Have you ever wondered what separates the creatives from the rest? The book The Artisan Soul delves into this topic and explores the roots of creativity. On top of that, the book is unapologetically Christian, written by Erwin Raphael McManus a well-known pastor who also works as an entrepreneur, a creative and more. Erwin also hosts a thought-provoking podcast with his son Aaron McManus which deals with a variety of subjects, including topics like faith, politics and current affairs.
Creatives vs the Rest
To refer back to the original question: Erwin Raphael McManus believes everyone is creative. Erwin delves into his philosophy that being Christian and being creative are intertwined instead of being separate entities. Erwin uses the book to explore this, and each chapter helps the reader understand more about what the artisan soul really means.
What Is the Essence of a Masterpiece?
Erwin’s book doesn’t just stop at creativity, but one wouldn’t expect anything less from him. He pushes the boundaries by describing life as a masterpiece. Erwin describes God’s first act in Genesis as being the creator and shares his sentiment that mankind was a part of His creative canvas. Erwin uses this as an explanation for why everyone truly has the ability to be creative in one form or another. He also uses this example to illustrate the thought that if our lives were created by the creator, our lives are an expression of creativity in its purest form, making us masterpieces.
Living as a Masterpiece
Masterpieces are not always perfect, yet their ability to inspire is what makes them magnificent. If we begin to see all that we do and all that we are as masterpieces, would we live our lives any differently? Moreover, if we started to see each person as a masterpiece, how would we begin to treat those in our lives differently, including those that look different to us or have a different lifestyle to us?
Erwin discusses various levels of creativity in the book The Artisan Soul, and the book is designed for people that are no longer comfortable with what society labels as creative. It’s for those who have realised the box of creativity is not a box but an apeirogon. Not everyone will have the same takeaway after reading the book, but it will undoubtedly get you to think about what creativity means in an elevated way.
Title: How Is Your Artisan Soul?
Author: Leonie Thomas
Date Published: 31.3.2023
Leonie Thomas 