Artist's Statement Draft 5

My Inspiration

By Noah Schlottman

Hundreds of stars look down on a warm summer night. The smell of salt and kelp wafts in off the surface of the ocean, which is a black hole that stretches into the distance towards the non-existent horizon, where sky and sea become one. The soft roar of small waves breaking on the sand, on each other, is the only sound besides the muted voices of the bright city that rises from the shore. The warm waters of the Pacific wash over me and I feel freedom, release from school, work, conflict—the world. And most of all, I feel close to nature, and even closer to God, the creator of life, the world, the universe. I imagine the vastness of earth in the daytime, at anytime, and think of the first verse of the inspired Word of God (the Bible): "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

I love music, the ocean, nature, athletics, photography, and creative writing. So I chose the Bible as my icon. To me, it means all of those things and more. I love to read the Psalms and imagine David, unable to sleep, with a stringed instrument in his lap. He looks out at the false sunrise that paints the eastern sky and sings to the God he knows and loves: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music…I will awaken the dawn.” The music that I write and play praises God, His Son, and everything they have done for me. I breathe in that cold, ocean air and thank God for granting me the gift of life and freedom, but even more, a chance to know Him and His Son through His Word, the Bible. For, ultimately, that is what the Bible represents to me and billions of others: God as Creator, full of mercy and grace; Christ as His son, who sacrificed himself to grant us salvation; and everything within as examples of God’s glory since the beginning of time.

The Bible has shaped my life. It has made me who I am in every way. It has fashioned my mind and how I think; my heart and what I feel; and my soul—everything about me. I want to give every day of my life to God's will, glory, and commandments—whether that entails writing music to praise Him or applying his morals and commandments to everything I do. I am not perfect, but when I sin and fall away God has always brought me back and always will. I feel His love and guidance in a way words can’t describe. If they could, they would be words about love, humility, mercy, and grace; selflessness, repentance, challenges, and ultimate triumph…Words that describe the life of Jesus, who I strive to be like. Millions of Christians have faced the same pressures and temptations to not stand by their beliefs, but Christ never abandoned God’s plan or purpose, even when it meant his own sacrifice on the cross.

The power of the ocean’s waves beat down the coastline before me, the sky is illuminated by innumerable stars, and I know that I will never desert the God who created all of this for me and the others that follow His Word in the Bible, and put their faith in His Son. Every conscious moment I live, I realize that without God, the author of the Bible, there would be nothing: No music to play and listen to, no ocean to wash over me, no nature to find peace in, no place to run and jump for joy, nothing to photograph, and nothing to write about. I have asked myself many times before, what would I be without God? And I know that if God, Jesus, the Spirit, and the Word did not drive and motivate my life, I would be empty—without a plan, a purpose, or a goal. My life as a follower of Christ doesn’t permit mediocrity. It demands improvement in all areas of my life; it demands spiritual growth and determination. So I won’t give up; I’ll strive to follow in the footsteps of those believers before me and in the ways of Christ, who is the perfect example. I will stand by my faith, my beliefs, and my convictions so that, ultimately, I can be like him.