Two weeks.
Two weeks over the course of two summers forever changed my life, my faith, and the way I think about art. But let’s rewind.
It was the summer before my junior year of high school, and I was ready for an adventure. I was diving deep into my art, and I was itching to learn and grow. So, I traveled over 600 miles to an art camp up in the mountains, and lemme’ tell ya’ those last few miles to the campgrounds had me sick to my stomach. I didn’t know a single person there, the nearest town was 20 minutes away, and I was seriously considering begging my parents to turn the car around and take me home. How different my life and my art would be if I had…
Masterpiece Ministries Art Camp gave me and taught me more than I could ever even begin to tell you, but I want to share with you three things I learned over these two weeks of art camp.
1) The Beauty of EXPLORATION. On the first night of camp, you choose your primary studio for the week where you’ll be taught be a professional in that studio’s industry. Of course the Visual Arts Studio was a no-brainer for me (after all, that’s why I went there in the first place!) But the camp offered more than visual arts. There was Dance, Photography, Improv, Creative Writing, Film… And I would have my chance to explore those other art forms in the mini workshops! One of the many ways Masterpiece fosters creativity is by encouraging you to explore. During these two weeks I branched out beyond visual arts. I wrote a song about Rapunzel in the song-writing workshop, and discovered how terrible I am at acting in the improv workshop! Masterpiece taught me to explore facets of creativity beyond what’s most obvious for me as a visual artist. It taught me to explore without fear of failure; that I could laugh off my terrible acting or misplaced brushstrokes and move on to the next scene or painting.
2) COLLABORATION over COMPETITION. While I do believe there can be benefits to healthy competition, the benefits of collaboration far exceed them. This camp taught me not only the importance of collaborating with other artists, but the immense beauty of it. There was no push to be the best, no pressure to excel at everything. Instead, we focused on learning each other’s strengths and standing in the gap of each other’s weaknesses. And we weren’t simply working with the artists in our studio; we worked with ALL of the studios. Song-writing feeding off of photography, visual arts feeding off of improv... We learned how to brainstorm together and unapologetically share our craziest ideas. We learned how to have healthy discussions where everyone’s voice is heard. We learned how to work together to create something bigger and more beautiful than we could ever make on our own.
3) The Importance of COMMUNITY. Whether or not you choose to collaborate with other artists around you, the truth remains that you NEED other artists around you. Up until this point in my life, I didn’t really have artsy friends. Sure, some of my friends enjoyed creativity, but they didn’t love it like I did. It wasn’t their passion. It wasn’t until I went to Masterpiece that I met other artists who were passionate about their craft. Passionate about cultivating their creativity. Passionate about impromptu jam sessions or drawing sessions, improvised skits and dance choreographies. Masterpiece taught me what it is to have a community of creatives that know what it’s like to feel art and to love art. I made so many incredible friends there, some who stayed for a season, and others who will be in my life forever.
Like this wonderful gal right here! (Hannah is not only my best friend, but she’s also a BRILLIANT artist! You should go check out her work here 😉)
This camp is so, so dear to me, and it’s been such a joy to share it with you! If you know a high school student who’s passionate about their art, I highly recommend getting them plugged into Masterpiece. It truly is a life-changing camp. Here’s the camp website if you’d like to check it out!
If you like what Masterpiece is doing and want to help foster creativity in the next generation, please consider giving a donation! It takes a lot to make this camp happen every summer, and every little bit counts. 😊