have value.

• The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.

• The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's own--even more, one's own, for that has been put in our care and we are responsible for its well-being.

• People are like stained glass windows -- the true beauty can be seen only when there is light from within. The darker the night, the brighter the windows.

Ps.16:11 “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.