Joey O'Connor's Blog, page 9

Are You Waiting for a Door to Open?

Are you waiting for a door to open? Are you waiting for God to come through for you with a particular hope or dream in your heart? I know I’m waiting for several doors to open in different areas of my life. When I walked in Capo Beach Church on Easter Sunday a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Easter Theme was “Doors.” I have found that waiting on God is where does his deepest work and cultivation in my life. Read on…

I’d like to share with you a few encouraging words...

What Season of Life Are You In?

If you’ve been wondering why it has been radar silent here on Art, Life & Faith for the past few weeks, it’s because I’m in an unexpected new season of life. In agricultural terms, I’m in the midst of a ‘perfect storm.’ As many of you know, The Grove Center for the Arts & Media is a ministry to artists that I serve. And what makes The Grove unique is that we really do have a grove. Twelve acres of avocados and organic lemons which require constant cultivating, weeding, feeding, watering, and...

My Top Faith-Based Arts & Culture Groups on Facebook

If you’re on Facebook, you just may want to check out my Top Faith-Based Arts & Culture Groups. You’ll find 16 wonderful organizations listed below. Many of these arts groups and ministries are led by friends of mine whose artist essays appear in Create: Transforming Stories of Art, Life & Faith. I hope you’ll visit and share these arts & culture groups with your friends. One of our goals with The Grove Center for the Arts & Media is to expose artists to fellow arts & culture groups who are l...

Question of the Week #10: What do You Find Truly Life-Giving?

Welcome to the Question of the Week #10: What do you find truly life-giving? Answering this question just may cause you to seriously rearrange your life, schedule and priorities. If I were to peek at your “life-giving list,” there’s a good chance a lack of sleep, lack of exercise, reams of conflict and a hurried, hectic schedule would not be on your list. At least I hope not. The things you find truly life-giving are essential for cultivating a deeper, richer life. Read on…

Cultivating a life...

3 Ways Artists Can Cultivate Faith over Fear

As an artist, is fear kicking your butt? Maybe you’re not an artist, BUT you struggle with worry, fear, and anxiety? As an artist, I’ve found that fear is the number one obstacle to creativity, innovation, growth, focus, and artistic success. This past Monday night at our monthly Grove Gathering, Roy Cochran, my friend and co-worker, shared with forty-five artists the importance of cultivating faith over fear. I know this struggle of faith over fear well. If you’ve read my free book, The Long...

Top 10 Art, Life & Faith Blog Posts for Feb. 2013

Here are the Top 10 Art, Life & Faith blog posts for February, 2013. As I meet with artists and art leaders from across the country, I see a growing intentionality among artists to cultivate their spiritual growth and the creative gifts God has given them. As artists pursue the beauty, truth and goodness of God, the natural outflow influences their creative and imaginative gifts. I’ve seen an enthusiastic response of artists spending more time on Art, Life, & Faith watching the artist intervi...

Cultivate Your Creative Calling

If you’re an artist and you’ve been discouraged by setbacks, wondering if it’s all worth it, I want to remind you that it takes work to cultivate your creative calling. One of the pure tests of whether you’re an artist or not is questioning your creative calling in the first place. Being an artist is not a fixed and static reality like a math equation: 2 + 2 = 4. Okay, we get that. In pursuing your art form, you will face challenges, questions, hardship, financial struggle, heartache and doub...

Creativity, Filmmaking & Mentoring (Free PDF)

What role does mentoring play in the life of an artist? How can an artist cultivate their creativity through an older, wiser mentor? How can artists improve their craft by pursuing a mentor? Whether its filmmaking, writing, music, dance, visual art, or any other art form, there are critically important links between creativity and mentoring in the life of an artist. A mentor can provide an aspiring artist the necessary wisdom and life experience to help navigate the unavoidable personal, prof...

Question of the Week #9: What Do You Enjoy Most about Creating Art?

Welcome to the Art, Life & Faith Question of the Week #9: What do you enjoy most about creating art? As a writer, there are days when I’m not sure if I’m working or playing. I simply love to write. The same can be said for any kind of art that you truly enjoy creating. If you didn’t enjoy and actually love the process of creating, there’s a very good chance that you’d never become an artist. Read on…

When I think about the process of creating art, any kind of art, I’m a bit in awe at the gener...

10 Steps for Filling Your Life with Wow & Wonder

My teenage boys are fans of the hit zombie TV show, Walking Dead. If you and I take a closer look today, we might say, “Wow, the walking dead are all around us.” People whose eyes are empty, devoid of the wow and wonder of life all around them. Completely zoned out to living a life of “Wow, look at that!” and “Hey, I wonder why…” How can you avoid living like a zombie? I have a real steps, not zombie steps, that will help you cultivate a life of greater wow and wonder. Read on…

If you want to...