Writing Music & Playing Shows

Check out this really thought provoking article from Jars of Clay front-man Dan Haseltine. He talks about playing shows and the creative spirit. Some excerpts:

“There are so many voices adding to the noise of who a band is, and why they do what they do. Those voices are loud, and in the various moments of imbalance—where we wonder how much of what we do is supply and demand, how much is inspiration, and how much is rebellion—those voices can be a siren leading us to our doom.

We have followed voices like those. Those voices will lead only to mediocrity. Those voices—the ones that push an artist to create so deeply within the confines of a “market” or focused group—will dissolve the artist’s confidence, and ultimately turn artists into manufacturers, driven by someone else’s ideas or motivations. Such voices chip away at honest creativity.”

A Cynics Prayer

There is a lot to be cynical about. It also happens to be very fashionable. We revere the cynic. They’re obviously working on some higher plain than the rest of us, a grander vision of hip. Read more

No Sympathy for the Creative Class

Check out this interesting and extensive article by Scott Timberg that explore the impact our struggling economy has on professional creatives.

It examines the “ecology of churches, chamber series, libraries, on-call studio work and small and mid-size orchestras that neither pay a salary nor offer medical coverage.” Read more

Thomas Kinkade Overdoses: What can we learn?

Thomas Kinkade was a polarizing figure in faith and art. Very few populate the middle ground when it comes to his work and legacy. Some saw his work as trite fluff; others saw him as the next Norman Rockwell. Read more

Stage Design – ‘candle-eers’

In March I had the privilege of helping prepare the Eastside for Blackhawk’s Pulse Arts conference.  I was looking for a stage design that would set the space apart from our normal Sunday look and give both the conference and the Robbie Seay/Sara Groves concert a unique feel. Read more

2012 Workshop & Main Session Recordings

Recordings of workshops and main sessions are finally up. Download them. Share them with a friend. Link to them on Facebook. We did our best to get every workshop recorded. Some of the recordings simply didn’t work. Everything we have available is up.

Read more

Art and Grace – main session 1

Imaginative Influence – main session 2

The Story – main session 3

Coming Together

Tomorrow we come together for the Pulse Arts Conference. We couldn’t be more excited. In a world where Christians are often seen bickering with each other hundreds of us from 3 different states will come together as one, united under the name of Jesus.

In this spirit, at our first main session we’ll be led by worship leaders from 4 different churches in the Madison area: Brian Montrey from City Church in Madison, John Georgeson and Debbie Biddle from High Point Church in Madison, Joel Hassenzahl and Hannah Busse from Blackhawk Church in Madison, and Angie Saccaro from the Milwaukee area.

For us this is a wonderful picture of God’s people coming together. Different churches. Different leaders. One God.