CreativeMYK Creative Spaces Social Network for Christian Designers

CreativeMYK, “a place for… free shared Christian graphics from artists around the world”, has launched what amounts to another social network (and a sort of potential job board) called Creative Space(s). 

Specific to the web, I don’t understand why everyone is trying to reinvent the wheel by creating their own proprietary social network; my online life gets more and more fragmented with every new account. We’re getting one foot deep and a thousand miles wide (so to speak) every time we try to recreate a digital representation of ourselves with a new profile on a new site. For that reason, I don’t think I’ll be signing up for an account.

Specific to the theological ramifications of it, I’m torn. On one hand, it feels like yet another way for Christians to remove themselves from any kind of global conversation about creative endeavors. One more ghetto for us to hide in. (What the heck are “Christian graphics” anyway? How do you define that? “These stock photos have, in fact, been redeemed by the blood of Jesus the Nazarene. Those over there, not so much. They’re like… goat photos.” I fail to see the logic in that.) The more we huddle away from what’s happening in the industries we try to artistically emulate, the less in touch with the pulse of the culture we’ll be. The more our work will start to look like everyone else. 

It is very probable that the very best ways of visually communicating the Gospel haven’t been discovered yet; they exist in non-Christians, in non-predominantly-white cultures, and in other countries (have you seen the art in China right now? It’s INCREDIBLE what’s happening artistically in the wake of communism unraveling.) Our art and design will suffer from a cultural disconnect and it will repeatedly fail to connect in the ways that it should as long as we perpetuate a cycle of looking to the same sources for inspiration and ideas. 

On the other hand, I’m currently looking for an Art Director to add to our team here at NewSpring Church, and it’s difficult to gauge whether a designer would be a good fit for our team based solely on their work. There are, obviously, other factors of faith and lifestyle that play into the decision. Perhaps these Creative Spaces can be a good initial filter. Perhaps.

Plus, Mike Cina‘s profile picture is hysterical.