Art moves but it also stills. There's something unique about art that evokes emotion, thought and movement. Some might say art influences for bad, others say for good. I think art's influence is an arbitrary fact, it can be both good and bad simultaneously. We've had this discussion recently in my Literary Criticism class as well as my Biblical Worldview class and there really is no clear cut answer. It's all about perception and reaction to art more often than authorial intent.
That is what is amazing about art. And I don't mean painting or sculpting. I mean writing, poetry, dance, music and other things some may classify as art forms. Art in the simplest words, is the outward expression of something within. Art is something that is so universal and incredibly diverse. It reaches every corner of every culture in unique and amazing ways. It is the expression of content within ourselves, inside our own boxes that often people never try to open. In art, we draw others in to look and wonder, what truth are we sharing? What parts of ourselves are we openly commemorating or explaining?
For me, this expression often comes out in music and dance. Oftentimes I hear a song and something in its lyrics and melody speak to something within me. Immediately, I feel the need, the desperate urge, to express this communication and resonance. There's something freeing in the act of moving your body to the rhythm.
And yet, it is through music I find myself brought to an entirely different level of spirit. In our chapels, or even in my time alone or with others, I find myself immersed in the Holy Spirit. For as long as I can remember, I've always been tense and aware. My brain never stops hopping from one track to another and then another and so on. And yet, it is in these precious moments that I am so surrounded by the love of the Father that something in me stills. My whole body goes numb, not as if I am sleeping, but as if I am at peace. Sometimes it actually brings me flat to the ground little by little. I find my mind focused on one solid point, fixed on Him. I've thus dubbed this phenomena as "Spiritual Paralysis" and I don't entirely know how or why this happens, but I know it is one of my favorite parts of having faith.
I've met so many who express themselves in paintings, drawings, sculptures, music, poetry and so many other things that could be listed. Someone's art is a part of them and somehow it affects those who see, hear and/or feel it. We're creatures of worship, of awe and wonder. God has given us this amazing gift of art. He's the true OG artist. We need only look at all He has created around us. His Creation moves us, stills us, and causes us to look deeper.
