What we can't create alone

From striving in isolation to creating in community

A few weeks ago, I found myself doing something I never do. On a Saturday afternoon in a sun soaked living room, I was making art with other people. Something I’ve spent countless Saturdays doing alone, now surrounded by new friends. Somewhere I’ve encountered the hope and comfort of the Spirit by myself, now amplified in the presence of fellow believers. The surge of divine joy and inspiration was palpable.

This was a space I prayed to be in someday, though I had no idea when it would actually happen. That is, until a friend (AP’s very own creative director, Christina Bumann) invited me to an artist retreat hosted by ONE Collective. Known for its immersive artist residencies around the world, ONE was gathering in Los Angeles for the first time to offer a taste of their unique communal creative experience.

I came into the weekend excited and unsure of what to expect. Would it be fun? Would I belong? Would I suddenly receive some crazy divine inspiration for my next painting collection? It’s easy to put so much pressure on events like this. I tried my best to hold these questions with open hands and trust God knew what I needed from this retreat. And over the next 48 hours, He did exactly that. Confirmation after confirmation came through every moment and interaction shared with these few dozen faithful creatives. It’s as if the snippets of conversation the Lord and I had exchanged over the last several years about art and faith were finally strung into one clear, resounding sentence.

My greatest revelation came while immersed in creative flow. The cozy chaos of artists carving stamps, clacking away at typewriters, strumming guitars and assembling zines stirred something in me. An inner peace settled in, reminding me I’m where I’m meant to be. It was a deep sense of belonging that released the type of unhindered creativity I’d been searching for.

This was the thing I needed. Something I couldn’t create alone.

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I’ve heard it said many times that God-sized ideas aren’t meant to be pursued in our own strength. That hidden in these beautiful burdens are invitations to greater dependence, deeper abiding, and powerful partnership. And I believed it. For years, I faithfully nurtured creative seeds. The kind I trusted God would make bloom at the right time. Visions of paintings, projects, and spaces I knew He intentionally placed on my heart to create in order to renew the world around me. With Jesus by my side, I was confident we’d create such beautiful things together.

But deep down, I knew something was missing.

Some key that would unlock the door to the creative success and purpose I craved. I had faith that the Lord would provide me with answers and solutions along the way, but the “how” remained obscured. All the waiting got me wondering what was really stunting my growth. Was I not disciplined enough? Were my intentions impure? Had I made a wrong turn that jeopardized some divine plan? I thought creating with God was supposed to be easier than creating by myself.

There’s a level of relief that comes from creating with the Creator. We’re technically no longer limited by our imagination, abilities and resources. Yet, this way of making is also a new and awkward dance we must learn. The steps aren’t given to us all at once. So we pray and we practice. We try and we fail. Still, it’s easy for our hope to fade with each frustration and disappointment we collect. For a Creator who can do all sorts of miracles, why does He tend to take us on the scenic route of difficulty?

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It seems God often allows life to unfold in ways that gently, and at times not so gently, pry our hands open in surrender. Not to torture us, but to offer gifts we can’t give ourselves. That was 2025 for me. The tragic loss of my childhood home and town in the Los Angeles fires forced me to loosen my grip once again on the plans I held for my life and creative work.

In the blur of pain and loss, art was a secure hinge, connecting my heart with heaven. Painting became my prayer in a way it never had before. There were times while creating that I cried out, “Jesus, I need you,” and other times, “Jesus, I don’t know what I need.” Surprisingly, He began to answer as I shared my imperfect art and honest thoughts on Substack. As it turned out, the answer wasn’t a what, it was a who.

Little by little, God restored my hope through community. He brought several people into my life in the span of a few months who carried similar hearts and creative vision. We spoke the same language of art and faith and mission and prayer. Our conversations were healing the ache of loneliness I’d learned to tolerate. They were dismantling the long-lived lie “nobody gets me” with the truth that I’m not the only one. New boldness, excitement, and clarity sprang up in me that I couldn’t muster before.

For so long, I’d expected the Lord to use his supernatural power to build momentum in my art and calling. He chose to move through unexpected, ordinary means instead: His creative kids.

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I’m learning there are some things we can’t create alone, though the world does its best to convince us otherwise. Everywhere we turn, we’re told we have what it takes within ourselves to achieve our goals and dreams. And if we aren’t where we want to be yet, trying harder and becoming better are the surefire solutions. This strategy may work some of the time, but it can become the worst of traps when it doesn’t. Isolation blocks our ears, blurs our vision, and drains our hope in ways that make it impossible to faithfully steward our creativity.

Community is the antidote to the misery of isolation. I wonder what tortured and starving artists God might want to set free through the power of belonging and collaboration. I can only begin to imagine the magnitude of joy, innovation, and beauty He’s eager to pour out when we create as a collective. Perhaps the provision we think He’s delaying or withholding is hidden in the riches of relationship.

And maybe what he’s calling you to create, He’s calling others to create, too.

Join us LIVE on Substack Wednesday July 1st at 6pm PST to explore the creativity that’s unlocked through community. We’re so excited to have a collaborative conversation, so come ready to share about the joys and challenges of choosing to create together instead of alone!