Why God Created the Arts

The creation of art dates back to the creation of the world — all the way back to Genesis in the Bible. We can read the story of Genesis and witness the beauty of creation all around us and everything that God created, in all his artistry. As humans created in His image, it isn’t a stretch to realize that we have that same yearning as He does for creating beautiful things. We see a continuation of this biblical alignment of creation and art within the story of Exodus when the tribes of Israel built the temples and began to use the word “artisans” and skilled workers. 

Artisans Then and Now

The work that was created in the early part of history reflects an arduous process of dedication to the project with resources limited to that time. The big part of arts training today that was evident in these historical Biblical times were people who were willing to go through a long, slow process to train to attain creativity and expression. People trained in stonework, textiles, or painting to create meaningful works dedicated to God such as the construction of the temple or the tent that covered the Ark of the Covenant. Thinking creatively isn’t an easy thing to do — you do have to put in the time that it takes and also be willing to fail in order to succeed, which is difficult for some.

God’s Image Bearers

What we do know from the Bible is that the first application of creativity was for God to be pleased. He made us in His image. As the image bearers of God, we are called to be creators and we are given the creation mandate to go out and create. Whether it is playing an instrument, creating formulas for a spreadsheet, designing a building, or starting a business, you are training your mind to think outside of the box to create something. You are exercising that creative flow that God created within you. 

Development of a Creative Mindset

The creation of art is so central to what we were created to do, but very often in the identification of what people think of as success, parents discourage their children to pursue the arts. Ironically though, if you ask how many adults engage in arts-related activities such as music performance or going to see movies or art museums, the percentage is extremely high. So, there is this juxtaposition of a desire for the arts, but a hesitancy to open opportunities for children to pursue the arts. That is when it is important to examine the benefits of developing a creative mindset.  

Musician = Muses 

If we take a step back in history again and think about the Ancient Greeks, they had multiple “muses.” A muse of science, a muse of mathematics, of philosophy, and of course the muse of the arts. And those who mastered the study of the muses were called musicians. So, if we have this model that goes back throughout history, why would we dismiss an opportunity for a child to have a modality of thinking that may or may not involve performance and fine arts? The payoff for that modality of thinking is significant. For example, if you take piano lessons as a child, we know from highly correlated data that you're going to most likely enjoy math 10 years after that when you're studying in algebra. The neural pathways used for making music are the same pathways used for doing abstract mathematics; people who enjoy making music will most likely have that same aesthetic of joy when studying mathematics because it's the same neurons firing in the brain.

Creating Lasting Learning

There's so much research out there about the correlation between music or arts with lasting learning that parents should seriously consider giving their children a chance during the learning years to study an instrument, learn how to draw or paint, or how to act or dance to nurture that creative mindset. Even if they choose to do other activities after school, they were given a good foundational footing on how to open themselves to creating something. It is very empowering, and a huge component to confidence building in children.

Creating art is also metacognitive in nature because children learn about themselves as learners and how to continually assess and refine themselves and their confidence and skill levels as they grow and mature. This metacognitive understanding through the study of arts transfers to the academic classroom as well and in a majority of cases results in higher academic achievement.

College Admissions

Admission boards are looking for people who are creative and abstract thinkers, and artistically-trained students check those boxes. As a candidate for admissions to a university, you want to stand out as someone that is unique, and arts is a most unique contribution in contrast to other boxes that a lot of students may check. For example, many highly-selective schools provide students with the opportunity to submit artistic portfolios alongside their academic application. The artistic portfolios are used to identify the unique creative talents of applicants that set them apart from the competition. To not be able to submit an artistic portfolio could be akin to leaving points on the competitive table for admission success.

Intelligent Design

When we consider how God made us, how He created us, how He formed us and shaped us, creating is part of our design. And if we don’t participate in that, we are walking away from that innate part that God created within us and missing out on a lot of our own potential. As the saying goes, you’ll never know what’s possible if you never try. And having the potential for exploring the arts and the gifts that He has given us with the purpose to please God is truly an honor within our Father’s kingdom. 

Cary Brague serves as the Director of Arts and the Murray Arts Center at Mount Paran Christian School.

Click here to learn more about co-curricular arts training and lessons offered to the community through the Murray Arts Academy. 

Curious about the Dozier School of the Arts? Click here for more information on this curricular arts magnet program in the MPCS high school.