More from the Diary of a Courageous Creator
So this thing happened.
I went to check on something this week for the Creative Christianity Summit I'm presenting a workshop in, and came across the newly-released schedule, which sent my jaw to dropping.
My workshop was scheduled by the Summit organizers for release on Day 4 (June 18). And there’s my name right below my friend and art mentor, Matt Tommey. ⬇︎⬇︎⬇︎
I nearly fell off my yoga ball, lol!
And frankly, it brought tears to my eyes, remembering. Yup, the Lord sent me a-remembering, shot me right back to where I’ve come from. Remembering what a hot mess I was inside, still recovering from trauma, when I came across Matt and his Created to Thrive artist mentoring program back in 2017.
Remembering how scared I felt when I joined the CTT program - 4 years ago this very weekend, now that I think about it.
Remembering my first Gathering of Artisans, hosted by Matt and his wife Tanya in Asheville later that fall, where I received one of the most powerful prophetic words ever from artist Aeron Brown and connected with artists from the U.S. and around the globe, many who’ve since become besties in my life.
Remembering the first Mastermind Intensive weekend in 2018 where Matt publicly challenged me - and I left thinking he didn’t like me (which we laugh about now 😆).
Remembering the gut-wrenching work through his Experience Course where I received significant healing and vision for my life. Remembering that my first-ever, nerve-wracking, Facebook Live interview took place a year later with Matt to help promote the Course (and I now do them every week in my business through my Creative Café with Debra Hart Studio community without batting a well-macara-ed eyelash...well almost).
Remembering that in 2020, just a week before we locked down, Matt taught at a conference where he invited us stand up and declare our dreams aloud to the 200 others in the room. Holy Spirit told me that if I didn’t, I would regret it for the rest of my life – so I did. And being a part of this Summit is a large fulfillment of that dream, to see my art go international.
And not least of all, remembering that he and Tanya have since taken a chance on me to work with their team and serve other artists and makers in their journeys to get free, get equipped, and get thriving.
So, I really can’t share this Summit news and schedule with ya’ll - my friends and family - and just gloss over it, as if it’s ‘just a thing’ I’m doing. Perhaps to most it is, but to me, it represents so much more. It’s a visual remembrance of the faithfulness of my Daddy God. Of where I was, where He has me now, where He's taking me.
And it's a visual marker of the faithfulness of one of His amazing servants doing – and modeling it so well to so many – what he’s called to do. I would be remiss to do otherwise, so please allow me this opportunity to honor you, Matt, and say “thank you” to you and Tanya both. You do it with such passion, authenticity, laughter, whole-heartedness, generosity, and good ol' Southern grit. My life has been transformed in ways I could never have imagined in just four short years, and my heart is forever grateful!
'til next time, my courageous ones! xo,
debra
PS: And like every well-trained mentee / businessperson … here’s a link to the course from the Summit (now available separately) so you can check it out: