Let There Be Art

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Morgan Harper Nichols

“As an art historian, I look at, analyze, and research art daily. But sometimes I need someone like Rachel Marie Kang to call me into art, to see both the beauty and the wonder of daily rhythms and the soul-shuddering ache of our own stories. Art is not the realm of the elites; it generates in all of us as image bearers. In Let There Be Art, Rachel weaves a gentle, coaxing invitation to be attentive and welcoming to our own creativity. Drawing together memoir, prayers, and poetry, she prompts us to ask, to seek, and to make. This is the kind of book that you want to read aloud slowly and repeatedly, letting her words both soothe and prick our most tender places.”

Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt

“We need art. And we need books like this one that remind us of the necessity of our creativity and the importance of sharing our gift with the world. Don’t miss this important book!”

Jeff Goins

“Rachel Marie Kang gives us a beautiful look at life, beauty, and creativity in Let There Be Art. It is a salve to the soul and a call to see the world through new eyes. It is a triumph!”

Alli Worthington

“Let There Be Art is an invitation to rediscover the joy in your life. With poeticism and fierce kindness, Rachel Marie Kang guides us to put pen to paper or paint to canvas to step toward our lives like masterpieces in the making. It is rare for a book to be both deeply beautiful and practical, but, like the best art, Kang’s words draw you close. Reader, dare to let there be art.”

K.J. Ramsey

“Let There Be Art is not just an anthem for art; it’s an anthem for living. I got lost in these pages in the very best way, and then—even better—found. Rachel’s poetic, lyrical voice draws you in like a song. You cannot help but dance. I closed this book and immediately opened my journal, wildly inspired to create something beautiful myself.”

Ashlee Gadd

“My favorite part of this beautiful work is the gift Rachel offers at the end of each chapter through prompts. Each one intended to help us think and feel, remember and imagine—all the while, inspiring us to listen to and follow our hearts’ desire to make a favorite recipe, write a letter or a poem, paint a landscape, develop an idea, or sway and dance to music that stirs our souls. And in doing so, respond to God’s invitation to create with him, to heed and hear his call to let there be art in our hearts, in our homes, in our communities and churches, and in the world in which we live.”

Renee Swope

“Rachel Marie Kang has a beautiful way of compiling so much of our humanity and experiences that can cause pain and heartbreak and molds it into something beautiful and impactful. Let There Be Art is a liturgy of healing and restoration for the artist soul and gives a breath of fresh air for beginning again—whatever that means for you.”

Arielle Estoria

“Rachel Marie Kang’s debut book breathes life back into the hesitant artist, reminding us all that though we are dust, we are to reflect a glimmer of hope in this dark world. Whether we are wielding words or painting palettes, singing songs, or crafting characters, we were made to make and point back to the Maker of makers.”

Meredith McDaniel

“Christine Marie Bailey, regenerative farmer and author of The Kindred Life “Rachel Marie Kang has written a must-read for all creatives. Her glorious approach to prose will carry you from the depths of personal suffering to the fulfillment of God’s purpose in your life. Like a warm blanket, Let There Be Art will envelop you in comfort and beauty, filling your soul and illuminating your path. Rachel has created a road map to enlightenment, showing how your art, and all art, can bring healing . . . moving us toward light and hope. Rachel provides inspiration to expand expand our creative dreams along with practical prompts and practices that will make those dreams a reality.”

Beth Bell

“Michelle Ami Reyes, vice president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative and author of Becoming All Things “Whether we possess a bit of something or are left with nothing at all, one thing is always true: we will create; we will make; we will build. Turning it over and over again in the cycle of creation like our Creator God in whose image we’ve been made, our art is the very act of calling forth those things that are not as though they were. As our spiritual guide, Rachel calls us back to this holy work of creation, to a place where our art is refined in the light of the one it seeks to illuminate so that we and all who take it in can see that it is good.”

Jevon Bolden

“The God of the Bible is at once everywhere and elusive, ever present and yet sometimes so very hard to find. For seekers whose words echo the psalmist’s cry, ‘My soul pants for Thee, O God!’ Rachel Marie Kang’s Let There Be Art is a cup of cool water in a dry and thirsty land. Let There Be Art is an astonishing book. Kang’s writing has a lyrical quality that pulls the reader along from one chapter to the next, reaching crescendos in prayers and poems that challenge the mind and stir the heart. Her examples from art and culture encourage a reframing of the mind that helps us consider all of life as a reflection of the divine spark we carry within us. Her personal stories draw us in so we feel that her family becomes our family, her experiences become our own experiences. Let There Be Art helps readers longing for God uncover a thousand different avenues for finding God’s creative beauty and divine presence in the people around us and their own reflection of the image of God. In Let There Be Art, Rachel Marie Kang has taken on the role of the Good Samaritan, stooping to bind wounded souls and offer hope for better times to come.”

Jeffery M. Leonard

“Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt, PhD, associate professor of art and art history at Covenant College “Rachel’s book reminded me that while our identities as ‘creatives’ can sometimes be sidelined as nonessential, every single one of us was created by the Creator! Creating things is at the core of who we are because it’s at the core of who God is. To be alive is to create! Savor each of these pages slowly and feel yourself come alive with her encouragement!”

Aarti Sequeira