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41 " Remember, art is an extension of self. ......... The unique distinction of being created in the image of God is that what we create is informed by the invisible at the same time as it materializes the invisible.The greatest art is an intersection of contrasts. There is hope in the midst of pain, love in the midst of betrayal, courage in the midst of mystery. To turn our lives into masterpieces is to know both pain and healing, despair and hope, darkness and light. Our most powerful work comes when we reveal beauty in the midst of tragedy. "
― Erwin Raphael McManus , The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art
42 " Art exists to remind us that we have a soul, and all we need to be an artist is a soul. "
43 " Though we may create many beautiful works of art, the most important works of art to which we will ever give ourselves are the lives we live. "
44 " We cannot love deeply or risk greatly and never know failure or disappointment. "
45 " To live a life of love is to know betrayal and loss. "
46 " If there is a city that personifies the artisan soul, one could make a strong argument that Paris is it. Paris is what a city looks like when artists create it. I feel more artistic when I am in Paris. After "
47 " Creativity should be an everyday experience. Creativity should be as common as breathing. We breathe, therefore we create. I "
48 " If you want to change the world, start by making small changes to your world. "
49 " For our lives to be works of art, we need to allow a lifetime of work. We must give God the time to make us works of art. We must press close to God and allow both the tenderness of his touch and the pressure of his hands to shape us and mold us into someone we would not be without him. "
50 " Yet the integrity of the universe is the context in which creativity is best expressed. The canvas does not limit God’s creativity but rather celebrates it. The elegant complexity of creation is a beautiful reminder that the creative mind is a disciplined mind, that the creative act is not a struggle to be free of limitations but a demonstration that when we embrace our limitations, creativity has no boundaries. "
51 " finds its deepest value when it is the authentic expression of a deep human experience. Art becomes profound when it exposes us, explains us, or inspires us. "
52 " Humanity is God’s culminating act of creativity, designed with the highest intention to reflect most personally the likeness of God. Ironically, we who were created with the highest intention were also created with the capacity to deny, betray, or demean that intention. Whereas a horse will always live as a horse is intended to live, humans may live inhumane lives. "