A Chat with Joby-Part II

RM: We talk about the connection between creativity and spirituality a lot at Mosaic, but it’s sometimes tough for us to unpack what it actually means; it seems you’ve figured it out?

JH: God speaks to people in dreams and visions, image, colour and shape; so it’s not too tough to believe that if I actually seek God, he might give me shapes and colours that actually mean something to people. Artists have the power to be prophetic; when you are the creator of all shape and colour, he can give a specific image for a specific group of people.

RM: The church was at the cutting edge of art once upon a time; do you think our insularity suffocated our relevance? Because we can’t say that Christ-Followers are even among the world leaders in art can we?

JH: Artists are not being empowered or given a voice unfortunately. Art’s been put in a box called the world, and we can’t go near that box because of what it might do to us, how it might taint us. That’s pretty sad. You know I’m actually creating a website about Christ that is told totally through art and stories. Because the Jesus on the internet and in the art world is not radiant or beautiful; he is either ridiculed, or he is sorrowful and sedentary. We’ve always been afraid of the web because of the evil there, the pornography and everything else. But you know we can mastered by the web, or we can master it. It’s the same with art; we can be mastered by it or we can become masters of it. So that’s my next goal, to create online, artistic space that leaves people reconsidering who Jesus is. I’m out to reclaim the beauty of Christ on the internet. You know art isn’t going away and the internet is not going away, so we need to figure out how to engage it. Art is such a powerful, prophetic voice that the church has not allowed to speak for a long time.

RM: So people will reconsider who Jesus is online?

JH: Yeah it’s going to be a combination of art, video and media. I’m still trying to raise money and we’re in the planning stages; but it will be a roll of art, and as you click on a piece, the artists story will be told somehow. The story of what Jesus has done, how he influenced their art. Each person represents a journey to Christ, through meaning or intimacy or destiny. Because so many people are online every day, their hearts are online every day and they’re filling their hearts with evil; their secrets take them to the wrong place. We’re creating a new place.

RM: Awesome, original idea. How important is originality in what you do?

JH: I accumulate things that I like; colours, pieces, ideas. I’ve got a treasure chest of things that mean something to me, graphics, websites…whatever. The problem for me is when someone actually comes with a specific idea; we want it to be like this! For instance, with the soul cravings book, my goal was to create something that people will actually pick up in a book store because of how it looks. I wandered around, checking out what was there and saw all these books with bold prints and white covers and bad pictures. So it was gloss black, to be different and grab attention because of how light hits it and reflects off. Erwin loved it, and he actually added the thumbprint. For me, originality is about asking “where is everyone going and how can I capture their attention as they go?” Sometimes that means I go further, push the boundaries, and other times it means turning around and going in opposite directions. I always think of Noah. You know it had never rained when he built that ark. And people probably had boats, but nothing like that. God gave him a design, but he had to build it and it had never been done. He had to have faith to be original; that’s how creativity ties in with faith, you must believe that God has your back. God provides the design and we take the steps to see it birthed…it doesn’t mean that if we pray it just happens. The boat still needed to be constructed.So it’s like God provides the idea, the timing and the people who will benefit from it; he is already working, already aware of the people and their secrets and he includes you in the process.

RM: So then the creative process is a choice between ego or others; but it can’t be both?

JH: I say be a sponge and soak it all up. Observe. I love that word, it’s what I tell artists to do. Observe people and things and images and colours. We’re constantly taking in the things we like, but the goal is to serve; to point people to Christ. You know Hebrews says make every effort to be a peace with people and be holy; because without holiness no-one will see the Lord. I live in that tension of others and holiness. Relevance is observing what people are like, understanding why they’re like that, but then connecting it to holiness. You have to hold onto holiness, otherwise they miss God. So you take every opportunity to be as good as people in the world, to develop your skills and talents. But there has to be something different about what you produce, otherwise they don’t ever see God, they’re never pointed to Christ. But, in doing that…you have to be at peace with people; not so distinct and removed, that they can’t ever connect with what you create. When art is prideful, you sacrifice everything to be at peace with people. That’s not right. It must have an edge. It must point people to something, deeper, bigger. To Christ.