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Creatively Created Creatures Created to Create

Creatively Created Creatures Created to Create

Last updated on: September 18, 2026 at 3:32 pm by David Weiss

Creatively Created Creatures Created to Create 2026-09-18T15:32:27-04:00 David Weiss

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Creature character created buy the author for AMOKArts.com

In his amazing book The Artisan Soul, Erwin Raphael McManus refers to us humans by saying, “You are a work of art and an artist at work.” I’m sure many would want to kick against the idea of being called an artist, saying things like, “I can’t draw a straight line, or a stick figure.” If you’re thinking that, you are missing the point. You were created by your Creator to be creative, and I can prove it.

Artist?

Okay maybe the word “artist” goes too far for you. That’s fair I suppose, though I maintain Picasso was right when he said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up” When you were a child, you probably made art quite often. You didn’t worry if it was good, you just made things because you wanted to make them. You were getting what was going on inside you out, and it was healthy. Check out this video to see what I mean.

Professional?

Yes, all children are artists, but then something happens. We start giving grades for art and all of the sudden there is a hierarchy. We start to assign value. Some people have “it,” and some people don’t. It’s a shame really. Don’t get me wrong. Not everyone can be a professional artist, and not everyone should. Frankly, I’ve always been artistic, and some of the most miserable years of my life were the years when I tried to be a professional artist. This was for two main reasons, art stopped being fun, and I had to spend too much time trying to fit into someone else’s mold. It was in getting off that hamster wheel that I found true artistic freedom. Art became fun again, and I am doing some of the best work of my life.

A Work of Art…

Maybe the word artist has taken us off the point. So let’s break McManus’ quote down. He starts off by calling us a work of art. You may want to look in the mirror and poo poo that too, but don’t because the concept is biblical. Consider Ephesians 2:10. “For we are his [God’s] workmanship..” Most people, at least most believers, wouldn’t disagree with this verse from the ESV translation. We were created by God. So we are His workmanship. Makes sense, but would you struggle with the NLT translation? The reason I ask is because the NLT uses a different word. It says, “For we are God’s masterpiece…” Before you disagree with that, think about who you are critiquing. Will you really denigrate the work of the Creator of the Universe?

Maybe it’s better to accept it, McManus is right. You are work of art.

An Artist at Work?

As we move into the last part of McManus’ quote, maybe we need to remove a hangup, He says you’re an artist at work. Let’s pull back on the word “artist,” to think in different terms. Go back to Ephesians 2:10, in the ESV because it calls us workmanship, and as stated earlier, most believers would believe we are made by God. The question then becomes, “Why did God make us?” Look at the rest of the verse, “…created in Christ Jesus for good works…” We were created in Christ to do good works. Therein lies the rub. Consider the title of this article.

Creatively Created…

This starts off with a foundational belief. The belief that we were created. If we are created, that implies a Creator. Further, if you accept that there is a Creator and that you were created, it could hardly be denied that you were creatively created. After all each and every one of us is an original, there has never been another you and there never will be. You are creatively created,

Creatures…

Now you may object to being called a creature, but you are not just a creation, but you are a living, breathing, functional creation, and living, breathing, functional creations are called creatures. We’ll get to why this is important in a moment.

Creative?

As we come to the end of our title, we see another struggle for many people—the call to create. Many people would say they don’t have a creative bone in their bodies. The reason for that is simple. They can’t see themselves as artists. Let’s broaden our horizons a bit. Take creativity out of the realm of making art, because creativity is a lot bigger than the arts, Creativity is problem solving. If you’ve ever run out of money before you ran out of month, you got creative.Have you ever used a tool for something other than its designed purpose. Congratulations, you got creative. If you ever found a way to get something done, you’ve been creative. Bottom line, you are creative whether you believe it or not, and creative people create.

Created to Create

Now take it back to the verse, we’re created in Christ Jesus to do good works. In other words, to one degree or another we were created to create—to solve problems, to make a difference, but wait there’s more,

Part of the Plan

You see there’s more to the “why?” Yes, we’re created by God. Yes, we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, but the verse finishes by saying, “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Wrap your head around that. He’s saying when God created the universe, He had plan and you were part of that plan. You were uniquely created to do something good as part of God’s plan for the Universe! Yes, you!

Me???

And it’s about here that the final pushback happens. People go back to the mirror and they see all of their self-inflicted flaws—the struggles they’ve had, the messes they’ve made. The mirror doesn’t show them a masterpiece. Instead they see a mistake, maybe even a monster.Well note this. God doesn’t make mistakes. You’re still part of the plan. You are not a monster, you’re a creature, And 2 Corinthians 5:17 in the good old KJV says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” And that’s exactly it.

In Christ Jesus

If you are in Christ, Jesus has made you a new creature, and in Christ Jesus, you were created to do good works as part of God’s plan. In Christ your sins are washed away, God’s Masterpiece has been restored by the Master Restorer. In Christ, you are made new, and in Christ, you were made to do good works, that God prepared for you when He made the world. Because you are in Christ, you are part of the plan. So make that creation. Solve that problem. Help that person. Make that difference. In Christ, you are God’s masterpiece—a creatively created creature who was created to create. You are a work of art. Now dear artist, get to work!

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Creative Arts Ministry

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erwin McManus

the artisan soul

About Dave Weiss

Dave Weiss is a pastor and a traveling speaker. He has written and/or illustrated many self-published books and has his MDIV and DMIN, both with a concentration in Creative Arts Ministry. He is married to his wife Dawn and has two adult sons and a grandson named David. You can see more about his ministry at AMOKArts.com You can read more about the author here.

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