Josh shares about how it is working with major companies and brands, even getting to design a board for Burton Snowboards! “I’m happy and excited to apply [my mixture of styles] to whatever anyone else wants me to as long as we’re on the same page with it and we can have fun. I could do things for the coolest company, but if it just doesn’t click it’s not a fun process and it’s not something that I end up being super proud of anyway.” Ultimately, it’s not about fame for Josh; it’s about representing the company well and making good use of his talents. Just like representing known brands and companies, if we’re not on the same page as those asking us to create, it’s never truly satisfying.
Josh recognizes that our talents are more than hobbies and pass-times or even a “pretty picture”; they’re literal gifts given to us by God, the ultimate Creator Himself. God uses creativity to show Himself to His people, through His people. Exodus 31 talks about two artists who were literally created to be creatives. God actually commanded them to use their talents in art and skill in crafting to build up a beautiful tabernacle, a set apart place where God’s people could spend time with the Lord.
This wasn’t so they could acquire fame, but solely for the Lord to be glorified and for His own beauty to be reflected through His own creation and the things they built. They were given two really awesome and necessary things in order to fulfill this project: the Holy Spirit and creative freedom. God basically said, “Here’s gold and silver, go to town!”
That’s why Josh does what he does, and why you can use your unique, God-given talents for the Lord just the same. God is glorifying Himself beautifully through art–both in the image-bearers that He created, and through the art that they create themselves! There’s nothing better than being on the same page as the One asking us to create.
God’s very nature is to be creative; naturally as His image-bearers we have the same tendencies. But it’s just like Josh said, it’s only satisfying when we’re in agreement as the person we’re representing. We all have that “simple joy” that’s always been there. For Josh it’s drawing, for others it could be music–but all talents and gifts are from God in order to be used for God. So, that hobby that you enjoy? Use it to bring glory to God’s name and see where it takes you!
"I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts." Exodus 31:3-5
