by Philippe Lazaro

A few years ago, I met an illustrator I deeply admire. He was somebody I befriended online before he became widely known. Over several years, I saw his work expand and resonate with scores of people. I talked to him about the early part of that process. “It’s cool you got to know me while I was just starting to find my voice,” he said.

From that point, the phrase finding my voice has stood out to me. It’s something a lot of artists and creatives wrestle with. How do you create art that speaks to things that are a part of the shared human experience while still doing so in a uniquely personal way?

One of the most helpful things I’ve heard regarding this came from the activist Deray Mckesson,

I started finding my voice when I started losing my ego,

The past few years have helped me experience this myself.

Over the past summer, that latter pursuit took off in surprising ways. After the murder of George Floyd, I felt deeply that I couldn’t stay silent. There were a few messages about racism that my communities needed to hear. I knew not everybody would be warm to all of it, but it felt urgent. I felt willing to accept any pushback or loss of followers that would come as a result. And that happened, at least a little bit.

Shortly afterward, however, I saw just as many passes on some of my work to other people, saying it helped them process things. Things grew from there. I started to see what it was like to make use of my creative voice in a way that could really help people.

This experience breathed fresh life into my work- both my day job and my other creative endeavors. In both areas, it felt like the distinction between art to express myself and art to serve others had faded.

Most of my creative work is inspired by ecology, global cultures, and the pursuit of justice. By day, I’m a storyteller for Plant With Purpose, a Christian nonprofit seeking environmental justice in rural villages around the globe. I help tell people’s stories of overcoming climate change and poverty. Additionally, I’ve found myself trying to create digital drawings and other types of content to help people process the complicated conversations taking place in our world right now.

Something that forces you to put aside your ego and to pursue things like justice, healing, and compassion inevitably brings you closer to God. In this way, the process of “finding my voice” has gone from being a source of creative tension to being a full-fledged spiritual discipline.

What does that look like? It means recognizing that opportunities to create are opportunities for connection, service, and stewardship. I’ve found that the creative process can include connecting with God and expanding my perspective. It can also be a way to offer encouragement, empathy, or guidance to others’ hearts struggling to process events or feelings. I’ve increasingly recognized that the opportunity to speak to others, through art or other means, is something not to let go to waste.

It’s been a strange time to be a creative. Around the beginning of the pandemic, I read that around two-thirds of creative artists lost their jobs. I’m fortunate to be able to keep doing what I’m doing. At the same time, the role of a storyteller has never been more important. During a moment of massive change and uncertainty, the narratives we tell ourselves shape whatever comes next.

Have you gone through the challenge of finding your voice? What experiences have shaped that process?

Resources

We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.

The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.

And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.

Read. Engage. Enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Depending on how a gem is held, light refracts differently. At B+PC we engage in Pop Culture topics to see ideas from a new angle, to bring us to a deeper understanding. And like Pastor Shane Willard notes, we want “…Jesus to get bigger, the cross to get clearer, the Resurrection to be central…” Instead of approaching a topic from “I don’t want to be wrong,“ we strive for the alternative “I want to expand my perspective.” 

So, we invite you to engage with us here. What piqued your curiosity to dig deeper? What line inspired you to action? What idea made you ask, “Hmmm?” Let’s join with our community to wrestle with our thoughts in love in the Comment Section! See you there!