God-Inspired

By Patricia Frater

I have been in various art classes over the years. All of them were a lot of fun. There was always the time where we would go around the room to see everyone’s progress or go up to the front of the room with our art for critique. If others did something different or their designs were pointed out by the teacher as being amazing, then I would immediately say to myself, “Wow! Hers/his is so much better than mine.” Then I would look at mine and think, “Mine is no good. I’m horrible at art.” I would immediately think of the negative side.

When I was a senior in high school, I realized that I was having a bad confession and a bad attitude about my art. I had an assignment to sketch something, and I didn’t know what in the world I was going to sketch. The Holy Spirit inspired me to go out and sketch a tree in my backyard. I put on my headphones, turned on some worship music, and started to draw. It was like the Holy Spirit was in my hand drawing. I remember while I was sketching thinking that the lines on the tree were so unique. It was relaxing, and the finished product was something inspired, drawn by God through me. I gave it to the teacher the next day, and she loved it! She said she would like to see more of these. That was God. It wasn’t my talent that drew that tree; it was God.

Now I am going to Ozarks Technical Community College to get my Graphic Design degree. I get to work on computers instead of drawing and creating stuff by hand (although I do draw out my designs on paper before they are put on the computer). I started out the first semester with a pretty basic class and an Illustrator class. Many people in my Illustrator class already knew the software, and after a few projects I would look at what people created and think how good they were. I thought, “Wow, these people are good. How could I ever do that?” I talked with my mom, and it was the same issue from high school. I needed to renew my mind. God provided for me to go to OTC, it was His plan for me to go into the Graphic Design, and it was God who inspired me.

At the beginning of the second semester when I was walking to my car, my bad confession came up in my mind again, “Their designs are so cool; mine’s nothing compared to theirs.”

God caught me right there and impressed on me, “This is my work. Don’t dis it.”

I changed my thinking right there and said, “Thank you that You, God, came up with all of the designs, and it’s You who makes me successful.” So now when I see others’ designs, I stay focused on remembering those are their designs; my design is God-inspired.

Patricia Frater is a Glendale graduate continuing her education at OTC.