All men and women are entrusted by God with the task of crafting their own life. Ideally, we are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece. Underlying our task, is a recognition of a sense of mystery, a sense of beauty, and a sense of the eternal. These senses must be developed because our world often promotes superficiality, false glory, and self- profit, rather than the Truth of our destiny–our beautifully human interaction with our Creator. Of course, we make the choice to interact with God, or not.
For an artist, it is the same; to finely craft his God-given talent by developing those same senses of mystery, beauty, and the eternal, both for himself and those who view, hear, or read it.
When an artist writes words, writes music, acts in film or on stage, or sculpts, he is making a statement about the world as he understands it. It may be a good world that he wants to praise, or a rotten world that he wants to condemn, or a godless world of only superficial importance. But artists, too, have a choice. Do we lift up humanity, including ourselves; or do we denigrate it, and thereby denigrate ourselves as well?
In shaping a masterpiece, the artist not only summons his work into being, but also in some way reveals his own personality by means of it. For him art offers both a new dimension and an exceptional mode of expression for his spiritual growth. Through his works, the artist speaks to others and communicates with them. The history of art, therefore, is not only a story of works produced but also a story of men and women. Works of art speak of their authors; they enable us to know their inner life, and they reveal the original contribution which artists offer to the history of culture. —St. John Paul II, Letter to Artists
A common experience to humanity is one of depravity; a Christian artist realizes this, so uses a lens accepting that the grace of God is offered to humanity in spite of its depravity.This does not mean that a realistic view of our often-corrupt world should not be shown. Art is about Truth, and evil is real. But so is goodness. An artist, especially a writer, might set a character in a world of evil in order to shine forth an opportunity of a redemption, whether the character takes it or not.
Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption.—St. John Paul II, Letter to Artists
If the mind and heart of the artist stems from his own desire for redemption, then it will come through in his words, films, music, paintings, or sculpture. The opposite is also true. If moral deterioration is portrayed with no regard for redemption, then there is no masterpiece, and the artist has surely failed humanity, and himself.
Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny.–St. John Paul II, Letter to Artists
We make our own way in this world, and out of it, with our singular decisions and actions. We are meant to use our talents, whatever they may be, for good. Each of us will leave a legacy for those who come after us. What sort of legacy will it be?
Translating a World on the Edge 