Wrestling
Yet, most of the important questions facing humanity require space and time for engagement; opportunities to thoughtfully address the mysteries encompassed in any discussion of the arts, philosophy and faith. Do answers to life's hardest questions exist? Sometimes, yes; but often those answers only lead to more questions.
At IAM, we believe there is value in wrestling with questions of art, faith and humanity, such as: why art; how does art and faith shape our participation in the story of creation and restoration; and, what does it mean to be human?
The process of earnest, humble questioning is an essential part of understanding the world that ought to be, and to that end, we welcome all who wish to wrestle with these deep questions to join us.
IAM Wrestling: Jenn Buell
I find that the questions that I wrestle with are the ones that are most important to me. These questions are often complex requiring research and time. For that kind of commitment, I have to really want to know the answer. Questions like...what subject is worth making art about? What are the contemporary issues in culture? What issues are important to me? How can I explore these? What insight does the Spirit reveal to me about these issues? How can I describe this in a way that is authentic?
For me, making art is about discovering truth. The idea is already there, somewhere below the surface and visual language helps to illuminate what feels cognitively allusive.
Visual language activates the process by forming connecting points and relationships between things that we otherwise experience separately. When creating, we often must struggle through a series of "close, but not quite" attempts before a subtle tweak uncovers what we were searching for. What is fascinating is our ability to recognize truth when we see it, even if the words to describe it are not yet realized.
When the resistance feels prolonged and the answer is nowhere in site, doubt creeps in and questions whether or not the struggle worth the time and energy. It is here that a new set questions help me decide if I should give up or keep going. Is there a better way to approach this? If I quit making art, what would I rather do? Would a life without faith be better one? Even when faced with difficulty, I have found that I continually decide that I still want to create and I still want to believe. 