What if "Christian Art" was still LEADING THE WAY instead of imitating popular trends?
What if artists of faith didn't feel like outsiders both in their church AND in the culture?
What if non-believing artists knew WHY they were created to create?
Creative Icons is a hosted docuseries that explores the intersection of Art & Faith and what it means to BE AN ICON of the Creator.
This is what Cameron Arnett had to say after watching Creative Icons:
"Satan can't create. He can only pervert.
There's only one Creator and He created us in His image and likeness.
So our job as creatives is to reinfuse the Word of God into everything.
When we do that, we retake and reclaim the art for God."
– Cameron Arnett, actor
(Vindication, Overcomer, I Still Believe)
- Frequently Asked Questions:WHAT IS CREATIVE ICONS?This hosted half-hour docuseries explores the intersection of Art and Christian Faith. So far we’ve collected over 20 hours of interviews with talented artists of faith (writers, painters, choreographers, actors, illustrators, cinematographers, fashion designers, filmmakers) who are dedicated to creating with excellence.Inspired by books like Steve Turner's IMAGINE and Madeleine L'Engle's Walking On Water, our purpose is threefold:
- to SHINE LIGHT ON ARTISTS who sometimes don’t feel like they belong in the world OR in the church.
- to LEARN FROM ARTISTS and enlighten the church about THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS
- to share with non-believing artists the truth about WHY THEY’RE CREATIVE.
We are ALL created by the Creator to create! He made us to be little creators, even those of us who aren’t artistic. An icon is a reflection of something real, so this show teaches us how to BE AN ICON of our creator. #BeAnIconWHAT WILL MY DONATION PAY FOR?Each half-hour episode costs $30,000 to produce, which is honestly a very skimpy budget for a TV series! Most of the cost comes from the following main categories:- travel expenses to conduct interviews
- paying crew (usually 1-3 pros) to set up lights and to operate cameras, sound, etc.
- paying editors to sift through hours of footage to create the final episode
- paying graphic designers to give the show its signature look
As art-lovers creating a show about art, we INSIST on paying the many artists it takes to create this show! We can never afford to pay them as much as we think they're really worth, but we'll never make them work for free.HOW ELSE CAN I GET INVOLVED?- Follow us on social media @creativeicons.tv to be the first to know about upcoming events.
- Help us redeem the hashtag #BeAnIcon by using it whenever you post about art & faith.
- Spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends, small-group, pastor, or anyone who might be interested in sustaining the Arts in the Body of Christ.
- Know an icon? Reach out! Email us at office@creativeicons.tv if you want to connect us to a creative who is successfully reflecting the Creator to the mainstream market.
- Host a screening! Email us at office@creativeicons.tv if you want to organize a watch-party at your church or local arts organization.
- To inquire about sponsorships or investing, click the INVEST button at the bottom of our website.
WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED IN SEASON ONE?
We have already collected more than 20 hours of interview footage with the following creative icons:- PAMELA ALDERMAN, mixed-media artist / founder of HealingInArts.org
- CAMERON ARNETT, actor (Vindication, Overcomer, I Still Believe)
- SARAH ARTHUR, author (A Light So Lovely, Once A Queen) / cofounder of the Madeleine L'Engle Writing Retreats
- JAMES BURGESS, cinematographer (Pursuit of Freedom, The Challenger Disaster, Washington's Armor)
- TERRY GLASPEY, art historian / author (Discovering God Through the Arts, Not A Tame Lion)
- JOSH LARSEN, film critic (Think Christian, Filmspotting) / author (Movies Are Prayers, Fear Not!)
- ERIC SCOTT JOHNSON, filmmaker (Camp Manna, For the Life of the World) / founder of Gorilla - GR/LA
- WILLIAM ROMANOWSKI, author (Eyes Wide Open, Reforming Hollywood) / film professor emeritus at Calvin University
- JULIANNA RUBIO-SLAGER, choreographer / cofounder of Ballet 5:8 - Chicago
- JEREMY SLAGER, marketing director at Moody Publishers
- TRAVIS THRASHER, author (BONO: From the Sheer Face of Love, The Solitary Tales)
- AARON ZENZ, illustrator / author (The Hiccupotamus, Monsters Go Night-Night)
When fully funded, we will also be able to invite the following creative icons to interview for Season One:- SHO BARAKA, musician / author (He Saw That It Was Good)
- JON COLLINS, animator / cofounder of The Bible Project
- KAREN EHMAN, author / women's advocate (Proverbs 31 Ministry)
- MARIA FEE, artist / theologian / adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary - LA
- HAEJIN FUJIMURA, lawyer / arts advocate (Beauty + Justice, Embers International)
- JOSH GARRELS, musician (Peace To All Who Enter Here, Love & War & the Sea In Between)
- DAN GOOD, resident artist at NASA
- MELODY GREEN, musician / activist / cofounder of Last Days Ministries
- SARAH GROVES, musician / director of Art House North - St. Paul
- JOHN HENDRIX, illustrator / author (Go and Do Likewise, Miracle Man, The Faithful Spy)
- DALLAS JENKINS, filmmaker (The Chosen, Redemption of Gavin Stone)
- TIM MACKIE, theologian / cofounder of The Bible Project
- KAREN WRIGHT MARSH, author (Vintage Saints & Sinners) / founder of Theological Horizons - Charlottesville
- MAX MCLEAN, actor (The Most Reluctant Convert) / founder of Fellowship for Performing Arts - NYC
- ANDREW PETERSON, musician / author (The Wingfeather Saga, The God of the Garden)
- SOPHFRONIA SCOTT, author (The Seeker and the Monk, Unforgivable Love) / founding director of the Alma College MFA in Creative Writing
- JAMES K.A. SMITH, author (How to Inhabit Time, You Are What You Love) / philosophy professor at Calvin University
- CHRISTINA LEE STORM, director of digital production at Netflix
- STEVE TAYLOR, musician / filmmaker (Dead Sea Squirrels, Blue Like Jazz)
- STEVE TURNER, poet / music journalist (Imagine, The Gospel According to the Beatles)
- PHIL VISCHER, co-creator of Veggie Tales / host of The Holy Post podcast
WHAT ARE THE EPISODES IN SEASON ONE?- The Garden: Reflecting the Creator with creativity.
- Vine & Branches: Connecting to the Creator through wonder & reaching out with love.
- Soil & Roots: Digging into our humanity and finding nourishment in truth.
- Water & Seeds: Nurturing & healing culture, while inviting faith like a child.
- Weeds & Flowers: Fighting what so easily entangles & creating beauty that attracts a crowd.
- Pruning & Harvest: Denouncing Christian hypocrisy & feasting on eternity.
WHEN WILL THE ENTIRE SEASON BE AVAILABLE TO BINGE?Great question! And only God knows the answer because these things take time and money. Episodes 2-6 will be completed as they become fully funded through donations, sponsorships, and/or investments. To inquire about sponsorships or investing, click the INVEST button at the bottom of our website.HOW DO I CONTACT THE PRODUCERS?Creative Icons is produced by Flipbook Moving Pictures, LLC for:Be An Icon Creative Arts Network, a non-profit ministry based in Lansing, MichiganEmail us at office@creativeicons.tvOr direct message on social:
