The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

Edwin Raphael McManus, who has a Master of Divinity Degree and a Doctorate of Humane Letters, is the founder of MOSAIC, a Christian Church that holds nurturing creativity to be one of its main tenets. Reading "The Artisan Soul," I kept thinking that I wanted to send him a copy of Saint Pope John Paul II's Letter to Artists, and ask him to come home to the Catholic Church because our faith truly does respect and value creativity.

That fact aside, I did enjoy this book and McManus makes some wonderful observations. Here are a few of my favorite quotes.

Creating should be as common as breathing. We breathe, therefore we create. 

The only art we can create is that which authentically reflects who we are.

The more clearly we reflect the divine, the more we reflect that which is good and beautiful and true.

For our lives to be works of art, we need to allow a lifetime of work. We must give God the time to make works of art. 

When we choose to create as an act of love, we join forces with the Creator of the universe and become givers of life.

We understand that with creative freedom comes creative responsibility.

If God created us to be successful at something, then he has called us to work hard at it.