_: Being Christian and an Artist?

Anyone who knows me personally or even follows me on twitter or my personal Tumblr account knows I practically sweat art. I myself, draw, write, make poor attempts at sculpting (little progress is better than no progress) play and compose piano and guitar pieces and indulge in a little photography here and there. God has blessed me with the ability to see and appreciate the beauty in just about everything, making the world a much more exciting place. Although my love for all the art forms (painting, drawing, sculpting, dance, music etc.) passionately burns a hole in me, I am a Christian before I am an artist. This presents me with the question, call all art be considered "good" art? Yes and no. All art is prompting you to feel something, telling and or conveying a story, therefore, it depends on what the art is persuading you to feel, which is where I then use the word and my better judgement in order to decide this for myself if I shall let the art influence me or not; this especially pertains to nudity in art.

Now, I know I will some very conservative readers who will probably object to my following statement, which is perfectly fine, I am just presenting the way in which I view this topic.

I honestly believe that nakedness is beautiful when presented in a beautiful way. We are taught to cover up our bodies, which is fine, I'd rather not see everyone walking down Main Street naked (however it can also be argued that, that is only because we have been taught to scorn nudity) however, the human body is nothing to be ashamed about, rather cherished for the work of art in which God made. Humans as a whole however, have defaced it's beauty, vandalizing it with music video vixens,racy swimsuit catalogs and porn hub; causing it to lose its artistic value. I believe, however, there are many circumstances in which nakedness is pure art, beauty, vulnerability and modesty; it’s all about presentation. Now for a good old Cosby analogy: Think of your favorite foods, everything you've dreamed of eating, the meal that makes you happiest. Now, I am going to prepare that meal for you, all your appetizers, main courses and desserts, and present them to you on the lid of a garbage can. That beautiful meal is no longer appetizing anymore. It’s all about presentation. If you present nakedness in a provocative way, it will lose it’s beauty and artistic value but if you preserve the beauty of nakedness, I believe it is not something to turn your nose up at. Also, nakedness has its time. It can also lose it’s beauty if it is overused; just like when you say a word repetitively, it is as if it loses its meaning and it doesn't sound the same. Nakedness must be presented in Modesty and Moderation in order to capture it’s true beauty.

Now, on to tattoos. This one, I battle with all the time. It's very easy for me to say, I see my body as an empty canvas in which I would love to place beautiful images which reflect the things I love, upon. However, then I am reminded the fact that "my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" and the fact that I am God's work of art. Jamie, from the the YouTube channel "Jamie and Nikki" once said "Getting a tattoo is like owning the Mona Lisa and then drawing something over it in markers." Which is so true, why deface the work of art you've naturally been blessed with? That's what I tell myself every time I get the urge to get mountain peaks or a world map tattooed on my forearm. Tempting? Yes. Worth it? Probably not. Then, I refer back to Leviticus 19:28 which says:

"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD."

This can be argued in many different ways. First starting with the fact that most girls get their ears pierced at infancy,it has become a cultural norm,, so what is the difference between tattoos and piercings? Wouldn't that make them both sins? Next, someone could argue that well, if my tattoo and or piercing isn't glorifying the dead, then it does not apply does it? Or if I get a tattoo which has something to do with God, is it still a sin? Valid arguments? Yes. Is it worth the risk to me? No, I'd rather not take that chance. To my artistic eye, tattoos are ever so beautiful, however if I have to question whether or not it is sinful then, my safest option is not to do it at all. Can you get a tattoo and then repent after, yes but that would be a blatant sin, taking advantage of the Lord's goodness and grace is not an excuse to do wrong but a reason to love and serve God even more fully.

With that said, I'll guess I'll just have to stick to my temporary, yet ever so realistic, sharpie and henna tattoos.

I am a Christian before I am anything else, which can become conflicting when pertaining to views on art, however, it doesn't really have much of an affect on my artistry, It has actually allowed me to see things in the ways in which The Lord intended them to be, making them so much more beautiful.

Now, I hope you don't mind as I shower you guys with some beautiful works of art: (Disclaimer: None of the following photos are my own.)