The Thriving Christian Artist

Send us Fan Mail Looking back at my career as an artist so far, I’m not sure I would change a thing.  Sure, I’ve had ups and downs along the way, just as everyone else has.  But I’m exactly where God has put me, so how could I ask for anything more?  That being said, there are a few things I wish I would have known when I was just starting out that may have saved me some struggles, both in mindset...

Send us Fan Mail Estelle Avbuere, my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist, received encouragement from her parents at a young age to pursue the joys of the performing arts.  Dancing, singing, acting, crafting, and doing art projects were all a part of her childhood that she came to love and embrace as a part of herself. However, she didn't see those pursuits as a way she cou...

Send us Fan Mail The first and most important thing when it comes to prophetic art - that is, art that God inspires you to create to advance His Kingdom - is to do God’s will.  Paint that painting.  Sculpt that sculpture.  Create what God would have you create. Sometimes, though, prophetic artists do all that, but their art doesn’t actually sell.  So why does that happen?  Are you not supposed to...

Send us Fan Mail Want to take a peek behind the curtain at one of our success stories from the Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program?  Normally this would be only available for our program participants, but we’re taking you backstage to show you firsthand how these Christian artists are thriving with what they’ve learned through mentorship.  Welcome backstage! One's journey in life rarel...

Send us Fan Mail So you’re ready to step out and sell your art.  Great!  That’s obviously a key part of being a working artist, especially one who wants to be a full-time, works-for-themselves, thriving artist.  But how does someone, especially a newcomer, go about selling their art?  Where should they start?  That’s the subject of this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring: my best advice for artists who...

Send us Fan Mail Coral Noel Yang has seen more of the world than most of us can imagine.  She was born and raised in Taiwan, studied filmmaking in America, put that education to use in Hollywood, and moved to New Zealand for a steady job at an animation studio. Along the way, she brought two things with her:  her love of God and her passion for creating art. Of course, the daily challenges of work...

Send us Fan Mail For well over a decade I’ve dedicated my time and energy to raising up an army of artists in God’s Kingdom.  I’ve taught countless artists how to thrive and experience the abundance of God with their art as a focal point.  But the principles I’ve learned and shared all this time don’t just apply to artists.  They can apply to plumbers, teachers, car dealers, pharmacists… and to yo...

Send us Fan Mail How do you feel about donkeys? (Stay with me here.) My guest on this episode of The Thriving Christian Artist is Rachel Ridge - artist, artist coach, creativity coach, author, speaker, blogger, mother, grandmother, and donkey wrangler.  Yes, donkey wrangler.  Her journey as an artist probably reflects a lot of your journeys as well (ok, maybe not the donkey part).  Starting with a...

Send us Fan Mail Fear is the biggest challenge when it comes to money, especially if you don’t have a lot. We are encouraged to be good stewards of the gifts God gives us, including our money.  But part of that good stewardship is investing wisely, like in the Parable of the Talents.  If you’re too afraid to do anything but bury your Master’s gift in the ground, you won’t be able to reap the rewar...

Send us Fan Mail You’ve heard the saying, “The Lord’s work is never done.”  Well, let me tell you, that’s the absolute truth! I’ve been following God’s call in my life for years now to raise up an army of artists in the Kingdom, and the blessings that have flowed through that process have been more than I ever could have imagined.  If that was the only thing I did in this life, I would feel satisf...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever look at your to-do list, then at your calendar, and then think, “There’s no way I’m going to find the time to get all this done.” That feeling is universal, I would say.  I would also say that it’s especially prevalent when you have jobs and responsibilities that often need to come before the artistic endeavors you really want to sink your teeth into.  Looking at a who...

Send us Fan Mail Beth Affolter was a successful professional artist until my podcast inspired her to quit art. No, really!  It’s true! Despite making regular sales, Beth’s art business wasn’t fulfilling her.  Listening to my podcast got her thinking about what God was calling her to do, and she realized that it wasn’t to push for perfection and wear herself down trying to create art that would sel...

Send us Fan Mail From the outside looking in, you would think a working artist would never get burned out or bored.  After all, who else gets to follow their passion and do the thing they love the most in the world and make a good living doing it?  But burnout and boredom are real obstacles that every artist has to overcome. Maybe you’re working so much, preparing for shows, doing commissions, and...

Send us Fan Mail I talk a lot about walking in the Kingdom, but it's not always easy to see what that looks like in the world we're living in now.  That's why it's especially encouraging to see someone who's doing it on a daily basis.    My guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, Greg Crawford, is a living example of what I'm talking about.   ...

Send us Fan Mail “Matt, how do I know when it’s time to raise my prices?”  This is a great question - and one I get all the time.  After all, setting prices for your art involves a lot of different factors that can be hard to juggle - market comparisons, cost of living, your time and effort, and even your own sense of self-worth, to an extent.  To help you take the guesswork out of raising your pr...

Send us Fan Mail When some people follow their artistic dreams, they are in it for fame and fortune.  While this isn’t out of the realm of possibility, it’s not exactly something that manifests for every artist.  Julie Bagamary is intentionally living her life and directing her art at something that is attainable for everybody (and is way more important than fame and fortune). Legacy. The chance t...

Send us Fan Mail When you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or struggling to find the time for what God has called you to do, there’s one little word that can help you a lot: No.  Being able to say no to things that are adding to your overwhelm, or are stumbling blocks in the way of God’s plan for you, is a very powerful tool to have in your tool chest.  Unfortunately, it can be hard for many of us to act...

Send us Fan Mail Author, speaker, and coach Allen Arnold, my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist, says that there are two worldviews we can live in as Christians.  One is what most folks, even most Christians, seem to experience - a worldview where God is an intangible presence whom we hope to please but who is ultimately detached from our daily lives.  The other worldview is th...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt the Lord calling you to move forward to a new thing He has for your life, then you’ve probably also felt the desire to stay put right where you are.  It’s perfectly normal and natural to want to stick with where you are and not take the risky path, especially if things are going pretty well for you.  A good job, a nice house, a comfortable rhythm to your life…...

Send us Fan Mail Some people seem to have been given more than 24 hours in their days, and my guest on this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist is one of those people.  She’s Rebecca Friedlander, and I’m super-excited to welcome her back to the show.  Rebecca is a full-time minister, a creative artist, a musician, a film producer, an author, a speaker, and is even in the process of renovating...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to advance the Kingdom of God?  We all more-or-less have an idea of the Kingdom of God as a goal to strive for and a guiding principle for living.  But it can be tough to define the specifics of how we can achieve that goal and what we can do as individuals to tilt the world in that direction.  In this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring, I want to dive into this trick...

Send us Fan Mail Lisa Kozel Mangione has always been drawn to all things aquatic.  The beach, the ocean, and sea creatures have been a big part of Lisa’s life since she was a kid, so it was only natural that they became a big focus of Lisa’s art, as well.  Lisa felt the tug of a Kingdom-led calling to be an artist, but she didn’t have a roadmap to make the transition from hobbyist to working artis...

Send us Fan Mail What do you think is the number one barrier that most artists face? Is it a lack of time to work on their art?  Technology changes?  Access to supplies or studio space? I’ll give you a hint - it starts with an “m” and rhymes with Winnie the Pooh’s favorite food.  (Oh, bother.) Yeah, it’s money.  That probably doesn’t surprise you. But what might surprise you is that I’m going to s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, I talk with my new friend Mary Malini about her incredible journey of overcoming obstacles and following the call of God in her life.  Starting out in a small town in India, Mary’s education took her to a 12-year career in mass communication and television production - but her love of dance and art never left her heart.  In...

Send us Fan Mail If you've ever experienced “creative block” - and I can guarantee almost everybody has - then you know how hard it can be to overcome.  You feel like you may never be able to regain your creativity.  You feel like a fraud for claiming to be an artist in the first place.  You feel helpless and hopeless, and you would give anything to get your spark back.  Creative block may se...