Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone has had a restful summer. I am excited to announce that the Summer Issue of CAST magazine is out! This is our second published magazine, and we are thrilled. Our Feature Artist is Will Winter (check out his work on http://www.willwinterphotography.com/) and our Feature Writer is Chris Synesael, a church planter in the Western Communities of Victoria, BC. This issue is stunning. Beautifully designed by Terre Britton (http://www.tbytegraphics.com/), CAST magazine, a Christian quarterly based in Victoria, BC, is a piece of art. And, I'm not just saying that because I'm the publisher . . . Our contributors have made this issue a must-read, and it is such an honour to showcase their work.
Although this summer has been busy with working on the magazine, helping authors with their manuscripts and doing marketing for CAST magazine, it has been a wonderfully creative time. I think that being around such creativity in the submissions for CAST has inspired me to get the paint brushes out. I love colour, and I do not have any training in visual art, but it feels so good to just express on a canvas.
In addtion to completing a few paintings, I have made some cards. After feeling like I could do better than Hallmark with a handmade card and my poetry, I started making cards last year. As a little girl, I used to make cards for my mother. I stopped making them for her when she passed away in 1994. But, after several encounters with stuffy staff at my local Hallmark and surprised at how expensive a mediocre card was, I decided to make cards for people's birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I love cardmaking. It's a personal gift, and it's truly from the heart. I make each card one at a time, and it is designed especially for the person I am making it for.
I wrote a new song last week. I was going through a journal that I keep of songs/lyrics, and I came across a poem. I decided to turn it into a song.
Leonard Cohen once said, "Poetry is just the evidence of your life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash."
As a creative person, it feels so good to be stepping into the calling that God has placed on your life. There are so many challenges, but art is a way to embrace the obstacles and step into the light.
I hope your summer is blessed. I leave you with this Scripture:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect " (Romans 12:2).
May you create and know that God, the Creator, is with you.
Peace and blessings,
Natalie
