The best I've seen of all that I've seen (or played) in 2017. Why? Because art is awesome and we should celebrate it. Particularly, I'm looking at books, movies, video games, and anime. Note: these are not all things that came out in 2017, but things I experienced for the first time in 2017. So … Continue reading 2017: A Year in Art
Art
What does “Fencing With Ink” Mean for YOU?
I'm tired of being selfish. If you ask my why I write, blog, or jump on social media, the answer is probably something along the lines of "I dunno." Instinct. Lovely when channeled, deadly when it runs amok. Like oil in your car vs. oil in the bay. And I've been letting instinct muddy my … Continue reading What does “Fencing With Ink” Mean for YOU?
How Does a Christian Artist Glorify God?
Whatever medium we create--music, movies, books, Sunday-morning interpretive dance (yes, that's a thing), all Christian artists agree that their work must glorify God. But what does that mean? I asked that of my old pastor, a singer and songwriter (ever heard of PCD? He was the C). I asked if being a Christian meant you … Continue reading How Does a Christian Artist Glorify God?
A Creator’s Journey #21–A Foot in Both Camps
You want to know why I call my blog "Fencing With Ink?" It's a callback to Cyrano de Bergerac. In 2012, God spoke to me, saying I was much like that character. Cyrano was a fencer, but also a poet, scholar, musician, and biting humorist. A man of many talents, but they were all Cyrano. … Continue reading A Creator’s Journey #21–A Foot in Both Camps
A Creator’s Journey #19–Who Are You?
I freaking hate the concept of "branding." It sounds so corporate, so money-hungry, so un-artistic. That and I suck at it. That may have jaded me a little. If you're new to the writing world, or art in general, your "brand" is whatever you're selling. As an artist, you're selling what you create, but also … Continue reading A Creator’s Journey #19–Who Are You?
Be Your First Fan
I love my own writing. No, seriously. I LOVE it. When I'm editing my own work, there are times I get excited to get to a certain point, or to read a certain phrase. I've lost track of how many times I've made myself laugh. Is that arrogance? It can go that way, certainly, but … Continue reading Be Your First Fan
A Creator’s Journey #15–Why I Launched Patreon
Ah, the good ol' days. Artists could get patrons who would pay them to make art, giving them regular or partly-regular income for their craft because art is awesome. And then stuff happened. What stuff? I don't know, centuries of stuff. Look, I'm no history buff, I just know that patrons don't exist anymore, not … Continue reading A Creator’s Journey #15–Why I Launched Patreon
Why Bad Art Means a Bad Christian Message
Once upon a time, there were two stories. Both were penned by authors of Christian faith, each eager to communicate a Godly message to the world. Book A became an international success, resonating throughout the decades, being read in classrooms across the world. Book B flopped critically and financially, and became the laughing stock of … Continue reading Why Bad Art Means a Bad Christian Message
Why I Hate What You Love
Go on the internet and say you don't like something and you'll immediately be graced with misspelled cuss words, racism, sexism, and the general frothing of humanity's dregs. Or at least get a fervent, "Nuh-uh!" But did you know that the way you say something changes the reaction you get? If you experience a book, … Continue reading Why I Hate What You Love
2016: A Year in Art
2016 was kind of like playing Jenga with a mongoose while wearing a top hat and getting an enema from an oompa-loompa. Awkward, uncomfortable, and you're not quite sure how it happened. However, I'd like to focus on the good. Early in 2016, I decided I wanted to track and follow how much art I consumed, … Continue reading 2016: A Year in Art
Fencing With Ink 