It’s a Different Kind of “Magic”

Again this week I’ve added the Vlog below…no need to click on a link! Just scroll down.

Why Touch the Magic?

The third phrase in my tagline is “Touch the Magic”. This phrase was added last year after I picked up clay again.

Yes. Again.

If you’ve known me long enough, you know that a very long time ago…back in the late 80s and early 90s…I was obsessed with clay. Most of you haven’t known me that long! The way that came about is a story for another day (it’s so simple and ridiculous you won’t believe it), but for now, let’s just focus on the fact that after 30+ years, I came back.

Now that I am back, I am just as obsessed as before: it’s just that I have other obsessions–like pastel–that take up some of my time. 

Molding and making things out of clay touches a part of me that grounds me. I know, bad pun, but it’s really not: the knowledge that I’m handling earth+water and that I have the ability to form it and turn it into something with the help of air and fire that is solid and useful gives me a grounded, foundational feeling that I can’t explain. It feels like a gift from God; the gift of letting me feel a tiny bit of how He felt forming that earth, and making a man from that same earth.

But let me interrupt this program for a quick bulletin.

It’s Not that Kind

Some of you are bugged by the word “magic” here. Some of you aren’t, and that’s great but don’t skip this bit: you may learn something as well.

If this word brings to mind spells and drawings on the floor or dirt and candles and cauldrons or dancing naked in the moonlight, allow me to assure you that we are not talking about that kind of magic. That is “magic” that, first of all, isn’t real, and also is an attempt to thwart the Creator and Sovereign God and control things that don’t belong to us.

We ain’t talkin’ ‘bout dat. No sir, no way.

If, on the other hand, this word brings to mind things like the miracles of the Bible or the “deep magic” that drives the story in C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, then you’d be on the right track. There is a deeper, divine power that is wielded by God the Creator and King of Kings. We are all subject to it, and I believe in the case of the incredible blessing of creativity it is a gift from Him.

Your Invitation

And I want to invite you into that.  I’m in it. I’m creating and loving it. I have a deeper connection with Him because of it. 

I want that for you. And now you know what I mean when I use the word “magic”. You can breathe easy.

And now I return you to your regularly scheduled program. Or not. Because that kind of concludes our discussion of the phrase “touch the magic”.

If you’ve given any of this thought outside of reading or listening to this blog, you’ve already figured out one very important point about these three phrases: they easily cross over each other. Seeing music is easy to learn to do: just open up any piece of sheet music and you are seeing music. Hearing colors is part of what happens when synesthetes hear music or sounds. Touching magic can happen both when you are touching a musical instrument, holding a pastel while painting, or molding clay, and the list of crossovers may go on.

And now there is only one more phrase for us to consider next week. After that, what would you like to discuss? Please feel free to brainstorm in the comments or ask questions you might have about what we’ve been talking about so far. It really helps me to hear from you! My goal in writing this blog is to let you get to know me a bit more, and then to get to know YOU a bit more! 

This Week in the Studio

I hope you don’t mind that I’ve gone back to the older format of doing voice-overs this week. I am madly making pots and paintings for the shows and have also happily taken on more duties here for my parents, so coordinating myself for a recording just isn’t going to happen this week.

I have a couple of tutorials in the works and need to catch up on shouting out some students soon. 

As you can see from the video, the studio is buzzing with pots and clay and creativity. It feels very alive and pulsing and I can hardly keep myself from entering the portal and taking the journey every day. Still, other duties call, so it must rest a bit until another day.

Lastly, I do have an announcement or two:

ANNOUNCEMENT #1: A new endeavor is in development, and I will be introducing it in the next few weeks. It will be interactive and involve YOU and zoom meetings and art. So be ready! 

ANNOUNCEMENT #2: I am officially one of the featured artists for the March Engage Art Bible Cluster on March 28 at 8 pm central. If you’d like an invitation, let me know. You can attend by zoom, or you can view and participate in comments on https://fb.me/e/H7W4dw69

Now that you know what it means, I wish you the blessedness of seeing the music, hearing the colors, touching the magic, and awakening the wonder and worship in your heart.

Godspeed