Gently Awakened

by Sara Joseph

Overview

Do you dare risk unreservedly combining your Christian faith with your creativity? Could you be assured of thriving in the arts, or does that sound outrageously improbable?Sadly, too many Christians abandon their creativity, as if they were the hapless recipients of a toy with incomprehensible instructions, thus walking away from their destiny—their very reason for being gifted in such a time as this. They remain oblivious of their God-authored potential, empowered by faith, to uniquely express the many nuances of their journey with Jesus.

What Sara Joseph discovered may surprise you. An artist in paint, clay, and verse, Sara testifies to God’s infinite interest in every aspect of her creative enterprise. In Gently Awakened, she employs prose, verse, and art to attest to God's faithfulness, even to the artist. Far from empty theories, these lessons, forged in the paint-splattered laboratory of her own life, bring clarity to the practical considerations of living out the unique call of a creative Christian.

Such a story could be yours to live, in partnership with your Creator.

“May you be inspired to weave your own powerful testimony either in words, art, or your very life itself. Mull over my story and then swirl it into the palette of your own life, with its unique and dynamic colors. None of us have all the answers, but we know the One who does.” – Sara Joseph, artist and author

Creativity is like an unwrapped gift from God. Its contents are mysterious, begging for action. The benevolent Giver eagerly awaits a response. Yet it is often tossed aside after merely removing the outer wrapping. Sara Joseph’s story will inspire you to become fully creative and alive in Him. Regardless of the unexpected twists and turns of that journey, you may be assured of His impeccable care!

Product Details

BN ID:	2940148510468
Publisher:	Deep River Books
Publication date:	07/11/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	255
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Sara Joseph, co-owner of Artists' Showplace Gallery in Dallas, Texas, is a painter and sculptor. Her artworks, created in multiple media, are in numerous corporate and private collections around the world.

Born in India, her early art training exposed her to the artistic traditions and rigor of the East. She immigrated to the United States with her husband, Jacob, and raised two sons, Johann and Reuben. A resident of Fort Worth, Texas, she is the web author of Christian Artist Resource, an online resource for Christian artists internationally, as well as a changing gallery of contemporary Christian art.

Sara has a BFA from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India. Her early training was in watercolor, in the restrained style of the East, where every stroke was in deliberate, transparent color. That restraint followed her for years, even though she was exposed to freer expression in watercolor at the Rhode Island School of Design. Transparent washes of luminous watercolor fascinated her for a long time, as she honed her ability to capture the world around her, without any thought to content, or meaning.

When Sara dug her fingers into moist terracotta clay, she was captivated with this new dimension of exploration. For six years she worked in earthenware and terracotta, grappling with the challenges of figurative sculpting using live models.
Making the transition to her current favorite medium of polymer clay was almost seamless. Polymer clay affords the opportunity to work in color and yet build in three dimensions. There is no shrinkage, or other change to the work after the firing; every aspect of creating with polymer clay is fairly predictable. Sara Joseph wields the clay like paint, then throws in the surprise of depth, by building up and out of the support, creating colorful relief sculptures.
"Regardless of the medium I use," she says, "if the content is without meaning, I feel I've missed an opportunity that I may never get again." So with conscious intent, Sara works at translating all the events, impressions and understanding of her human experience into multiple media, to best express the story that she has only one lifetime to tell.
She is passionate about encouraging others to boldly trust God with their artistic aspirations, availing of every opportunity to speak to young, hesitant Christian artists, as well as to the skilled and experienced.

Author website:

Editorial Reviews

"She (Sara) has challenged me to reexamine my spiritual growth and stagnation—to break through the things of the world for the things God has set aside for me to do. I will read this book again for further insight into God, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and me as an artist an d as a Believer.” —Founder, Executive Director, The MasterClass Academy

Book Endorsement - John S. Freeman

“Gently Awakened converts the hearts of readers as it covers deep terrain of faith, theology, salvation, beauty, and creativity in an engaging and personal manner. This is a book that needed to be written and should be widely read.”

World Net Daily - Marisa Martin