Filled for Creativity: What Exodus, Abstract Art, and Painter’s Tape Taught Our Kids About Community
Have you ever stopped to think about who the very first person in the Bible described as being filled with the Spirit of God was?
It wasn’t a king, a prophet, or a priest. It was an artist named Bezalel (Exodus 31:1–5).
God explicitly called Bezalel by name and filled him with His Spirit, wisdom, skill, and craftsmanship to design, carve, and craft beauty for His sanctuary using gold, bronze, wood, and stone. Alongside him stood Oholiab, working in community to bring a divine vision to life.
I didn’t fully realize this truth until I was an adult. Growing up, it was easy to wonder if creativity actually mattered to God or how the two fit together. But Genesis 1:1 shows us that before God revealed Himself as anything else, He revealed Himself as a Creator. And because we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26), creativity isn't just a fun side hobby—it is woven into our very nature!
As adults, so many of us fall into the trap of saying, "I'm just not creative." But that’s simply not true! Whether it’s baking, building something with your hands, organizing systems, styling a home, or solving everyday problems—we are all reflecting our Creator when we make things.
When we teach our kids that their natural creativity is a God-given gift meant to reflect His heart and build up community, incredible things happen in the studio.
The Studio Experiment: Constrained Randomness & Collaboration
To put this theology into practice, we brought together a group of young artists (ages 7–12) for a massive Collaborative Abstract Tape-Resist Project.
Instead of letting them draw whatever they wanted in isolation, we took a cue from famous instruction-based abstract artists like Sol LeWitt and Wassily Kandinsky. Abstract art isn't just throwing paint at a wall; it’s a deliberate puzzle of balance, contrast, and rhythm.
We set up three "Mystery Draw" piles for the kids:
Shape & Pattern: Optical illusions, biomorphic curves, dense micro-details, or bold focal emblems.
Color Palette: Warm tones, cool analogies, complementary clashes, or monochromatic gradients.
Medium & Technique: Flat acrylics, oil pastels, scraped textures, and crisp paint markers.
Each child was assigned a specific taped-off section on a giant sheet of heavy cold-press watercolor paper. Their prompt cards gave them their "rules," but their artistic minds had to solve the composition.
The Big Reveal: Many Gifts, One Masterpiece
As the kids worked, something amazing happened. A 7-year-old layering bold acrylics sat right next to a 12-year-old drawing intricate optical patterns with paint markers. Because of the "Neighbor Connection" rule, they started whispering to each other across the tape lines: "If I sweep this blue curve down to the corner, can you pick it up on your side?"
They were no longer just making individual drawings; they were building bridges.
When the session wrapped up, everyone gathered around the table for the most satisfying moment in art class: The Tape Reveal.
As we peeled back every strip of painter's tape, the individual, chaotic squares suddenly merged into a single, stunning, interconnected masterpiece unified by sharp white gridlines.
It was a living illustration of community. Just like Bezalel and Oholiab combining their unique craftsmanship for the sanctuary, each child brought their distinct, God-given style to the table. On their own, each square was cool—but together, the final piece was breathtaking.
