November 7, 2025 • 30 mins
In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with my longtime friend Karen DeLoach—a multi-disciplinary artist, teacher, filmmaker, and creativity specialist who has spent decades championing the role of the arts in culture and the Kingdom.
From her early days in sculpture and ceramics to her passion for painting and equipping others to express Holy Spirit inspiration, Karen’s story is a rich tapestry of creative calling and resilience.
We explore the importance of engaging the right brain in our creative and spiritual lives, the challenges artists face in a culture that often undervalues beauty, and the freedom that comes when you step back into dreams others once dismissed.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why activating your right brain is key to creativity and Kingdom impact
- How Karen overcame early discouragement to embrace painting again
- The role of beauty in the arts and why it matters for God’s purposes
- Practical ways to cultivate Holy Spirit-inspired creativity
- Encouragement for artists of all ages to believe “the best is yet to come”
🌟 Favorite Quotes from This Episode:
“The best is yet to come, and we have a whole generation of people that really need to know who they are and how they are in the Father’s image.” — Karen DeLoach
“Karen is one of those people that God put the extra in—if it’s creative, she’s involved in it.” — Matt Tommey
🌐 Connect with Karen DeLoach: http://www.karendeloachart.com/
✅ Stay Connected & Grow as a Thriving Christian Artist:
- 📬 Subscribe to The Thriving Christian Artist Weekly: https://thrive.matttommeymentoring.com/tca-weekly
- 📚 Find My Best-Selling Books: https://www.matttommeymentoring.com/resources
- 🎓 Explore Artist Mentoring Programs: https://www.matttommeymentoring.com/mentoring
Find out more about The Created to Thrive Foundations Course
Fuel Your Creative Calling with Weekly Encouragement
Join thousands of Christian artists who are growing in faith, creativity, and purpose.
Subscribe to The Thriving Christian Artist Weekly and receive powerful, faith-filled content every week—designed to encourage your heart, spark your creativity, and equip you to walk boldly in your God-given calling as an artist.
👉 Click here. It’s free. It’s faith-filled. And it’s just for you.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All of the world.
Artists are awakening.
Painters and potters, writersand weavers, poets and dancers
not chasing followers or fame,but sons and daughters called
for such a time as this,transformed from the inside out,
creating with purpose,releasing the glory of God and
living in the power of thekingdom.
Right now, this is the ThrivingChristian Artist.
(00:21):
Well, hey, friends, it's Matt's.
Matt, tommy, welcome back tothe podcast.
Super glad that you are here.
I am really honored and excitedand just giddy to have a good
friend of mine, karen DeLoach,on today.
We've been friends for a longtime.
I met through an incrediblearts ministry years ago called
(00:42):
Caritas up in Chicago that Iwent and keynoted for.
But man, karen is listen, she'sone of those people that got
extra.
God put the extra in her.
She's into filmmaking, she'sinto sculpture, she's into
teaching art, into pottery, intoall the stuff right, just like
roll the dice, and if it'screative she's involved in it.
(01:02):
And, karen, I'm so glad to haveyou.
Welcome to the podcast today.
It's been too long in havingyou on here.
So glad you're here.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Thank you, oh man, I do follow you, matt.
You're such an inspiration.
From the very first time I metyou, I was going to be doing my
potter's wheel during worship onthe stage and it was in the
basement and you walked up and Isaid, can I use you for a
moment?
Young man, would you help meget this wheel?
And so here you are, thekeynote speaker, and you're
carrying the wheel up on thestage with me and I'm like, oh
my gosh, that was something.
So I appreciate your humbleheart, your beautiful spirit,
(01:38):
and we connected right from thestart.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
That's right, that's right.
Well, we're good Southernpeople.
We, that's right, that's right.
Well, we're good Southernpeople.
We were both in Charleston andI was, you know, in Atlanta and
Asheville and going up toChicago I live we had to look
out for each other right upthere.
You never knew what was goingon.
I love it.
I love it.
Hey, listen, for those folksthat are just kind of getting to
know you, I know I gave alittle bit of a thumbnail sketch
(02:04):
, but kind of give everybody apicture of who you are
creatively and then maybe let'sget into a little of your
backstory and then we're goingto go today.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So, Well, thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, I kind of call myself acreativity specialist these days
because of all the arenas ofthe creative arts that I've been
involved in and when you're inyour seventies, you know you got
decades of experiences to drawback on.
You know, I believe with all myheart the best is yet to come
and so, even though I'm in mygolden years and I can have my
(02:30):
hair golden see, I can have itwhere I want.
The best is yet to come and wehave a whole generation of
people that really need to knowwho they are and how they are in
the Father's image.
He created us right.
He gave us half a brain to beusing for creative purposes, to
(02:51):
connect with the left brain andall of its very orderly and
timely and memorization and allthe wonderful things that happen
with our left brain.
But the right brain kind of hasbeen neglected in our culture.
They've cut out all the artsprograms that they possibly can
because it's so expensive.
It's subjective.
It's hard to put a grade onsomeone's painting or their song
(03:15):
or their music, so it'ssomething that has not been
valued.
I believe in our educationsystem valued.
I believe in our educationsystem and as an artist and art
teacher, I believe so stronglythat we want to equip this next
generation with the tools toreally express Holy Spirit,
inspiration, dreams, visions,just incredible beauty of our
(03:40):
world that has been ignored andyou and I have grown up in the
art world that it ugly seems tobe what sells.
You know what I mean.
I mean, you've been successfulselling beautiful sculptures,
but you know, and I know, mostof the high-end galleries are
selling ugly right, it can beweird stuff.
It's like what is this?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
who's putting this in their house, right?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
ever since since Duchamp hung a urinal on the
wall.
You know the Dadaism in theearly 20th century art just kind
of.
As far as I'm concerned, ifit's promoting ugly in heart
spirit mind, it is really notthe heart of God.
And you know, I had anexperience in art school.
I was really good at drawing.
(04:24):
I got good drawing instructionin high school.
So I went and I was doingtheater and sports and art.
I didn't know really what Iwanted to be when I grew up but
I knew the arts were someplace.
So I took my first paintingclass.
They hated my paintings.
I love to do people and scenery.
They hated it.
By the next year they wereusing four-letter words to
(04:47):
describe my paintings and had metotally convinced I couldn't
paint, that I was athree-dimensional artist.
I ended up going into graduateschool to do sculpture and
ceramics.
But there was something insideof me that really wanted to
paint and I knew I wasn't greatand I would try.
I had these beautiful baby boysbeing born and I wanted to
(05:08):
paint their portraits and I'dget to a certain point, and so I
ended up moving with tons ofunfinished canvases and maybe
your viewers have had this kindof experience where somebody
important really declared thatyou weren't good, you weren't
good.
You can't do this.
Whether it was an elementaryschool teacher that told you
(05:28):
don't color outside the lines,or somebody that said you can't
sing or you can't dance,whatever it was, it shut because
that right brain I'm talkingabout is sensitive.
It's where we have ourimagination and our
inventiveness and our whole partof us that is so in tune with
Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's easily crushed, it's easily discouraged, because
it's gentle and it's kind andit's seeking truth.
It's seeking beauty and when itgets criticized, I call it the
left brain bully.
You're not good enough, they'renot you know the perfectionism
that can can can really damageus.
(06:10):
We don't forget it.
It stays with us andunfortunately, it's like a
louder voice and Holy spiritsaid yes, you can come on yeah.
Do it, you can do it.
And so I feel very stronglybecause I was in that generation
where we weren't really taughtto paint.
We were taught just to throwpaint on a canvas.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Expect something wonderful to happen.
Sometimes it did, most of thetimes it didn't.
But I ran into somebody who wasa mentor to me.
He had been to the Chicago ArtInstitute back in the day, where
they taught people to draw,taught people to paint the
fundamental building blocks ofskills.
(06:47):
Right, I was lacking skill.
And you know, talent whatevertalent people have only goes so
far.
I went to school with reallytalented people who haven't
picked up a paintbrush sincethey left school right.
Then there are those of us thatwork so hard to pull it forth,
to get it out and you know,there's something to that for
all of us that have to work topull it forth, to get it out,
and, you know, there's somethingto that for all of us that have
to work hard.
(07:07):
I'm not complaining, I'm justsaying talent isn't enough.
You really have to have.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
No, it's both, and right it's filled and skilled.
Right it's both.
We talk about it all the time.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Exactly, I have all your book, yes, and it's so real
to me because he taught me theskills to enable me to do the
kind of work that I wanted to do.
As a teacher, I try to create asafe space.
This is a no criticism zone,people think you know, I'm sure
(07:36):
my teachers weren't trying toruin my life.
They were trying to save theworld from another bad painter.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Maybe I don't know I tell people all the time I don't
think I'd have a job if itwasn't for bad fourth grade art
teachers that spoke all thesehorrible things over their
students, like you can't do thisor you're not talented enough
or whatever.
But isn't it amazing though itis, how one little word from a
parent or from a teacher orsomebody you respect can just be
that dart in the heart thatreally keeps people down.
(08:03):
And let me ask you this, karen,because for me, in just watching
people, it seems like thethings that we've become
passionate about are things thatwe really struggled with in our
own life and God broughthealing and restoration in that
and through that kind ofauthority in our own life.
And I know you as far as you areso involved in such a myriad of
(08:26):
different creative things, notonly through your personal
artwork and what you do, but,but also as a teacher and sort
of a catalyst and that sort ofthing.
But at the heart of all that, Ijust see a thread of you is
this idea that art is not just aproduct that we can sell.
It's actually a process thatGod can use to heal our heart,
(08:47):
set us free, walk into who he'scalled us to be, live the
abundant life and all that.
How did that come out of yourlife?
Because I bet I've never askedyou this, but I bet there's a
story of art being a place offreedom, development for you,
and now that's really become apassion that you have for
helping others in that as well.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
You're so right and I think the root of it, and I've
heard you so many times you'reso brilliant the way you put
things.
You're a great word picturecreator.
You create concepts and youtake spiritual concepts and
you're able to bring them downinto word pictures that all of
us can understand, and thatreally is truly one of your
special superpowers.
(11:00):
I really believe, Matt.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Thank you.
You know, I write down, I writedown your phrases.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
sometimes I'm like, wow, put that in my hair book.
That is awesome and you knowthat is a gift that you have For
me.
It is an encourager.
You know I can teach skills.
I have a how to draw book, howto paint book.
I have an art historyappreciation textbook that I
used for college teachingcollege art and art history, and
so I really love to see peopleget lit up with the beauty.
(11:28):
Even of our history, westernhistory Art is gorgeous, you
know, starting with the MiddleAges into the Renaissance and
the Impressionists.
We have beautiful, beautifulthings to inspire us and to
learn from.
And so I started seeing healinghappen and this is where I got
into this the last couple ofyears in coaching art as
(11:50):
self-therapy, wellness throughcreativity that there is a
healing that happens when wecreate.
And it is a healing thathappens when we create and it is
a supernatural, I mean.
I started doing some researchbecause I saw it happening in my
students, in myself and myfamily.
All my family are all musicians, artists, singers, writers.
We don't have any rocketscientists at all.
Nobody makes a living, right.
(12:11):
I mean, anyway, that's how weget by, god's good.
The point is, I've seen howbeing able to express themselves
creatively does something inthe brain.
So I started studying brainstuff.
Like, oh yeah, there isserotonin, which is the
happiness chemical that getsreleased with 20 minutes of
(12:33):
looking at beauty looking atonset, looking at art, doing art
.
It's even more magnified whenyou do it.
It doesn't even have to be good, but you do it and you're
focused and it brings neuroconnections to the left brain,
right brain.
This is our brilliance.
Neuro connections to the leftbrain, right brain is our
brilliance.
So you know, just picking up apaintbrush is using your left
(12:59):
brain, but then putting paintdown is right brain and you know
they say okay.
These scientists say out offive and six year olds, 98% are
creative geniuses 98% Wow.
You know how many in adulthoodTwo Eight percent know how many?
In adulthood Two.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Live blobs right.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
What happened.
We know part of it.
We've talked about theeducation system squashes it.
Words can squash it.
Not getting any meaning or anykind of opportunity squashes it,
and the good news is it's nottoo late.
You know, as I teach groupclasses, I have a lot of adults,
a lot of baby boomers like mein there saying you know what
(13:37):
I've raised?
My family had my career.
Now I want to do somethingthat's always been inside of me
to do and I share with themabout the healing that when you
do art there's somethingsupernatural that happens All
right.
So I had this kid that he hadADHD, he had dyslexia, was
failing.
We were in the homeschool world, so I was the homeschool co-op
(14:00):
art teacher right Right right.
And so I had all these youngpeople and I made their mom stay
usually mom stay and found somereally great mom artists too.
And this particular childthrived at drawing and sculpture
and painting.
He gained confidence that hewasn't worthless because he had
trouble reading.
He had trouble with hisacademics by this time he's in
(14:23):
middle school and he feels likea total stupid failure.
You know, being good at art.
So I took all their art andtook it to the fair and entered
them in the youth competitions.
They start winning ribbons.
He won best in show.
I just didn't age group becauseof his fatigue in my studio and
it changed his life.
He was able to buckle down, hismama was brilliant at finding
(14:44):
things to help him academicallywith his mental challenges and I
can't tell you how manyautistic children there are in
that culture and how manychildren are struggling with
these academics.
So he thrived at it.
Well, not the end of the story.
He graduated from high school,he's having a celebration with
his family in Florida and hecaught a viral infection that
(15:07):
went to his brain and he had astroke.
So here he is, 18 years old,paralyzed on the right side of
his body.
They didn't even think he wasgoing to live.
They were like eh, his skullhas a ceramic, plastic, ceramic
skull.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
My goodness wow.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
It's just miraculous.
They saved his life Four monthsin the hospital.
He comes home, he can't walk,he can't talk.
They're trying to keep hisright hand from curling up and
he was a righty.
So his mom brought him back tomy studio.
So in he comes and I thoughtwell, you know, your left hand
works.
I use my left hand all the time.
You know what?
Anyway, and he, in a very shortamount of time, the same
(15:46):
connections he had been buildingin his brain started working
for him and he could startdrawing with his left hand
painting.
Wow, yeah, he had a littletrouble with sculpture because
it's kind of a two-handed thingsure, sure again.
It changed his attitude.
He started he got a sense ofhumor back, got out of
depression because I didn't evenunderstand that about serotonin
(16:06):
, it starts releasing thishappiness chemical.
Guess what?
It can't be in happiness anddepression at the same time.
You can't be in depression atthe same time.
An anecdote to that whateverelse is going on in your life
and heart and mind and obviouslyI'm talking about visual arts,
but music writing.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Sure, all of it works right, All of it.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Filmmaking, which is what I get to do, you know so
there's just miraculous power.
So, when you take this artworld, that you're encouraging
artists all over the world withwhat you're doing, even opening
up, this about thriving.
It is, yes, about the workitself, as your beautiful shells
are covered with beautifulartworks.
(16:51):
It's also about the innerhealing and work of God to then
make us more sensitive, becauseif our right brain gets the
healing and those words are offthe throne of our heart, they're
no longer who take those fierydarts out, they're no longer
impact on us.
We can thrive in every arena ofour lives.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
You're preaching my language.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I love it we're all the same way.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I know it, I know hey , let me ask you this.
You know it's interesting.
I think over the years, um andthis was never really my
intention, but I've kind ofstarted to be known, you, as the
guy who helps people christianartists build their art business
and that sort of thing, andthat really really was never my
original calling.
As you know, you were therefrom the beginning and saw what
God had called me to do raisingup an army of artists and all
(17:39):
this and healing and wholenessand so I've done a lot and I'm
obviously passionate aboutpeople thriving financially and
building a business if that'swhat God has for me and that
sort of thing.
But one of the things that I'venoticed and I just love to get
your thought on this is thattoday and I think just the
spirit of mammon that's in theworld today, you know, and how
(17:59):
it so easily can get intopeople's heart there is such a
push to monetize everything.
And if you, maybe somebodythinks, well, I've had a gift
all these years and not only doI need to start just pressing
into that a little more for myown benefit, but I got to
immediately start selling it Now.
I got to do it to make it makeextra money and or I don't have
(18:20):
enough for a timer.
So I got to start an artbusiness and all this and I you
know where part of me is like,yes, I can help you do that and
all that, and we do that everyday in the mentoring program and
all that I've been telling somany people lately.
I'm like you know what Don'trush to monetize the gift that
God has given you, because ifyou do, I think you rob yourself
(18:40):
of the joy of just putzingaround in the studio and you
know, and playing andexperimenting.
Because I look at my ownjourney of, like I made baskets
for maybe 13, 15 years before Iever called myself an artist,
before I ever got serious aboutselling them.
(19:01):
But I think it was that 13years, 15 years of just in the
incubator, if you will, of justdoing it out of the pure love,
that my unique voice gotdeveloped, my skills are being
developed by you know all, the,all the stuff.
Yeah, and I don't know if yousee this with with folks that
you're working in, but I justthink this, this over
(19:22):
accelerated idea of I've got tomonetize everything right now,
and I just I think this is theultimate walk of faith for
artists, that is, listen.
If God's giving you a gift, befaithful with little.
If you do, god's going to makeyou ruler over much.
And if monetization andbuilding an income stream or
building a ministry or whatever,if that's supposed to come, god
(19:43):
will birth that through you.
But don't get the cart beforethe horse and try to make an
income and make an impactwithout having the intimacy with
the Lord in your creative spaceand I don't know.
I'd love to hear your thoughtson that tension because I think
it's just a big deal, you know.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
It is and it's like there's pressure on you.
Yes, so I like to do sculpture,I like to do ceramics and I
love to give it as gifts.
I mean my parents, my family,my siblings.
They don't want regularpackages, they want my lumpy
packages.
It means there's something thatI've made and and and that
gives me so much more joy.
You know, and I get commissionsand I and I make them and I
(20:28):
don't get the kind of joy andI'm.
I'm being totally honest, and Ihad someone say to me you're
never going to be a successfulbusiness woman Cause you like
people more than money.
Uh, thank you.
I don't know why to say that,but you know, and so it.
It.
It's definitely we get thatpressure.
You know that we have toperform.
It's, it's like that wholeperformance thing that if you're
(20:50):
not making a living, you know,and and the whole joke when we
in theater is the musicians getpaid but the actors don't,
because they know the up thereacting whether they get paid or
not.
we want to do it so much that'sright not that the musicians get
paid a lot my sons are allmusicians but you know the the.
The reality is there's a loveof creating that I believe is in
(21:12):
every soul, is in every person.
If we're made in the image ofour creator, then we're going to
get our greatest joy out ofcreating, and there's so many
ways.
I mean, you know, chatgpt hasgiven me a hundred different
ways you can utilize your rightbrain with your left brain, you
know, even taking a stroll, nota bit fast, you know count your
(21:32):
steps walk notice the sunsetnotice the clouds.
notice the sky.
In my classes right now we'restudying clouds, we're studying
water and you know we'restudying transparencies and how
do you layer and watercolors andstuff.
And we're looking at nature.
Well, guess what?
Get out of your house, lookaround, you know walk your dog
and we're looking at nature.
Well, guess what?
(21:52):
Get out of your house, lookaround, walk your dog, and it's
good for your body, but it'sgood for your soul, it's good
for your mind and you're goingto get ideas.
All right, here's one of thescientific studies.
I know you'll enjoy this one,matt.
They study people singing inthe shower.
So how many people sing in theshower?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Yeah, sure.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Now you have a good voice.
I've heard your voice.
You're a singer.
You can worship later.
You got a great voice.
Some of us don't.
Nobody wants to hear us sing,except Jesus right Joyful, noise
Joyful noise.
That's exactly right.
I have an anointing to sing inthe spirit.
But so in this, you know, inthat time they study people's
brains and found out, as you're,you know, scrub a-dub, rubbing
(22:29):
in the tub, having just yournormal cleaning you're singing,
you're gauging left brain, rightbrain, new connections that
have never existed before youget out, you're drying off, an
idea comes you weren't trying tosolve a problem or figure out
something, but it came to you,it's coming through that right
brain connecting to the leftbrain, new ideas, right brain
(22:53):
connecting to the left brain.
Yeah, new, new ideas.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And we weren't trying to figure it out.
We weren't trying to make ithappen yeah, just singing, just
letting it flow, just letting itflow well, that's like those
studies they've done on, likepraying in the spirit and
creativity, like how it evencalms the vagus nerve that runs
all the way through your bodyand gives you that feeling of
flow and in peace, like I loveit.
God's hardwired this into us asa way to not only live the
(23:15):
abundant life and walk infulfillment and peace but also
be a blessing to others.
And, um, you know, karen, Ilove it because so much of what
you say in, in all that you do,is so practical.
Like you just break it downwhere people can understand it.
And if somebody is listeningtoday and they're like you know
what I've been like running andchasing after all this, all the
(23:37):
stuff, the trappings of being asuccessful artist, but I just I,
maybe I just need to slow downfor the next month or so and
just kind of reconnect with artas process as opposed to product
or profit.
What would you say?
Two or three things somebodycould do, even today, as they're
getting back in their studioand just say you know what?
I just want to play again.
I just want to kind of approachthis differently, from a no
(24:00):
expectation point of view.
What would you point them inthe direction to do?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
That's an easy one, okay.
Even the scientists say 98% ofus were creative geniuses.
What did you love when you werefive and six?
That's how I start with myartist self-therapy.
What did you love then?
Did you love dancing, spinning?
Did you love playing with mudpuddles, making mud pies?
Yes, some of us did those kindof tea parties in the mud.
How about directing plays inkindergarten?
(24:25):
Yes, some of us did those kindof tea parties in the mud.
How about directing plays inkindergarten?
Yes, we were directing plays inkindergarten.
How about one of my sons?
Everything was a drum.
I don't care what it was.
It was a drum, guess what.
He's a musician.
He's a drummer.
Look back in your own heart.
Did you love to draw?
Did you love to paint?
Did you like to take pictures?
We have you know.
We got this fantastic handheldcomputer.
(24:45):
Everywhere we go, we can takemarvelous photography, yeah sure
.
And behind me is one of herphotos that she gave me for
Christmas.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Love it yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
So we are engaging more and it brings healing.
And this is the thingRestoration.
You get over whatever negativewords and as I talk to people
all the time and I know you dotoo um well, I, I just can't.
I can't draw, I can't paint, Ican't.
Okay, let's try.
Let's try this safe space wherewe don't use that word.
I can't right.
So you know, when I told you Ihad students and I brought, I
(25:18):
made the mom stay.
One mom was just a great littlesculptor, she could do
everything details and I got.
I got a chance to be in a bigSpoleto show downtown Charleston
and I was going to do a roominstallation all made out of
porcelain called Taste and SeeSweet Shop.
Was that the cupcakes you did?
Yes, I remember that.
(25:39):
Yes, and and.
And.
So Jan Jan was in my world atthat time and she came to my
studio one day and said Karen, Ijust got diagnosed with stage
four breast cancer.
They've given me six months tolive.
We cried together and I saidyou know what, jan, in six
months I mean in nine monthsI've got an art show.
(26:00):
I need help, I need your help.
I need like a thousand piecesthat I'm going to have for this
whole room installation.
Would, you help me?
She's like Hannah I don't evenknow if I'm going to be here in
nine months.
I said, well, you'll leave alegacy for your family Come on
do it.
So between radiation, chemo,mastectomies, rebuild everything
.
She was in the studio with mesome days, at least three times
(26:23):
a week.
We laughed, we played.
How do you make dark truffles,dark chocolate truffles versus
white truffles?
We were just inventing thewhole way and we had a blast.
Yes, she was there in ninemonths.
She was there working with me atthis 17-day show and just full
(26:45):
of joy and looking healthierthan she had in a year.
She became cancer-free, wentinto remission cancer-free now
for eight years.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Wow, come on, come on .
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Now they did all the stuff everybody else does.
Who dies?
Okay, the medical stuff.
What was different?
She had something beautiful towork with her hands, her focus.
I'm convinced she's convincedher family's convinced we're
friends for life.
Okay, this is real.
This is where the rubber meetsthe road for a lot of your
listeners, a lot of people thathave these terrible diagnoses or
(27:22):
suffering depression or rightresponses to what happened to us
that never got dealt with.
Because time doesn't heal.
Jesus heals, right, that'sright.
Still there, operating, and Godwants it out.
And you know, even my childthat couldn't talk, that ended
up talking and walking.
I didn't give you, you know,that child that was paralyzed
that came and learned to drawand paint and win awards again
(27:44):
using his left hand, only Learnto walk.
You look at him now.
You wouldn't know he has aplastic skull.
He still struggles to use hisright hand.
It's not curled up in a ball,still more left-handed than
right-handed, but he has a lifeworth living and his family
knows art has had a huge part toplay, the arts, the creative
(28:06):
life that God gave all of us toparticipate in.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I love it, I love it and I love that you keep saying
yes and God keeps using you inso many different ways, and it's
like that, in that, the kingdomright, we get to live the
abundant life, and the abundantlife gets to flow through us as
we do the thing that God'scalled us to do.
And I just I just love it, karen.
I know people are going to wantto connect with you online for
all the stuff that you're doing,so tell us website, social, all
(28:33):
that kind of thing, and thenmaybe just a closing
encouragement for anybody that'slistening today that you want
to leave everybody with.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Karen Deloachartcom is my website.
Karen Deloachart at gmailcom ismy email.
I'm on Facebook too.
Karen Deloach Art.
It's like a little theme there,right?
I also have a private one, ifanybody wants to, for Christian
creatives.
I have a private Facebook pagethat.
(29:00):
I feed into.
I have a weekly we meet threetimes a week art group class
that has all ages in it andwe're just learning and growing
to encouraging each other.
And so you know my word toleave and this is probably
what's just such a great thingand I know you operate in it all
(29:21):
the time is create that safespace and let the grace of God
flow into you, through you, andsay yes, say yes to that
inspiration, say yes to that,that vision, and call that's
inside of you.
However, however, it works.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Yeah, I love it.
What a joy to be with you today.
So thank you for who you areand all that you do, and thanks
for being on the podcast with me.
It's been great.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Thank you, god bless you.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Hey, my friend, before you go, make sure that
you're signed up for theThriving Christian Artist Weekly
.
It's my free newsletter, fullof spiritual encouragement,
creative inspiration andpractical tips to help you
thrive in everything that God'scalled you to do as an artist in
his kingdom.
Every issue is absolutely freeand it includes the latest
podcast episode, featured artistspotlights, a worship song of
(30:09):
the week and, again, tons oftips and encouragement and
inspiration for you to keep youinspired and encouraged in
everything that God's got foryou as an artist in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected.
All right, love you, bye.
All of the world.
Artists are awakening.
Painters and potters, writersand weavers, poets and dancers
not chasing followers or fame,but sons and daughters called
for such a time as this,transformed from the inside out,
creating with purpose,releasing the glory of God and
living in the power of thekingdom.
Right now, this is the ThrivingChristian Artist.
(00:21):
Well, hey, friends, it's Matt's.
Matt, tommy, welcome back tothe podcast.
Super glad that you are here.
I am really honored and excitedand just giddy to have a good
friend of mine, karen DeLoach,on today.
We've been friends for a longtime.
I met through an incrediblearts ministry years ago called
(00:42):
Caritas up in Chicago that Iwent and keynoted for.
But man, karen is listen, she'sone of those people that got
extra.
God put the extra in her.
She's into filmmaking, she'sinto sculpture, she's into
teaching art, into pottery, intoall the stuff right, just like
roll the dice, and if it'screative she's involved in it.
(01:02):
And, karen, I'm so glad to haveyou.
Welcome to the podcast today.
It's been too long in havingyou on here.
So glad you're here.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Thank you, oh man, I do follow you, matt.
You're such an inspiration.
From the very first time I metyou, I was going to be doing my
potter's wheel during worship onthe stage and it was in the
basement and you walked up and Isaid, can I use you for a
moment?
Young man, would you help meget this wheel?
And so here you are, thekeynote speaker, and you're
carrying the wheel up on thestage with me and I'm like, oh
my gosh, that was something.
So I appreciate your humbleheart, your beautiful spirit,
(01:38):
and we connected right from thestart.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
That's right, that's right.
Well, we're good Southernpeople.
We, that's right, that's right.
Well, we're good Southernpeople.
We were both in Charleston andI was, you know, in Atlanta and
Asheville and going up toChicago I live we had to look
out for each other right upthere.
You never knew what was goingon.
I love it.
I love it.
Hey, listen, for those folksthat are just kind of getting to
know you, I know I gave alittle bit of a thumbnail sketch
(02:04):
, but kind of give everybody apicture of who you are
creatively and then maybe let'sget into a little of your
backstory and then we're goingto go today.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So, Well, thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, I kind of call myself acreativity specialist these days
because of all the arenas ofthe creative arts that I've been
involved in and when you're inyour seventies, you know you got
decades of experiences to drawback on.
You know, I believe with all myheart the best is yet to come
and so, even though I'm in mygolden years and I can have my
(02:30):
hair golden see, I can have itwhere I want.
The best is yet to come and wehave a whole generation of
people that really need to knowwho they are and how they are in
the Father's image.
He created us right.
He gave us half a brain to beusing for creative purposes, to
(02:51):
connect with the left brain andall of its very orderly and
timely and memorization and allthe wonderful things that happen
with our left brain.
But the right brain kind of hasbeen neglected in our culture.
They've cut out all the artsprograms that they possibly can
because it's so expensive.
It's subjective.
It's hard to put a grade onsomeone's painting or their song
(03:15):
or their music, so it'ssomething that has not been
valued.
I believe in our educationsystem valued.
I believe in our educationsystem and as an artist and art
teacher, I believe so stronglythat we want to equip this next
generation with the tools toreally express Holy Spirit,
inspiration, dreams, visions,just incredible beauty of our
(03:40):
world that has been ignored andyou and I have grown up in the
art world that it ugly seems tobe what sells.
You know what I mean.
I mean, you've been successfulselling beautiful sculptures,
but you know, and I know, mostof the high-end galleries are
selling ugly right, it can beweird stuff.
It's like what is this?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
who's putting this in their house, right?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
ever since since Duchamp hung a urinal on the
wall.
You know the Dadaism in theearly 20th century art just kind
of.
As far as I'm concerned, ifit's promoting ugly in heart
spirit mind, it is really notthe heart of God.
And you know, I had anexperience in art school.
I was really good at drawing.
(04:24):
I got good drawing instructionin high school.
So I went and I was doingtheater and sports and art.
I didn't know really what Iwanted to be when I grew up but
I knew the arts were someplace.
So I took my first paintingclass.
They hated my paintings.
I love to do people and scenery.
They hated it.
By the next year they wereusing four-letter words to
(04:47):
describe my paintings and had metotally convinced I couldn't
paint, that I was athree-dimensional artist.
I ended up going into graduateschool to do sculpture and
ceramics.
But there was something insideof me that really wanted to
paint and I knew I wasn't greatand I would try.
I had these beautiful baby boysbeing born and I wanted to
(05:08):
paint their portraits and I'dget to a certain point, and so I
ended up moving with tons ofunfinished canvases and maybe
your viewers have had this kindof experience where somebody
important really declared thatyou weren't good, you weren't
good.
You can't do this.
Whether it was an elementaryschool teacher that told you
(05:28):
don't color outside the lines,or somebody that said you can't
sing or you can't dance,whatever it was, it shut because
that right brain I'm talkingabout is sensitive.
It's where we have ourimagination and our
inventiveness and our whole partof us that is so in tune with
Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's easily crushed, it's easily discouraged, because
it's gentle and it's kind andit's seeking truth.
It's seeking beauty and when itgets criticized, I call it the
left brain bully.
You're not good enough, they'renot you know the perfectionism
that can can can really damageus.
(06:10):
We don't forget it.
It stays with us andunfortunately, it's like a
louder voice and Holy spiritsaid yes, you can come on yeah.
Do it, you can do it.
And so I feel very stronglybecause I was in that generation
where we weren't really taughtto paint.
We were taught just to throwpaint on a canvas.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Expect something wonderful to happen.
Sometimes it did, most of thetimes it didn't.
But I ran into somebody who wasa mentor to me.
He had been to the Chicago ArtInstitute back in the day, where
they taught people to draw,taught people to paint the
fundamental building blocks ofskills.
(06:47):
Right, I was lacking skill.
And you know, talent whatevertalent people have only goes so
far.
I went to school with reallytalented people who haven't
picked up a paintbrush sincethey left school right.
Then there are those of us thatwork so hard to pull it forth,
to get it out and you know,there's something to that for
all of us that have to work topull it forth, to get it out,
and, you know, there's somethingto that for all of us that have
to work hard.
(07:07):
I'm not complaining, I'm justsaying talent isn't enough.
You really have to have.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
No, it's both, and right it's filled and skilled.
Right it's both.
We talk about it all the time.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Exactly, I have all your book, yes, and it's so real
to me because he taught me theskills to enable me to do the
kind of work that I wanted to do.
As a teacher, I try to create asafe space.
This is a no criticism zone,people think you know, I'm sure
(07:36):
my teachers weren't trying toruin my life.
They were trying to save theworld from another bad painter.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Maybe I don't know I tell people all the time I don't
think I'd have a job if itwasn't for bad fourth grade art
teachers that spoke all thesehorrible things over their
students, like you can't do thisor you're not talented enough
or whatever.
But isn't it amazing though itis, how one little word from a
parent or from a teacher orsomebody you respect can just be
that dart in the heart thatreally keeps people down.
(08:03):
And let me ask you this, karen,because for me, in just watching
people, it seems like thethings that we've become
passionate about are things thatwe really struggled with in our
own life and God broughthealing and restoration in that
and through that kind ofauthority in our own life.
And I know you as far as you areso involved in such a myriad of
(08:26):
different creative things, notonly through your personal
artwork and what you do, but,but also as a teacher and sort
of a catalyst and that sort ofthing.
But at the heart of all that, Ijust see a thread of you is
this idea that art is not just aproduct that we can sell.
It's actually a process thatGod can use to heal our heart,
(08:47):
set us free, walk into who he'scalled us to be, live the
abundant life and all that.
How did that come out of yourlife?
Because I bet I've never askedyou this, but I bet there's a
story of art being a place offreedom, development for you,
and now that's really become apassion that you have for
helping others in that as well.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
You're so right and I think the root of it, and I've
heard you so many times you'reso brilliant the way you put
things.
You're a great word picturecreator.
You create concepts and youtake spiritual concepts and
you're able to bring them downinto word pictures that all of
us can understand, and thatreally is truly one of your
special superpowers.
(11:00):
I really believe, Matt.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Thank you.
You know, I write down, I writedown your phrases.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
sometimes I'm like, wow, put that in my hair book.
That is awesome and you knowthat is a gift that you have For
me.
It is an encourager.
You know I can teach skills.
I have a how to draw book, howto paint book.
I have an art historyappreciation textbook that I
used for college teachingcollege art and art history, and
so I really love to see peopleget lit up with the beauty.
(11:28):
Even of our history, westernhistory Art is gorgeous, you
know, starting with the MiddleAges into the Renaissance and
the Impressionists.
We have beautiful, beautifulthings to inspire us and to
learn from.
And so I started seeing healinghappen and this is where I got
into this the last couple ofyears in coaching art as
(11:50):
self-therapy, wellness throughcreativity that there is a
healing that happens when wecreate.
And it is a healing thathappens when we create and it is
a supernatural, I mean.
I started doing some researchbecause I saw it happening in my
students, in myself and myfamily.
All my family are all musicians, artists, singers, writers.
We don't have any rocketscientists at all.
Nobody makes a living, right.
(12:11):
I mean, anyway, that's how weget by, god's good.
The point is, I've seen howbeing able to express themselves
creatively does something inthe brain.
So I started studying brainstuff.
Like, oh yeah, there isserotonin, which is the
happiness chemical that getsreleased with 20 minutes of
(12:33):
looking at beauty looking atonset, looking at art, doing art
.
It's even more magnified whenyou do it.
It doesn't even have to be good, but you do it and you're
focused and it brings neuroconnections to the left brain,
right brain.
This is our brilliance.
Neuro connections to the leftbrain, right brain is our
brilliance.
So you know, just picking up apaintbrush is using your left
(12:59):
brain, but then putting paintdown is right brain and you know
they say okay.
These scientists say out offive and six year olds, 98% are
creative geniuses 98% Wow.
You know how many in adulthoodTwo Eight percent know how many?
In adulthood Two.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Live blobs right.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
What happened.
We know part of it.
We've talked about theeducation system squashes it.
Words can squash it.
Not getting any meaning or anykind of opportunity squashes it,
and the good news is it's nottoo late.
You know, as I teach groupclasses, I have a lot of adults,
a lot of baby boomers like mein there saying you know what
(13:37):
I've raised?
My family had my career.
Now I want to do somethingthat's always been inside of me
to do and I share with themabout the healing that when you
do art there's somethingsupernatural that happens All
right.
So I had this kid that he hadADHD, he had dyslexia, was
failing.
We were in the homeschool world, so I was the homeschool co-op
(14:00):
art teacher right Right right.
And so I had all these youngpeople and I made their mom stay
usually mom stay and found somereally great mom artists too.
And this particular childthrived at drawing and sculpture
and painting.
He gained confidence that hewasn't worthless because he had
trouble reading.
He had trouble with hisacademics by this time he's in
(14:23):
middle school and he feels likea total stupid failure.
You know, being good at art.
So I took all their art andtook it to the fair and entered
them in the youth competitions.
They start winning ribbons.
He won best in show.
I just didn't age group becauseof his fatigue in my studio and
it changed his life.
He was able to buckle down, hismama was brilliant at finding
(14:44):
things to help him academicallywith his mental challenges and I
can't tell you how manyautistic children there are in
that culture and how manychildren are struggling with
these academics.
So he thrived at it.
Well, not the end of the story.
He graduated from high school,he's having a celebration with
his family in Florida and hecaught a viral infection that
(15:07):
went to his brain and he had astroke.
So here he is, 18 years old,paralyzed on the right side of
his body.
They didn't even think he wasgoing to live.
They were like eh, his skullhas a ceramic, plastic, ceramic
skull.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
My goodness wow.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
It's just miraculous.
They saved his life Four monthsin the hospital.
He comes home, he can't walk,he can't talk.
They're trying to keep hisright hand from curling up and
he was a righty.
So his mom brought him back tomy studio.
So in he comes and I thoughtwell, you know, your left hand
works.
I use my left hand all the time.
You know what?
Anyway, and he, in a very shortamount of time, the same
(15:46):
connections he had been buildingin his brain started working
for him and he could startdrawing with his left hand
painting.
Wow, yeah, he had a littletrouble with sculpture because
it's kind of a two-handed thingsure, sure again.
It changed his attitude.
He started he got a sense ofhumor back, got out of
depression because I didn't evenunderstand that about serotonin
(16:06):
, it starts releasing thishappiness chemical.
Guess what?
It can't be in happiness anddepression at the same time.
You can't be in depression atthe same time.
An anecdote to that whateverelse is going on in your life
and heart and mind and obviouslyI'm talking about visual arts,
but music writing.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Sure, all of it works right, All of it.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Filmmaking, which is what I get to do, you know so
there's just miraculous power.
So, when you take this artworld, that you're encouraging
artists all over the world withwhat you're doing, even opening
up, this about thriving.
It is, yes, about the workitself, as your beautiful shells
are covered with beautifulartworks.
(16:51):
It's also about the innerhealing and work of God to then
make us more sensitive, becauseif our right brain gets the
healing and those words are offthe throne of our heart, they're
no longer who take those fierydarts out, they're no longer
impact on us.
We can thrive in every arena ofour lives.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
You're preaching my language.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I love it we're all the same way.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I know it, I know hey , let me ask you this.
You know it's interesting.
I think over the years, um andthis was never really my
intention, but I've kind ofstarted to be known, you, as the
guy who helps people christianartists build their art business
and that sort of thing, andthat really really was never my
original calling.
As you know, you were therefrom the beginning and saw what
God had called me to do raisingup an army of artists and all
(17:39):
this and healing and wholenessand so I've done a lot and I'm
obviously passionate aboutpeople thriving financially and
building a business if that'swhat God has for me and that
sort of thing.
But one of the things that I'venoticed and I just love to get
your thought on this is thattoday and I think just the
spirit of mammon that's in theworld today, you know, and how
(17:59):
it so easily can get intopeople's heart there is such a
push to monetize everything.
And if you, maybe somebodythinks, well, I've had a gift
all these years and not only doI need to start just pressing
into that a little more for myown benefit, but I got to
immediately start selling it Now.
I got to do it to make it makeextra money and or I don't have
(18:20):
enough for a timer.
So I got to start an artbusiness and all this and I you
know where part of me is like,yes, I can help you do that and
all that, and we do that everyday in the mentoring program and
all that I've been telling somany people lately.
I'm like you know what Don'trush to monetize the gift that
God has given you, because ifyou do, I think you rob yourself
(18:40):
of the joy of just putzingaround in the studio and you
know, and playing andexperimenting.
Because I look at my ownjourney of, like I made baskets
for maybe 13, 15 years before Iever called myself an artist,
before I ever got serious aboutselling them.
(19:01):
But I think it was that 13years, 15 years of just in the
incubator, if you will, of justdoing it out of the pure love,
that my unique voice gotdeveloped, my skills are being
developed by you know all, the,all the stuff.
Yeah, and I don't know if yousee this with with folks that
you're working in, but I justthink this, this over
(19:22):
accelerated idea of I've got tomonetize everything right now,
and I just I think this is theultimate walk of faith for
artists, that is, listen.
If God's giving you a gift, befaithful with little.
If you do, god's going to makeyou ruler over much.
And if monetization andbuilding an income stream or
building a ministry or whatever,if that's supposed to come, god
(19:43):
will birth that through you.
But don't get the cart beforethe horse and try to make an
income and make an impactwithout having the intimacy with
the Lord in your creative spaceand I don't know.
I'd love to hear your thoughtson that tension because I think
it's just a big deal, you know.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
It is and it's like there's pressure on you.
Yes, so I like to do sculpture,I like to do ceramics and I
love to give it as gifts.
I mean my parents, my family,my siblings.
They don't want regularpackages, they want my lumpy
packages.
It means there's something thatI've made and and and that
gives me so much more joy.
You know, and I get commissionsand I and I make them and I
(20:28):
don't get the kind of joy andI'm.
I'm being totally honest, and Ihad someone say to me you're
never going to be a successfulbusiness woman Cause you like
people more than money.
Uh, thank you.
I don't know why to say that,but you know, and so it.
It.
It's definitely we get thatpressure.
You know that we have toperform.
It's, it's like that wholeperformance thing that if you're
(20:50):
not making a living, you know,and and the whole joke when we
in theater is the musicians getpaid but the actors don't,
because they know the up thereacting whether they get paid or
not.
we want to do it so much that'sright not that the musicians get
paid a lot my sons are allmusicians but you know the the.
The reality is there's a loveof creating that I believe is in
(21:12):
every soul, is in every person.
If we're made in the image ofour creator, then we're going to
get our greatest joy out ofcreating, and there's so many
ways.
I mean, you know, chatgpt hasgiven me a hundred different
ways you can utilize your rightbrain with your left brain, you
know, even taking a stroll, nota bit fast, you know count your
(21:32):
steps walk notice the sunsetnotice the clouds.
notice the sky.
In my classes right now we'restudying clouds, we're studying
water and you know we'restudying transparencies and how
do you layer and watercolors andstuff.
And we're looking at nature.
Well, guess what?
Get out of your house, lookaround, you know walk your dog
and we're looking at nature.
Well, guess what?
(21:52):
Get out of your house, lookaround, walk your dog, and it's
good for your body, but it'sgood for your soul, it's good
for your mind and you're goingto get ideas.
All right, here's one of thescientific studies.
I know you'll enjoy this one,matt.
They study people singing inthe shower.
So how many people sing in theshower?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Yeah, sure.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Now you have a good voice.
I've heard your voice.
You're a singer.
You can worship later.
You got a great voice.
Some of us don't.
Nobody wants to hear us sing,except Jesus right Joyful, noise
Joyful noise.
That's exactly right.
I have an anointing to sing inthe spirit.
But so in this, you know, inthat time they study people's
brains and found out, as you're,you know, scrub a-dub, rubbing
(22:29):
in the tub, having just yournormal cleaning you're singing,
you're gauging left brain, rightbrain, new connections that
have never existed before youget out, you're drying off, an
idea comes you weren't trying tosolve a problem or figure out
something, but it came to you,it's coming through that right
brain connecting to the leftbrain, new ideas, right brain
(22:53):
connecting to the left brain.
Yeah, new, new ideas.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
And we weren't trying to figure it out.
We weren't trying to make ithappen yeah, just singing, just
letting it flow, just letting itflow well, that's like those
studies they've done on, likepraying in the spirit and
creativity, like how it evencalms the vagus nerve that runs
all the way through your bodyand gives you that feeling of
flow and in peace, like I loveit.
God's hardwired this into us asa way to not only live the
(23:15):
abundant life and walk infulfillment and peace but also
be a blessing to others.
And, um, you know, karen, Ilove it because so much of what
you say in, in all that you do,is so practical.
Like you just break it downwhere people can understand it.
And if somebody is listeningtoday and they're like you know
what I've been like running andchasing after all this, all the
(23:37):
stuff, the trappings of being asuccessful artist, but I just I,
maybe I just need to slow downfor the next month or so and
just kind of reconnect with artas process as opposed to product
or profit.
What would you say?
Two or three things somebodycould do, even today, as they're
getting back in their studioand just say you know what?
I just want to play again.
I just want to kind of approachthis differently, from a no
(24:00):
expectation point of view.
What would you point them inthe direction to do?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
That's an easy one, okay.
Even the scientists say 98% ofus were creative geniuses.
What did you love when you werefive and six?
That's how I start with myartist self-therapy.
What did you love then?
Did you love dancing, spinning?
Did you love playing with mudpuddles, making mud pies?
Yes, some of us did those kindof tea parties in the mud.
How about directing plays inkindergarten?
(24:25):
Yes, some of us did those kindof tea parties in the mud.
How about directing plays inkindergarten?
Yes, we were directing plays inkindergarten.
How about one of my sons?
Everything was a drum.
I don't care what it was.
It was a drum, guess what.
He's a musician.
He's a drummer.
Look back in your own heart.
Did you love to draw?
Did you love to paint?
Did you like to take pictures?
We have you know.
We got this fantastic handheldcomputer.
(24:45):
Everywhere we go, we can takemarvelous photography, yeah sure
.
And behind me is one of herphotos that she gave me for
Christmas.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Love it yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
So we are engaging more and it brings healing.
And this is the thingRestoration.
You get over whatever negativewords and as I talk to people
all the time and I know you dotoo um well, I, I just can't.
I can't draw, I can't paint, Ican't.
Okay, let's try.
Let's try this safe space wherewe don't use that word.
I can't right.
So you know, when I told you Ihad students and I brought, I
(25:18):
made the mom stay.
One mom was just a great littlesculptor, she could do
everything details and I got.
I got a chance to be in a bigSpoleto show downtown Charleston
and I was going to do a roominstallation all made out of
porcelain called Taste and SeeSweet Shop.
Was that the cupcakes you did?
Yes, I remember that.
(25:39):
Yes, and and.
And.
So Jan Jan was in my world atthat time and she came to my
studio one day and said Karen, Ijust got diagnosed with stage
four breast cancer.
They've given me six months tolive.
We cried together and I saidyou know what, jan, in six
months I mean in nine monthsI've got an art show.
(26:00):
I need help, I need your help.
I need like a thousand piecesthat I'm going to have for this
whole room installation.
Would, you help me?
She's like Hannah I don't evenknow if I'm going to be here in
nine months.
I said, well, you'll leave alegacy for your family Come on
do it.
So between radiation, chemo,mastectomies, rebuild everything
.
She was in the studio with mesome days, at least three times
(26:23):
a week.
We laughed, we played.
How do you make dark truffles,dark chocolate truffles versus
white truffles?
We were just inventing thewhole way and we had a blast.
Yes, she was there in ninemonths.
She was there working with me atthis 17-day show and just full
(26:45):
of joy and looking healthierthan she had in a year.
She became cancer-free, wentinto remission cancer-free now
for eight years.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Wow, come on, come on .
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Now they did all the stuff everybody else does.
Who dies?
Okay, the medical stuff.
What was different?
She had something beautiful towork with her hands, her focus.
I'm convinced she's convincedher family's convinced we're
friends for life.
Okay, this is real.
This is where the rubber meetsthe road for a lot of your
listeners, a lot of people thathave these terrible diagnoses or
(27:22):
suffering depression or rightresponses to what happened to us
that never got dealt with.
Because time doesn't heal.
Jesus heals, right, that'sright.
Still there, operating, and Godwants it out.
And you know, even my childthat couldn't talk, that ended
up talking and walking.
I didn't give you, you know,that child that was paralyzed
that came and learned to drawand paint and win awards again
(27:44):
using his left hand, only Learnto walk.
You look at him now.
You wouldn't know he has aplastic skull.
He still struggles to use hisright hand.
It's not curled up in a ball,still more left-handed than
right-handed, but he has a lifeworth living and his family
knows art has had a huge part toplay, the arts, the creative
(28:06):
life that God gave all of us toparticipate in.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I love it, I love it and I love that you keep saying
yes and God keeps using you inso many different ways, and it's
like that, in that, the kingdomright, we get to live the
abundant life, and the abundantlife gets to flow through us as
we do the thing that God'scalled us to do.
And I just I just love it, karen.
I know people are going to wantto connect with you online for
all the stuff that you're doing,so tell us website, social, all
(28:33):
that kind of thing, and thenmaybe just a closing
encouragement for anybody that'slistening today that you want
to leave everybody with.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Karen Deloachartcom is my website.
Karen Deloachart at gmailcom ismy email.
I'm on Facebook too.
Karen Deloach Art.
It's like a little theme there,right?
I also have a private one, ifanybody wants to, for Christian
creatives.
I have a private Facebook pagethat.
(29:00):
I feed into.
I have a weekly we meet threetimes a week art group class
that has all ages in it andwe're just learning and growing
to encouraging each other.
And so you know my word toleave and this is probably
what's just such a great thingand I know you operate in it all
(29:21):
the time is create that safespace and let the grace of God
flow into you, through you, andsay yes, say yes to that
inspiration, say yes to that,that vision, and call that's
inside of you.
However, however, it works.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Yeah, I love it.
What a joy to be with you today.
So thank you for who you areand all that you do, and thanks
for being on the podcast with me.
It's been great.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Thank you, god bless you.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Hey, my friend, before you go, make sure that
you're signed up for theThriving Christian Artist Weekly
.
It's my free newsletter, fullof spiritual encouragement,
creative inspiration andpractical tips to help you
thrive in everything that God'scalled you to do as an artist in
his kingdom.
Every issue is absolutely freeand it includes the latest
podcast episode, featured artistspotlights, a worship song of
(30:09):
the week and, again, tons oftips and encouragement and
inspiration for you to keep youinspired and encouraged in
everything that God's got foryou as an artist in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected.
All right, love you, bye.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.