“I believe that each work of art, whether it is a work of great genious, or something very small, comes to the artist and says, ‘Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me.’ And the artist either says, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord,’ and willingily becomes the bearer of the work, or refuses; but the obedient response is not necessarily a consious one, and not everyone has the humble, courageous obedience of Mary.”
–Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water
Maybe it was a painting, a song, a business idea, or a recipe. Maybe it was a lesson plan, an outfit, a story, or a photograph. Maybe it was something else that I can’t even name because you haven’t invented it yet.
Have you ever had the experience of a work of art presenting itself to you in this way? Did you become the bearer of the work or did you refuse?
We would love to hear about it in the comments.
This is day 16 in our series Made for This: 31 Days of Living Art.
If this is a conversation that interests you, perhaps you’ll pick up a copy of my newest book, A Million Little Ways. Hope to hear from you in the comments!
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