Books on Culture: Life After Art, Pt. 5

In the final chapter of Life after Art: What You Forgot about Life and Faith Since You Left the Art Room , Matt Appling tells the story of a mission trip he took to Mexico one summer. The group’s guide explained to them the three types of houses in rural Mexican communities. About half of the houses were nothing more than “shanties”, built by hand with scraps of tin and plywood. Another type of house was the opposite on the spectrum—made of sturdy concrete with a second floor. These houses were few and understood to belong to the upper class. But it was the third type of house that piqued the missionaries’ interest. These were short, “bunker-like” houses, also made of concrete. Appling describes one curious detail in their construction:

[W]hen you build a concrete structure, you place steel rebar rods in the concrete to reinforce the structure. The curious thing about the concrete homes was that almost all of them had the rebar rods sticking out of the tops of the walls, like dozens of antennae. To any American, the houses looked sloppy and the construction looked unfinished and unprofessional.

The guide explained that the rebar was left exposed in the hope that one day the residents would be able to afford to add a second floor to their home. Those sloppy looking bits of steel poking up out of the top of the houses represented the dreams of a family. In other words, they weren’t done creating their life yet.

This seems a fitting story for Appling to include in his final chapter of Life after Art; for, it aptly illustrates his pervasive message throughout the book: We were all made to be creators. Our very happiness depends on continuing to create something throughout the duration of our lives.

In the earlier chapters of Life after Art, Appling talks about the courage it takes to not settle for the “good enough” life, coming to terms with our limitations, and overcoming the fear of failure. The author tells us that if we master these early lessons we will be better able to embrace one final lesson. That final lesson? Creations always say something about their creator.

Matt Appling encourages us to look at the life we are creating and make it one of beauty.

You can make time every day to joyfully, generously, unabashedly create beauty. Every day is a new canvas to paint on. Every interaction you have with the world is a chance to add a little more paint—at work or at home or while being served your coffee or wherever else you find yourself today.

Appling acknowledges that creating beauty means much more than creating what we traditionally consider art. What does it look like to create a beautiful marriage? To make the work you do every day artful? To establish relationships with others that are meaningful and life-giving? The author cautions that there is no formula for creating beauty, that it will look different for each of us.

And isn’t that the beauty of it all? That if each one of us—as creatures—lives a life that honors our Creator…then every little piece of our life will be art.

That’s a message worth carrying out of the art room. And onto the canvas of life.

On Mondays in September we've been discussing Life after Art: What You Forgot about Life and Faith Since You Left the Art Room by Matt Appling. If you are reading along this month, join the discussion in the comments or drop you link there if you blog your thoughts. Book club resumes in November with Todd Henry's Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day. Hope you'll join us!