By Joey O'Connor

Let me say it again, "Words matter."

Eugene Peterson, another great mind and literary craftsman like Lewis, often spoke of "precision" regarding words and the imagination.

The words "Christian Artist" are wholly imprecise.

Are they an Adjective+Noun combo? A Noun+Noun combo?

If they are a Noun+Adjective combo, that's poor...

When I Grow Up...
By Drew Tilton

In kindergarten, Barb, announced to her teacher, “When I grow up I’m going to be an artist!” Something inside her young heart found refuge in the joy that came with creative expression. It was that same joy that beckoned her to pursue her bachelor’s degree in painting and eventually took...

Have you stopped to consider where you are in your story?

To understand where you are in your story as an artist, it's critical to know what a story is and the key elements for what makes a great story.

A story is a character who wants something and overcomes tremendous obstacles to get it.

As a writer and lover of the craft, not only do I...

Releasing Your God-Given Dream
By Drew Tilton

“They just fit me like a glove,” the now experienced filmmaker recalled of his early exposure to acting and directing. “My first show was an Easter play depicting the last week of Jesus’ life before going to the cross. Not only was I acting in the play, but they also asked me...

One of the most important maxims for any writer is to "Show, Not Tell."

To offer you a visual story of what artists are experiencing and creating in The Grove's Cultivated Artist Experience, we are beginning a new series of video and written stories of the artists in our Grove community.

We want to show you real people — living, practical...

How do you bring your boldest self to your greatest creative challenges?

This is the question The Grove recently explored on the opening evening of our Cultivated Artist Experience four-day getaway. Bob Murphy and I challenged all of the artists in our Journey 2 & 3 groups to bring their boldest self to their creative challenges. We then...

If there is one thing our 12 acre organic lemon and avocado grove has taught us about farming during seasons of drought and freezing cold, creating sustainability is a challenging task.

Farming, like art making, is not for the faint of heart. Last year during a summer heat wave, the temperature reached a scorching 117 degrees Fahrenheit in...

As an artist, what does success look like to you?

I've never met an artist who doesn't want to be successful, but you and I know that success can be defined in many ways. Here's a few way artists define success...

Success is...

• Pushing my creative limits by always learning and practicing my art.
• Achieving creative flow as I work.
• Hitting the...

As an artist, I have two really important questions for you . . .

Who cares for your heart? And who cares for your art?

Really? Who helps cultivate, nurture, and tend your most important assets?

In reading one of my favorite spiritual authors this morning, Dallas Willard writes in Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice . . .

The...

In every great story or tale, something is at stake.

Let me repeat that: Something urgent and desperate is at stake.

If Indiana Jones doesn't stop the Nazis, the whole world is doomed to destruction.

If Luke Skywalker doesn't blow up the Death Star, the Empire will rule the galaxy.

If Wonder Woman doesn't defeat Ares, the god of war,...