If ever I feel like my faith limits me from doing something I want to do, I step back and ask myself why I feel that way. What is it that I want to do? Why do I want to do it? If God were standing here with me, would I still do it in front of him?

Also, a person's faith serves to set them free, the only bounds being the loving arms of the Father's embrace. When we find ourselves squirming in that embrace, we need to take a moment to remember where we are and, sometimes, we need to resign and offer up our own desires and accept His. Only by accepting His desire for us, even if it feels like a hard deal, will we actually, truly be free.

That's my take on it, at any rate.

...I think faith can give a bigger outlet for creativity...as long as it stays within acceptable boundaries, i.e., I don't think a Christian community would appreciate of their own painting extremely morbid and obscene things.

Then again...I might be mistaken.

Let's get one thing straight from the start. As Christians we worship the Creator, and we believe we're made in His image. So if your understanding of Christianity doesn't allow you to be creative, it's time for you to get a better understanding.

It used to be that, if you were an artist or musician who wanted the best possible gig you could get, more often than not you went to work for a church. The paintings of Michelangelo and Fra Angelico-- the music of J. S. Bach and Palestrina-- the architecture of Notre Dame and St. Paul's Cathedral-- the poetry of Herbert and Traherne-- that's what we should think of when we think about the relationship between the church and the freedom of creative expression.

Unhappily, the church has sold its artistic birthright for a bowl of CCM pottage. As a creative type myself (I'm a classically trained composer) I know exactly how discouraging it can be to see the copycatting, insularity, and general all-around mediocrity of much (though not all) of what passes for "art" these days in Christian circles. The solution to that, though, is not just to sit around on your posterior complaining about the general all-around mediocrity of (etc). It's to get out there and start making some good art of your own, regardless of who supports you and who doesn't! Whatever you love doing, there's an audience for it somewhere, and they'll find you one way or another.

One proviso, though-- for you as a Christian, "being yourself" no longer means what it might mean to a person who doesn't follow Jesus, namely that whatever you want to do is a good creative decision simply because it's you that wants to do it. The word for that is not "creativity" but pride (and trust me, this is a very common sin among us artists!) God does want you to have a special contribution as the unique individual He created you to be, but being full of yourself will keep you from reaching that potential. Don't focus on yourself, focus on Jesus, and your creativity will take care of itself.

Best quote I've heard all week: "People are afraid to be amazing." Stop worrying about what people think, get out there, and do your very best!

No. Faith in Christ Jesus the Lord enhances my life because it more strongly binds me to the Creator of the universe. In Christ is freedom. G-D knitted me together and placed on my talents and gifts within me. Since he is the author of those gifts and the Creator of all things he is able to provide opportunities for inspiration that will propel me to use my talents to produce something worth while. If I seek to glorify him, why will the products of my hands be lackluster? If I fulfill my worship to glorify G-D, what can lack?

@Lynnjynh9315@xanga - I LOVE that story. My old pastor actually preached a sermon on it and had all the small groups study it one week.

Well, maybe Children's church was exempt....

I don't regularly attend church because I'm kind of a loner. I'm creative and God isn't necessarily a part of that. I write about what inspires me and who I love so I don't always write about God.

The convertion from darkness to light will naturally change things about you-- like art, music, entertainment related activities, dress, and the rest of your life,

If you are feeling as though these changes (which are the fruits of becoming a Christian) are "holding you back", that merely speaks of the warring inside of you that goes on between your flesh and your Spirit.  It is natural to feel that way and these feelings are what a Christian has to guard against becoming discouraged because of them. 

Part of the reason prayer is so important in the Christians daily life is because that is one of the ways our Spirits find refreshment with God after having done battle within our own flesh.

In theory, I'd hold that it shouldn't and doesn't logically lead to a denial of creative potential, but I'll admit that in my experience I often felt that way. I see that the reason for thinking that there was a conflict between creative potential and faith was because of my lack of effort.

Creativity comes in closed spaces, not in open ones, for one thing. But trouble is that the words "closed spaces" seems to suggest that faith is narrow. I don't know what's narrow about believing that the entire universe is intelligible and meaningful, that every person is a poem in the writing, every ugly event a foe to conquer. In retrospect, I realize that it were my Christianity that has constantly kept my mind sharp and engaged with the world.

That's an interesting question.  As an atheist and former Christian, I hadn't thought about that in a long time.  But I do distinctly recall feeling ideologically coerced (in my own mind) into creating specifically Christian art of some kind whether I genuinely felt that way or not.  It was like I couldn't just get away with neutral expression and so many things were unnecessarily demonized.  I wish I had just learned to express myself and understand my actual feelings in those formative years.  Oh well. 

Ben

The problem is, we do things backwards. We say "Christians shouldn't do this" so we stop ourselves from doing it. But all that is doing is taking God's work of changing us from the inside out into our own hands. Because God has given us a new nature and the Holy Spirit, as we grow closer to Him, we'll naturally grow away from the things that we shouldn't do. They just won't hold the same appeal for us anymore. But if we try to do it backwards, we end up throwing out the things that we shouldn't because we, in our immaturity, just can't tell the difference. That's the point, that we're immature and we DON'T KNOW. That's why we let GOD change us. Otherwise we end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

If you feel like you can't be yourself and be a Christian at the same time, you're most likely doing it wrong. Act naturally, and God will change you. Yeah, you're still going to make a lot of mistakes, but I'd rather be naturally a good person than a person who is constantly struggling to be who I am vs who I should be.

it did, at my old church. there was always the feeling that people were watching you, constantly judging you. probably because they were. later we learned that every sunday after church, the pastor's family would get together for lunch and make fun of everyone they felt deserved it.

I think it offers more possibility at times. I drew a picture of Jesus lifting 2 million pounds!

@Ancient_Scribe@xanga - Is your faith limiting you from having sex?