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Let There Be Art
Perhaps in no other way do we more vibrantly reflect our creator than with our creativity. Whether through music, writing, baking, painting, posting on social media, dancing, or any other form of artistic expression within our grasp, we were created to create. Yet, there are times we may be unsure about our art, times when our creating and making doesn't feel possible or purposeful or practical.
Rachel Marie Kang wants you to know that your art is not peripheral to life--it is at the very heart of why you exist and what you have to offer to yourself and to the world. In Let There Be Art , she gives you permission to embrace the peace, pleasure, and purpose inherent in your art and in the process of making it. This passionate, creative, and cathartic journey invites you to create truthfully out of the broken and beautiful pieces of your life, as well as offer your heart and your art in hopes of helping a hurting world.
Rachel Marie Kang wants you to know that your art is not peripheral to life--it is at the very heart of why you exist and what you have to offer to yourself and to the world. In Let There Be Art , she gives you permission to embrace the peace, pleasure, and purpose inherent in your art and in the process of making it. This passionate, creative, and cathartic journey invites you to create truthfully out of the broken and beautiful pieces of your life, as well as offer your heart and your art in hopes of helping a hurting world.
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2022
67 people are currently reading
2685 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Marie Kang
2 books78 followersAuthor of Let There Be Art and The Matter of Little Losses
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 16, 2023
I’ve read over this book so many times. And soon it’ll be released and out in the wild—from my heart into your hands.
October 12, 2022
This one's a special one. Truly, truly special.
I came across Rachel Marie Kang on an episode of Morgan Harper Nichols' podcast in the midst of all that was unknown in 2020. I had never heard of her, never seen her work, never dreamed that what I'd hear that day would send ripple effects and ricochet over the next season of my life. She painted a picture with words of all that I might hope to be true – making sense of the tug to make, to create, to show up in all the ways we might feel called to. I started following her then, among other artists and authors I admired, piecing together this collective of people purposefully doing and showing and sharing. Even though I was personally walking through one of the hardest winters of my life, Rachel's words and ways of making anyway carried me in a particularly needed way. Almost every time she'd share or write or ask, it's like my soul would cry a resounding, "YES."
In the spring of this year, I decided to throw my name in the hat for her coaching sessions. To my delight and surprise, she had time and space for me. From the moment we started meeting, I felt so deeply known, seen, and understood by her. She is one of the most creatively refreshing and sincere people I've ever met. There are authors in the world who write from a kind of separation, but there are others who you can tell seek to be integrated with all that they wrestle with. Rachel embodies all that she's embraced and navigated in writing this book you can now have in your hands.
Over and above anyone else I listen to or hear from, Rachel has a way with words that is poetic, inspiring, filling, and fueling. Her perspective and articulation of how and why we're made is invigorating. This book is full of real-life, real-deal wonderings, wanderings, and ways to engage what our hearts long for (and are made for). This isn't just for the "creatives" or "artists", per se, but it calls to the art and creativity inherent within you.
“Art as a way of climbing back toward the light. Yes, art as a way of pushing back the darkness within ourselves, within our world.”
And as she so artfully points out, "art" is much more than what you might picture. Let it be any and all ways that you need – painting or playing, writing or wrestling, moving or making, showing up or staying, connecting or reflecting, pausing or producing, laughing or lamenting.
“Any and all art that helps, heals, names, entertains, redeems is good. By and through art, we are led out of hiding and into hereness — out of obscurity and into the obvious.”
“The act of creating does more than create things; it restores things. It calms things. It heals things. It saves things. It lets light into our lives, and it pushes back darkness.”
So let there be art, friends. And let there be many purchases of this book because honestly it's so, so good.
I came across Rachel Marie Kang on an episode of Morgan Harper Nichols' podcast in the midst of all that was unknown in 2020. I had never heard of her, never seen her work, never dreamed that what I'd hear that day would send ripple effects and ricochet over the next season of my life. She painted a picture with words of all that I might hope to be true – making sense of the tug to make, to create, to show up in all the ways we might feel called to. I started following her then, among other artists and authors I admired, piecing together this collective of people purposefully doing and showing and sharing. Even though I was personally walking through one of the hardest winters of my life, Rachel's words and ways of making anyway carried me in a particularly needed way. Almost every time she'd share or write or ask, it's like my soul would cry a resounding, "YES."
In the spring of this year, I decided to throw my name in the hat for her coaching sessions. To my delight and surprise, she had time and space for me. From the moment we started meeting, I felt so deeply known, seen, and understood by her. She is one of the most creatively refreshing and sincere people I've ever met. There are authors in the world who write from a kind of separation, but there are others who you can tell seek to be integrated with all that they wrestle with. Rachel embodies all that she's embraced and navigated in writing this book you can now have in your hands.
Over and above anyone else I listen to or hear from, Rachel has a way with words that is poetic, inspiring, filling, and fueling. Her perspective and articulation of how and why we're made is invigorating. This book is full of real-life, real-deal wonderings, wanderings, and ways to engage what our hearts long for (and are made for). This isn't just for the "creatives" or "artists", per se, but it calls to the art and creativity inherent within you.
“Art as a way of climbing back toward the light. Yes, art as a way of pushing back the darkness within ourselves, within our world.”
And as she so artfully points out, "art" is much more than what you might picture. Let it be any and all ways that you need – painting or playing, writing or wrestling, moving or making, showing up or staying, connecting or reflecting, pausing or producing, laughing or lamenting.
“Any and all art that helps, heals, names, entertains, redeems is good. By and through art, we are led out of hiding and into hereness — out of obscurity and into the obvious.”
“The act of creating does more than create things; it restores things. It calms things. It heals things. It saves things. It lets light into our lives, and it pushes back darkness.”
So let there be art, friends. And let there be many purchases of this book because honestly it's so, so good.
November 28, 2022
A book review: Let There Be Art by Rachel Marie Kang
Who it may interest: Those who want to learn to savor life and beauty. Those who want to see how mundane can be beautiful, and how art is all around us and in each one of us.
Kang has such beautiful words. This is a slowdown and smell the roses kind of book. Our eyes can become clouded with business, burdens, and fear…but in each one of us is a spark of art. All around us is beauty if we choose to acknowledge it. This book is a salve to a hurried, and burdened soul. It’s encouragement and life for those wondering if art even matters.
Each chapter starts with let there be…then dives into an array of topics like imagination, silence, laughter, and more. It isn’t a book for artists, it’s a book that shows how in each one of us is an artist. We are created to behold creation but also to create. This breathes life into us.
I love this quote (along with many more): “It matters to believe that you exist not simply because of what you can do but because of who you are.”
Who it may interest: Those who want to learn to savor life and beauty. Those who want to see how mundane can be beautiful, and how art is all around us and in each one of us.
Kang has such beautiful words. This is a slowdown and smell the roses kind of book. Our eyes can become clouded with business, burdens, and fear…but in each one of us is a spark of art. All around us is beauty if we choose to acknowledge it. This book is a salve to a hurried, and burdened soul. It’s encouragement and life for those wondering if art even matters.
Each chapter starts with let there be…then dives into an array of topics like imagination, silence, laughter, and more. It isn’t a book for artists, it’s a book that shows how in each one of us is an artist. We are created to behold creation but also to create. This breathes life into us.
I love this quote (along with many more): “It matters to believe that you exist not simply because of what you can do but because of who you are.”
October 13, 2022
A Memento Mori for Creativity—
Rachel’s book sparks the question that dwells deep within us—does it matter if I create? This existential question ignites in our minds as soon as we turn the page. All inquiries aside, Rachel holds your hand the entire journey through her book as a gentle creative guide. She reminds us that no act of creativity is ever too small, too much, too expressive, or ever too much of anything.
To top it all off, she reminds us that our desire to create is a reflection of our kind, gracious, and masterful God. His grand act of creating the universe was no accident—and neither are we.
This was such an easy and good read—Rachel’s voice throughout her book follows a creative and poetic legacy while still honoring Scripture.
If you bake, sew, write, paint, sing, decorate, or arrange anything—this is a book for you. Let’s echo Rachel’s words and use art as a way to worship—Let There Be Art.
Rachel’s book sparks the question that dwells deep within us—does it matter if I create? This existential question ignites in our minds as soon as we turn the page. All inquiries aside, Rachel holds your hand the entire journey through her book as a gentle creative guide. She reminds us that no act of creativity is ever too small, too much, too expressive, or ever too much of anything.
To top it all off, she reminds us that our desire to create is a reflection of our kind, gracious, and masterful God. His grand act of creating the universe was no accident—and neither are we.
This was such an easy and good read—Rachel’s voice throughout her book follows a creative and poetic legacy while still honoring Scripture.
If you bake, sew, write, paint, sing, decorate, or arrange anything—this is a book for you. Let’s echo Rachel’s words and use art as a way to worship—Let There Be Art.
August 5, 2023
I’m giving this book 3 stars for this reason…I truly wish this book would have been written before the pandemic. But it wasn’t and therefore the author chose to reference the pandemic throughout the book. While that may have been cathartic for her and may be helpful for many who read this book, I found it distracting and definitely affected my engagement with the book. Obviously, my reaction is based on my experience during and opinions of the pandemic. One thing I did like about the book is the way she focused on a particular goal to art in each chapter. As such, certain chapters gave me fresh perspective about art. I like that she included poetry, a prayer, prompts and practices at the end of each chapter as well.
Read
October 24, 2022An important book for our time. The stories and word art held within this book are life giving and experiential. This is recommended reading for anyone who has called themselves creative but has possibly been lost in the passing of ordinary days.
October 12, 2022
Rachel Marie Kang writes in a soothing, subtle way with a surprising jolt that brings back to life small parts of you that you thought were dead and gone, yet were still surviving somewhere in the depths of you. Her words encouraged me to start writing poetry again, gave me confidence in dancing, and have led me to turn on my oven and bake for the sheer art of it.
If you've been feeling stuck, like you're missing a part of yourself, I encourage you to read this book.
If you've been feeling stuck, like you're missing a part of yourself, I encourage you to read this book.
October 11, 2022
Three words to describe Let There Be Art would be gentle, playful, and questioning.
I don’t remember how I was introduced to Rachel Marie Kang, but I am immensely grateful for who she is and the space she creates for creatives. Let There Be Art is a book about creation – the creation of a product, a decision, a song, a story, a novel, a painting, a website, a meal, an app. Rachel dials in the importance of the first chapters in Genesis, in which God creates our world. The beauty of art is the act of creation. She peppers the pages with poems, prayers, and prompts for your own inspiration. The pieces of writing and poems littered throughout are not of her own either! She has fostered a community of creatives, all working to better create.
Each chapter is titled “Let There Be ____.” I expected some of the titles like “Let There Be Goodness” and “Let There Be Home,” but others surprised me, “Let There Be Silence” and “Let There Be Fairy Tales”. However, within these pages, she hit the nail I’ve been trying to hammer for several months. In your creating something, you are growing closer to Your Creator. By writing, you string words together into worlds. By painting, you brush pigments into pictures. By gardening, you tend vines into a trellis’.
Rachel writes with a zeal for a return to our roots of imagination and childhood. She shares about an interaction with a colleague, “Don’t confuse childlike with childish.” But this is what she’s done best in her work, sharing a glimpse of the joy that came with our younger years and bringing it back to life with our recent experiences. Her later chapters get these moments of suffering and silence to rest in a holy place alongside our joy; sitting side by side, we can live and create in balance.
Post-lockdown and pandemic, we all felt a tinge of needing something more. From whipping coffee to oblivion, trying viral dance videos, or baking sourdough bread, every human felt a deep spark of something permanent. Rachel Marie Kang does a beautiful job of presenting creation as a technique for grounding. Calming a mother’s hands as she cuts vegetables to cook with dinner or a pianist’s hands as their fingers float from key to key. These slow motions allow the space to think; differently, they transport us to a different place.
Let There Be Art will sit on my shelf for recommendations if you want to know why you enjoy the creation of a product or doing a service. It’s a beautiful tribute to our great Creator. Rachel Marie Kang’s book releases today, add it to your cart now!
“...In these moments and places and churches and homes and classrooms and seasons, that you must unearth and unleash the kind of courageous creativity that will not only seep out of your story but save your soul.”
I don’t remember how I was introduced to Rachel Marie Kang, but I am immensely grateful for who she is and the space she creates for creatives. Let There Be Art is a book about creation – the creation of a product, a decision, a song, a story, a novel, a painting, a website, a meal, an app. Rachel dials in the importance of the first chapters in Genesis, in which God creates our world. The beauty of art is the act of creation. She peppers the pages with poems, prayers, and prompts for your own inspiration. The pieces of writing and poems littered throughout are not of her own either! She has fostered a community of creatives, all working to better create.
Each chapter is titled “Let There Be ____.” I expected some of the titles like “Let There Be Goodness” and “Let There Be Home,” but others surprised me, “Let There Be Silence” and “Let There Be Fairy Tales”. However, within these pages, she hit the nail I’ve been trying to hammer for several months. In your creating something, you are growing closer to Your Creator. By writing, you string words together into worlds. By painting, you brush pigments into pictures. By gardening, you tend vines into a trellis’.
Rachel writes with a zeal for a return to our roots of imagination and childhood. She shares about an interaction with a colleague, “Don’t confuse childlike with childish.” But this is what she’s done best in her work, sharing a glimpse of the joy that came with our younger years and bringing it back to life with our recent experiences. Her later chapters get these moments of suffering and silence to rest in a holy place alongside our joy; sitting side by side, we can live and create in balance.
Post-lockdown and pandemic, we all felt a tinge of needing something more. From whipping coffee to oblivion, trying viral dance videos, or baking sourdough bread, every human felt a deep spark of something permanent. Rachel Marie Kang does a beautiful job of presenting creation as a technique for grounding. Calming a mother’s hands as she cuts vegetables to cook with dinner or a pianist’s hands as their fingers float from key to key. These slow motions allow the space to think; differently, they transport us to a different place.
Let There Be Art will sit on my shelf for recommendations if you want to know why you enjoy the creation of a product or doing a service. It’s a beautiful tribute to our great Creator. Rachel Marie Kang’s book releases today, add it to your cart now!
“...In these moments and places and churches and homes and classrooms and seasons, that you must unearth and unleash the kind of courageous creativity that will not only seep out of your story but save your soul.”
November 10, 2022
This book is poetry, it is a song.
It is a reminder that the dreams in our hearts and the visions in our minds are gifts to be shared. They are the sparks that bring light into the darkness, life into barrenness. Our creativity, Rachel Marie Kang assures us, is an invitation to join with God in His mission to push back all that is dark, chaotic, and empty.
Rachel’s words stir up the longing to create and tell us why the work of our hands is needed.
This book is written for anyone with a desire to create in whatever form calls to us. For the dancers, the musicians, the poets, the painters, and the for the ones who create art on plates to feed hungry mouths. Ms. Kang encourages us to see the artistry in it all.
This book is a permission slip, a persuasive argument to do the thing your soul longs to do, and an honoring of the creativity often lying dormant within us.
It is a call to create, a plea to listen to the song of your soul and to shine.
Highly recommend this book to the reluctant and hesitant ones who wonder if their art matters, also to the ones in the thick of sharing their work and wrestling with their doubts.
It is a reminder that the dreams in our hearts and the visions in our minds are gifts to be shared. They are the sparks that bring light into the darkness, life into barrenness. Our creativity, Rachel Marie Kang assures us, is an invitation to join with God in His mission to push back all that is dark, chaotic, and empty.
Rachel’s words stir up the longing to create and tell us why the work of our hands is needed.
This book is written for anyone with a desire to create in whatever form calls to us. For the dancers, the musicians, the poets, the painters, and the for the ones who create art on plates to feed hungry mouths. Ms. Kang encourages us to see the artistry in it all.
This book is a permission slip, a persuasive argument to do the thing your soul longs to do, and an honoring of the creativity often lying dormant within us.
It is a call to create, a plea to listen to the song of your soul and to shine.
Highly recommend this book to the reluctant and hesitant ones who wonder if their art matters, also to the ones in the thick of sharing their work and wrestling with their doubts.
April 8, 2023
Part poetry, part essay putting forth the idea that creativity is essential to who we are— not just something we do. Excellent Bible references…exquisite poems from both the author and other poets. Thought-provoking questions to help process your own thoughts about creativity.
I appreciated the use of the author’s understanding of Scripture throughout her work. This is a book I will be purchasing for future gifts.
I appreciated the use of the author’s understanding of Scripture throughout her work. This is a book I will be purchasing for future gifts.
November 14, 2022
A great book for the creative writer or maker with tangible practices/prompts and prayers.
May 2, 2024
This was a thoughtful and well-written book on creativity through the lens of faith. I particularly enjoyed the second half of the book!
January 16, 2025
This is one of the best, most eloquently written books I have ever read! Rachel encourages us to see the beauty all around us, to find creativity in everyday, and to seek it out in unexpected places. It has challenged me, changed my perceptions on some things, and brought more beauty to my life than I had previously. Life is hard, but in spite of that there are ways to enjoy it without denying the pain, in fact, the creativity often helps us through the pain.
January 26, 2023
This book is a beautiful reminder that you do not need to be an artist to release art into the world.
February 17, 2024
Such a lovely, introspective, resoundingly encouraging book! Deeply enriching and inspiring. Our creativity matters and glorifies God in the process.
January 15, 2024
This book goes beyond words. I’ve thought of many ways to explain how I feel but struggle to wrap my head around one. If there is a focused word that would be close enough, I’d used “transformed”. I read this book slowly because just in the “Invitation” opening, Rachel said this: “I can only tell you how to make the most of them, how to make the most of what you know and who you are. O can tell you that, in the grand scheme of things, it really does matter to see the work of your hands as worthy.” This invitation to experience art, our own creativity, as an expression of inward gold that is filled with truth to our stories and who we are, was a reminder that art is waiting to be unfolded if we create space and allow it to be free. Rachel does a fascinating job at walking you through a journey that not only speaks of her story, but includes many other stories that speak of how we can see art in various facets of life. Rachel’s writing is welcoming, loving, and exciting, fully keeping you engaged in her compelling storytelling abilities as you imagine “listening” to her like you are two friends in a coffee shop telling stories. “Let there be..” showcases a series of words such as “tears” or “laughter” or “silence” that tells a journey of the life of Christ and makes excellent connections to how we see art and the life it brings no matter how the story unfolds. Her writing is clever, compelling, and convincing, making you aware of different aspects of art that you may have initially disagreed on. Her arguments on social media and how it existed ages ago, showing the similarities of communication that pursued connectedness is brilliant. She just takes ideas that society and Church may deem as negative, and showcases the possibilities and positives, sharing a different perspective one may not have considered. I can go on and on about why you should read it, but the most is that you walk away feeling encouraged and believing in yourself to dust off the shelves of our minds and pick up a pen and paper (or whatever art for you most express in) and just get back to creating for the sake of the art. Lastly, you do not have to be a creative to read this book. If you are someone who may have lost passion in something you once enjoyed or feel like you are in a dry season, this book is for you. She makes a point throughout her book that art is life- we see it in how we work, our relationships, our surroundings, in grief, in joy, etc. Anyone who reads this book with an open mind and heart will walk away feeling transformed. Thank you Rachel for writing this needed book.
November 1, 2022
I have followed Rachel Marie Kang on social media for a while now, and this was a book I was very much looking forward to*, and it did not disappoint. I feel 'Let There Be Art' was written for me. From the divine to the geek references.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a little bit of creativity in their world. I feel this is a book Madeline L’Engle would write today - it’s timely and inspiring. Each chapter has prayers, quotes, and exercises to help you explore the contents of the chapter on your own time.
“As I ponder your mysteries, help me lead the world to see your light. Unravel my understanding with your unfathomable love. Help me lead others to your great truth. Dazzle me with your vastness. Inspire my ideas. Amen.”
* I won this book from Good Reads but I would have bought this book the day it came out.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a little bit of creativity in their world. I feel this is a book Madeline L’Engle would write today - it’s timely and inspiring. Each chapter has prayers, quotes, and exercises to help you explore the contents of the chapter on your own time.
“As I ponder your mysteries, help me lead the world to see your light. Unravel my understanding with your unfathomable love. Help me lead others to your great truth. Dazzle me with your vastness. Inspire my ideas. Amen.”
* I won this book from Good Reads but I would have bought this book the day it came out.
June 1, 2023
This book wasn’t what I expected it would be, but it had some good content. I appreciated the author’s vulnerability to share from her personal experience and struggles. It made it easy to relate to her and connect with her message. I didn’t agree with some of the author’s perspective on certain biblical truths and passages shared. My own perspective changed dramatically from more man-centered to God-centered after reading A.W. Tozer’s masterpiece “Knowledge of the Holy.” Still, there is a lot of good encouragement in this book, and I saved some of the quotes to reflect on when I need reminders to continue creating and growing into who God created me to be.
January 5, 2023
Thank you, Rachel, for the dozens of invitations your manuscript offers: to breathe, to be, to play, to cry, to read fiction, to watch film, to join in community, to laugh whole-heartedly...just to name a few. You've broadened my understanding of art and done so in a lyrical, poetic way. I loved the audiobook, but look forward to reading the print version, too, so I can digest these invitations with a pen in hand.
January 6, 2024
This book is so special. And I’m not just saying that as one of the contributors, I’m saying it because Rach poured her heart and soul and to this, and it can be felt in every word. She has such a desire for people to express themselves and be unapologetic about it. This book can wake up your creative spark and get you moving!
February 26, 2023
I felt the book lost it way a little in the final chapters, a book written from the heart.
Some beautiful reflective moments, real honesty throughout..
It's made me want to embrace my own creativity.
Some beautiful reflective moments, real honesty throughout..
It's made me want to embrace my own creativity.
November 13, 2022
The call to create was strong. Rachel walked us through glimpses of her life, the light and dark, while taking us on a journey of the meaning of art, that God created us to create and commune with him.
If you are looking for inspiration to create in any form or fashion, LTBA is for you!
If you are looking for inspiration to create in any form or fashion, LTBA is for you!
January 5, 2023
“The act of creating does more than create things; it restores things. It calms things. It heals things. It saves things. It lets light into our lives, and it pushes back the darkness.”
May 17, 2025
Although there wasn’t anything revolutionary about the points the author makes, they are each a beautiful reminder of creative purpose. It makes for a great resource to go back to when experiencing burnout or in a creative rut. “Let there be” as the preface for each chapter serves as a reminder to not put restrictions on yourself and your creativity. Art can be anything and is everywhere and is instilled in us through the one who first created.
December 18, 2022
“Let There Be Art” is a poetically written book helping us to see the creativity in the everyday. With stories, honesty, and gentleness, “Let There Be Art” encourages each reader’s own unique creativity, and helps it flourish in unexpected places.
Although the first and last chapters should be read first and last respectively, the chapters in between can be read out of order if you choose. Each has its own topic, and they don’t blend together very much. This way, it’s fun to look at the contents and see which chapter title beckons to you on that particular day. My personal favourites were the chapters titled “Let There Be Play” and “Let There Be Smallness.”
At the end of each chapter there are interactive sections called “Prompts” and “Practices.” This was one of my favourite parts of the book, and it really encourages your own thoughts, and a deeper connection to the ideas presented in that chapter.
One of my favourite themes of this book is that creativity can flow in and through and from everything we do. Even in the seemingly mundane or un-creative parts of the everyday, creativity can be present and flourish.
In the winter months, I am often drawn to artistic, creative activities, more so than in summer months. The daylight hours are reduced, and the weather compels us to stay inside, making it the perfect time to let your creative ideas flow. For this reason, I feel as though “Let There Be Art” is aptly timed in its release. A helping hand in discovering, or maybe re-discovering your own ways of creativity, “Let There Be Art” broadened my ideas of all that the word “creativity” entails, and I think it will for you as well.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”
Although the first and last chapters should be read first and last respectively, the chapters in between can be read out of order if you choose. Each has its own topic, and they don’t blend together very much. This way, it’s fun to look at the contents and see which chapter title beckons to you on that particular day. My personal favourites were the chapters titled “Let There Be Play” and “Let There Be Smallness.”
At the end of each chapter there are interactive sections called “Prompts” and “Practices.” This was one of my favourite parts of the book, and it really encourages your own thoughts, and a deeper connection to the ideas presented in that chapter.
One of my favourite themes of this book is that creativity can flow in and through and from everything we do. Even in the seemingly mundane or un-creative parts of the everyday, creativity can be present and flourish.
In the winter months, I am often drawn to artistic, creative activities, more so than in summer months. The daylight hours are reduced, and the weather compels us to stay inside, making it the perfect time to let your creative ideas flow. For this reason, I feel as though “Let There Be Art” is aptly timed in its release. A helping hand in discovering, or maybe re-discovering your own ways of creativity, “Let There Be Art” broadened my ideas of all that the word “creativity” entails, and I think it will for you as well.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”
October 28, 2022
This book is so special! It sparked creativity in me that had felt stalled for a while, this book was both challenging and life giving, fun and serious.
I read this book with an open heart of what God was going to reveal to me through Rachel’s (and friends) words. My heart feels full and my soul ready to create.
❤️
I read this book with an open heart of what God was going to reveal to me through Rachel’s (and friends) words. My heart feels full and my soul ready to create.
❤️
January 16, 2023
If you choose to bypass this book or not include it in your list of books to read, you are taking a great risk. to the confident and oh doubtful creative, you deserve the warmth and hope that's spilled between the pages.
September 3, 2023
There's no denying that this book, which author Rachel Marie Kang calls a manifesto, is passionate. This is a call to make art no matter your place in life, circumstance, creed, or color. While framed around faith and the unique way art can come from a place of connection or worship, Kang's exhortations are universal. She dips deeply into the art that has impacted her, from Hans Zimmer to Tomb Raider, and tries to show us that art and creativity are not just found in perfect studios and great lighting. They are found in hurt, pain, exhaustion. They are found in play, in humor, in cooking, in crayons.
While Kang's subject is obviously something she has thought deeply about and her passion leaps off of the page, for me, I found this book retread concepts better explored in works like Liz Gilbert's Big Magic. While I appreciated that Kang infused her own unique perspective as a biracial woman and a Christian into her work, I did not found this broke any new ground for me. However, I think this book could be life changing for others new to discovering their callings and creativity, and while this effort can feel a bit sophomoric at times, that may just be the whole point.
While Kang's subject is obviously something she has thought deeply about and her passion leaps off of the page, for me, I found this book retread concepts better explored in works like Liz Gilbert's Big Magic. While I appreciated that Kang infused her own unique perspective as a biracial woman and a Christian into her work, I did not found this broke any new ground for me. However, I think this book could be life changing for others new to discovering their callings and creativity, and while this effort can feel a bit sophomoric at times, that may just be the whole point.
October 25, 2022
What a beautiful reminder that with struggle comes strength and With pain comes purpose; if we allow ourselves to be still long enough to sit with our deepest desires, and allow our own light to shine as a beacon through our darkness and in our creations. Rachel has given us a path to find our way back home and the encouragement to build our own pathway.
January 10, 2024
This book is a beautiful analysis of God’s heart for creativity and the limitless potential of art. I really enjoyed the prompts and practices and journaled after each chapter. RMK wrote this with a conviction and generosity that kept a pen in my hand for underlining passages and writing marginalia in the white spaces.
That being said, I do think the book loses its way at the end. The final chapters didn’t resonate like their earlier counterparts. The concepts lost their focus a bit, and the lyrical prose crept toward indulgence or else tried to take up the empty space left by ideas that needed a little more formation.
For that reason, I probably would’ve given it a 4.5 star rating, but since that’s not an option, I’m comfortable with giving it 5. Ultimately, it’s a great book for Christians who want to explore how creating connects them to their Creator, one that I really enjoyed.
That being said, I do think the book loses its way at the end. The final chapters didn’t resonate like their earlier counterparts. The concepts lost their focus a bit, and the lyrical prose crept toward indulgence or else tried to take up the empty space left by ideas that needed a little more formation.
For that reason, I probably would’ve given it a 4.5 star rating, but since that’s not an option, I’m comfortable with giving it 5. Ultimately, it’s a great book for Christians who want to explore how creating connects them to their Creator, one that I really enjoyed.
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