spontaneous art

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If you've been down by the Port Aransas beach pier lately, you've seen those wonderful "Village People" bollards. It started with one bollard that grew "hair." Grass grew through the bollard and sprouted off the top, looking like a tuft of hair. That was all the inspiration that was needed. Soon discarded sunglasses and a visor were added. Then gloves and Mardi Gras beads. The lonely soldier was finally joined by two others, and eventually a fourth appeared. They make me smile every time I drive by. Each bollard character is unique, like the characters we meet in Port Aransas.

That's one example of spontaneous art I recommend checking out, but take a walk down the beach on any day and you are likely to find pieces of driftwood erected in a miniature Stone Henge, or perhaps in the shape of a small chapel. More common are the drawings or writings in the sand. Not long after our Holy Week Labyrinth walk, when I carved a labyrinth, or prayer path near marker 3 for our congregation to walk, I was down at the beach with Eli. He was playing nearby, and I drew a mandala in the sand. Starting with a cross, I walked circles adding to the design bit by bit until it was about seven feet across. Both the planned, sacred labyrinth, and the spontaneous, doodle-style mandalas were prayerful experiences of creativity.

All art is sacred to me because it is participating in the life of God our creator. We become co-creators whenever we participate in the holy work of creativity be it art, music, dance, or writing. We allow God to work through us, whenever we engage in a creative work. Even if the art is offensive or ugly to some, it  opens up a dialogue with the artist and the deeper mystery of life. At the least, it might lead us to ask, "Why is this offensive to me? What does it trigger?"

Our annual Sand Fest is a celebration of creativity. The ephemeral sculptures are created for a weekend, then they go away. In my mind, it is one of the purest artistic practices.

T.S. Elliot once wrote, "The Lord who created must wish us to create." Right about now, you may be hearing a persistent voice in the back of your mind claiming you "aren't creative," or that you "aren't good at (art, dancing, singing, etc.)"  You may choose to listen to that negative voice, but life would be a lot more fun if you let go of that negative voice. The nice thing about being in Port Aransas, is there is no lack of inspiration (literally: to take in the Spirit.) We also have a wide open and forgiving drawing pad that we call a beach. You can usually find a stylus nearby. Everything you need to allow your inner artist to emerge.


Thanks to all the artists who have created the bollard family, particularly to Debbie, who I met when I went to check and see if there were still only four. Well, now there's a whole Bollardville with a host of Bollardites: Surfers, bikers, and Debbie was working a tall cowboy!  While I'm at it, thanks to Kenny Fain for continuously sharing his art with us. The sand balls precariously placed around town are always a joy and a sign of blessing when I notice them. Receive the inspiration and get creative. Offer it as prayer time, and see what new connections you make. Even Jesus took time to kneel down and draw in the sand! (John 8:6)

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