Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast . I'm your host , Kristen Kurtz , and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching . I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck , unlock their true purpose and potential , break free from limitations and thrive with confidence , courage and hope . If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me , head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further . Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode . So tune in and let's unlock hope together . Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast . I'm Kristen Kurtz , your host . I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul . Please help me .
Speaker 1Welcome Aaron Brown to the show . I am so excited to have him here today . We've spent some time ahead of time just chatting and learning more about him and the pioneering that he's doing and the journey that he's been on . I've been following him , just even on social media , for probably three , four years and have some of his artwork and so blessed to be on the receiving end of the prophetic art that he puts out there . So , Aaron , would you maybe more eloquently share more about yourself than I can ?
Speaker 2Yeah , my name is Aaron Brown . I'm so excited to be here with you all . I've been an artist since 2007 professionally , and I've been painting paintings for some time . See , my father was an artist when I was a little boy . He passed away at my age of three so he had a heart attack and he was a visual artist and a musician and , like any little boy wants to do , they want to become like their father . I went searching for my father's sketches and drawings and you see , his sketches and drawings were hidden in my , my mother's closet . She was grieving , she was going through great depression over my , my , my father's , uh , being passed away and um , so I would break into her closet . I break into what I call grieving closet and I go find my father's drawings and sketches and poems and I would hide them in my closet and in my high school years I would find that I would just spend time with my father in my closet when nobody was looking , and in that place I started collaging some of his work into my drawings .
Speaker 2I started writing songs in my high school years , wanting to with my father , and I went through a depression myself in my 20s my teens as well because you can only sit in a closet with a dead guy for so long or you get depressed , uh , in your own heart and , uh , I burned out . I had lots of counselors at that time telling me don't be an artist when you grow up , because they don't make a lot of money you know , how school counselors are when you're trying to look for jobs for your future .
Speaker 2And I just got so discouraged so I completely left doing art altogether . I had a good experience as an artist . I got awards in high school . I made stickers and logos and book covers for organizations .
Speaker 2Even in high school . It was pretty good and uh , but I just thought I just couldn't make it . So I tried to go to college . Flunked out of college it was like I just could not hold an attention span , had a learning disability , struggled with ADHD . What I now know I've been later on in my life was diagnosed with ADHD . They never knew it my whole life .
Speaker 2And , uh , I got married at a young age and um , trying to just find love , cause I'd been uh alone a lot of my my young life no father , a very depressed mother , my whole upbringing . So I got married young and uh had some kids , really young , and now they're all grown up and 15 years through that marriage went through a divorce later on , um , and it went through a lot of hardship in that marriage . But now .
Speaker 2I'm remarried to a beautiful , wonderful woman . Before , I would say , I wasn't equally yoked to my ex and she was not pursuing the Lord with me . But now , today , with my wife , tracy and I were both running in the industry and creative arts , and back to the closets , though , with my father I was burnt out of drawing . I was hopeless about drawing , making art .
Speaker 2But then I had an encounter in my twenties with God as a father . I walked into an old chapel and a missionary from Africa she stood in front of the pulpit area and she lifted her hand gently to the air and she waved her hand through the room . She said the father is here . The father is here . And as she did that , like waves of just love flowed from her simple , just action of waving her hand , saying the father is here .
Speaker 3And .
Speaker 2I felt like my whole life I had a father for just a moment and I was aware it's like she pulled back a veil and I was aware that I had a father all that time , that god was father . The father was there and I laid on the floor and just nasty cried , weeped like , was not coming out of my face and god , just like , healed me that day . I was probably on the floor for hours and I believe god is going into the grieving closets of this generation . I think we're all grieving something . I think the Bible says that all creation is groaning and waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God to arrive and I believe that we're all grieving . We all have a grieving closet . We're at something inside of our souls that we're aching to be free from , to be set free from or aching to know deep down inside that there's a veil and there's more beyond that veil , and I believe God's going to open the grieving closets of this generation and unlock the sons of God . And now I spend time . I have a real closet in my room . I spend time with my father there daily and I feel him aching every day that if I miss it like I feel him , aching from my closet , waiting just to be with me . And I'm here to say today that maybe your father experience , or your parental , your motherly experience , has been really rough . But , um , if we could peel back the veil for just a moment and just see that your father is not what this world has said . He's been misrepresented . He's been misrepresented by those who do not know him , and he is a good father . He's a gracious , full and compassionate , slow to anger , quick to love father , and he is with us right now , at this very moment , if you're listening , I'm just here to tell you that there's so much hope for your future . Have you ever felt like you just wish you had a good father , a good mother in your life , that so much more could be possible ?
Speaker 2I'm an artist , a visual artist and painter , and a songwriter as well , and all I do is I just love to create art that expresses those truths to the world , and we're seeing God do incredible things . We're seeing people's physical bodies be healed through art . We're seeing emotional healing , emotional health , happening in people's lives . I've seen prostitutes get emotional healing from my artwork . I've seen people in the homosexual community get incredible healing through creative art . I've seen grown men , listening to our worship , sets under the power of the Holy Spirit and returning to a loving father .
Speaker 2Men are under this lie so much in this generation that we have to be tough and emotionalist , have no emotions .
Speaker 2But the reality and the truth is is that God is an emotional God that created emotional people and that it's actually a gift to us and we can access that place , get healed from the traumas of our past . There's so much hope and many of us in the body of Christ . We have this cage that we've been sitting in and the cage door is open . The spirit winds are blowing , but we're still just sitting in these cages and when the door is wide open , the spirit winds are blowing and we have wings on our back and I'm just here to tell you that today is the day to arise and shine for the glory of the Lord that's risen upon you . He can come and he can resurrect your creativity again through awe and wonder and amazement , through a relationship with a loving Father , and you can be free from the spirit of this age and start to get out of the cages of this generation and start coming out of the grief , closet into the life of a fellowship , a good , good God .
Speaker 2So that's what I do , that's why I'm here . Thanks for asking .
Speaker 1I love everything that you just released . As you guys can hear , he's power , packed with wisdom , and it hasn't come through . You know a life of rainbows and butterflies , right ? No ?
Speaker 2but I do love rainbows . We can find those rainbows , on those cloudy days . We can find those butterflies hidden in the mystery of our everyday mundane life .
Speaker 1I wanted to go back a little bit to when you were in school and you were really being dissuaded from really following your passion . I would say you're a big part of your calling right .
Speaker 2Oh , 100% . Yeah , you know , the enemy always tries to abort the seed of creativity that he places in people , because the enemy is terrified at the way we are created in the image of God . We are created by a creator to create . And if the enemy can abort this seed of our destiny at a young age , well , so a lot of people have experienced a lot of trauma at a young age because the enemy hates us . He's dead set against us because , like I said , we are created in the image of God . He hates God . It's nothing even personal towards us . He's just so in full hatred of God because God cast him down , because he tried to usurp God . And I think it's time to realize that we're in real warfare and open our eyes to see that God has already won the war for us and we can come right in , get out of these cages and the fine sets .
Speaker 1Yeah , one of the things that I kept hearing my spirit back in I think it was 2020
or so is that he's resurrecting creativity in us and that many of us who have you know maybe walked through .
Speaker 1You know , myself included walked through a lot of trauma . As a child , the creative , the wonder in me got a little hijacked because of a lot of traumatic experiences , a lot of instability , moving a lot . You know I was , I was into art , I was into doing a lot of dancing and I would sing , and you know it got lost in translation , right . So could you speak to some of the people that you know ? Maybe that creativity is still locked up . What is , what is something that they can do to tangibly step out of that cage and start creating again ?
Speaker 2that's a beautiful question . I love that question . There's a few things that come to mind right now . First thing is just to realize that you know what was the first thing in the Bible that God , what was the first aspect of his character , his nature , his identity , he wanted to reveal to us ? It was in Genesis 1 , that he's a creator and he , god , is still creating . He hasn't changed that part of you know , and we are created by a creator to create .
Speaker 2Once we realize that we have permission to create and the enemy's been trying to destroy and prevent us from creating in this life , because what's the whole thing ? What did he tell us to do ? Be fruitful and multiply . What are you saying in that is to create things and multiplication of that to of things . To be fruitful , to bear fruit , bear good fruit , create beautiful , wonderful things that are fruitful , that help people , that help this world , that make this better place , to spread Eden throughout the whole earth , when we can realize that God was setting up this whole world to be like heaven on earth and we have an active role in that .
Speaker 2It really changes the way you wake up . More you know like . And then , first of all , like we have , uh , second of all I should say is we , we don't realize that there's so much inspiration to create , because we've just kind of settled into the doldrums of , like this weird , weird world with the caged mindsets of the generation that we live in , of nine to five jobs and and , uh , it goes back even to like how , how society's been created in america you know when , uh , we started building factories and we all sat cubicles and they trained us to do these things .
Speaker 2We've lost our , our souls in a lot of ways . We've . We've boxed ourselves into buildings and we forgot that we were . We were created for a garden , you know , and so I teach people how to get lost in wonder and amazement again . So we have a free ebook and you guys can pick it up from me on my Instagram . You just message me on Instagram and we basically help people step-by-step go through like practices of recapturing wonder in your life again .
Speaker 2This world is wonderful and in the fold of God , in the keeping of the shepherd . He is not driving us like a wolf , like the industry does in this world . He's leading us like a gentle shepherd and we need to find him . It says that he leads us besides still water . He leads us in green pastures . He restores our soul . He's not like the world . The world cares less about restoring our soul , but we were created in a way to go be in a perpetual place . That's why we have Sabbath . That's why we have time for us to go and restore ourselves by the creator of all things and in his creation .
Speaker 2So I teach people to go sit under a tree , go stare at mountain ranges , go look at the sun , go find birds to look at . And when you go sit under a tree , go look at the sun , go find birds to look at . And when you go sit under a tree , go look up in the leaves , look at the light looking through the leaves there , look at that light . It's beautiful . Just say wow , just for a second . Just look up and go wow . Maybe some of you can do that right now on this podcast , while you're listening , you can go look out a window to look at a tree for a second . Just this , simply , just with a breath . Prayer , just go God , just wow , and then make it . Say it a few more times , wow , wow . And then maybe you need to release a deep wow , cause you , your wow , has become kind of rusty guy , like a rusty wower , you know you just need to break off , put some oil in the rust of that wower and just start releasing a wow . Go wow , give it a big wow , and I teach people to do this and it sets people free .
Speaker 2I double-dog dare somebody , after this podcast , to go spend some time under trees and next to streams and in meadows . I know it sounds hippie-ish , but we were created to enjoy and delight in God through His creation and we're missing a huge part of it in our regular day practice . Go run your feet through some grass , you know . Just find some place where you can be with God in nature and you will begin to become filled with awe and wonder again and from that place you'll be inspired , you'll be inspired , you'll be inspired , you can start creating .
Speaker 2I mean , I have friends with this guy named Ray Hughes awesome guy , he's really encouraged me over the years . I encourage you to go check out Ray Hughes . He's a musician and a historian and a poet , a songwriter as well . And the cool thing about being an artist once you start finding that you enjoy one aspect of art , it opens up another aspect , another aspect , another aspect and you start realizing oh , I'm multifaceted and there's things that people have been locked up in for years and didn't realize that they even were or had inside of their capacity to be creatively . But he says it starts with like staring at a turtle belly . You know , like look , have you ever seen a turtle belly or a turtle shell ? There's no two turtle shells alike . They're all so intricate , they're like a maze of lines and they're so beautiful .
Speaker 2And even to get even more morbid , you can look at a fly on a window sill and if you ever look really closely and see the fluorescent colors in the wings of a butterfly , through the light or not a butterfly , but even a fly , a common housefly , even the common things of creation are filled and packed full of measureless wonderful encounters and we just have considered things mundane and lifeless and in more of it in our own mind , we consider God a harsh taskmaster in a lot of ways because of the way people have presented God , who's not a harsh taskmaster , he's a loving father and he just been misrepresented to this generation and it's time to . You can find the same wow and wonder in God's word . It's time to start cultivating that again before our eyes and our ears and get lost in wonderment .
Speaker 1Well , if you guys heard that we encourage you today to go out and sit under a tree I actually encouraged people years ago to do the same thing I would post literally a tree with a bench under it and say you need to learn to sit again , you need to learn to walk again , because so many people are running through life yeah , myself of you know how many generations of workhorses , right ? Yeah , the last things my dad said was don't work so hard , you'll end up like me . He passed away from himself to death and it it hit me back in 2017 . Um , and I'll just share really quickly I , the first . 2017 was the first time I heard his still small voice be still , but I'm god and you are not whoa . And that's when I went through this series , this , the season of unwinding from grinding , learning again . It was so uncomfortable . Have you had to go through any of that , like learning how to be still ? And because , for for me , it felt violent . It felt like my whole cocooning process of like going in a cocoon and being liquefied .
Speaker 2Totally you turn into like worm soup . That's what they go through before they can turn into a butterfly .
Speaker 1Yeah , how did , how has has that been your life at all .
Speaker 2Absolutely , a hundred percent . I have this song that I wrote that just is those exact words you just mentioned you are God and I am not . And then the refrain is just hallelujah , because it's like you are God and I am not you are God and I am not . Hallelujah , hallelujah .
Speaker 2And sometimes we just need to praise God for the fact that we are not God and that he is , and we could just be still and know that he is God . I don't know about you , but I can be a bit of a control freak sometimes and try to control so many things . My wife and I talk about this a lot , but freak sometimes and try to control so many things . My wife and I talk about this a lot . But there's so much freedom in not being God . There's so much freedom in being still and being in awe and wonder . Oh my God , there's so much . There's untold beauties that await us . There's worlds within worlds of beauty and wonder in this world . But we're trained by society , by the news , news , by our jobs , to be looking at the negative things , to be critiquing everything , to be tearing everything apart . And it's the spirit of this age , it's the spirit in the air , it's principalities , you know , that are in control of human parts , that are shifting human parts all throughout society , and we get to be a holy rebellion in the earth .
Speaker 1I love what john marcus you gotta go back a second , say those two words again we get to be a holy rebellion in the earth amen yeah , there's a guy that coined that language .
Speaker 2his name is john mark homer . If you ever get a chance , go check out John Mark Homer . He has a book called Ruthless Elimination of Hurry . My wife turned me on to it . It's so powerful .
Speaker 2We use the language she has tattooed on her foot next to a floral pattern that says Holy Rebellion on her foot , because we want to step into this life and move at the rhythms of the spirit of god , no longer at the rhythms of this age we get to . In doing so , we are a holy rebellion to the spirit of the age . It says make more bricks . Uh , like pharaoh is leaning over us and whipping us and telling us , like slaves , we need to make more bricks , we need to do more , do this , do that , put out more , and driving us like a wolf . But the lord is leading us like a shepherd , and he's he's actually not so . He's not like a , a printing press to print out stuff . He's more like a masterful artist that we get to sit under and apprentice under , who is teaching us how to create with him and work with him .
Speaker 2And in doing so , we need to have a holy rebellion , rise up on the inside of us and say you know , I'm going to take my Sabbaths , I'm going to go on one day of the week I'm going to rest with God , as an act of defiance to the spirit of this age , and I'm going to be of a different order . I'm going to apprentice under Jesus , who said my burden is easy and my yoke is light , and I'm going to go , get captivated in awe and wonder and I'm going to create out of that place of awe and wonder and amazement and give something of the creator's creation to this world . I'm no longer going to put out those bricks of slavery , but I'm going to start making masterful artwork with my master artist . And yeah , that's what we do , that's what we want to be a part of .
Speaker 1See , I say wow a lot . Wow I say wow a lot , wow , wow a lot I love that I just want to stop for a second .
Speaker 1So for a lot of people who know me , for for friends who are listening , you can see why I have aaron on today , because there's so many things here that you're saying , um , that so resonate with me . I you know . I also , like , might resonate with somebody who's listening who'd say , you know , I'm just not creative , I can't sing . So this was where I had the lie that was over me .
Speaker 1Yes , I'm not a painter , I you know you know , I can , I can't , so the I is taking over there . Right yeah , can you speak to those , those people who are listening today that say I'm not creative , I can't do what you do ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I would just say that that's not actually the voice in your head , that's not your voice , that's actually a voice from darkness . It's not a voice of light and once you can identify that .
Speaker 2Um , I know that sounds very polarizing to say that just straight out , like , or like really intense to say that's just straight up . But the reality is that you were created by a creator to create and , uh , we , once you realize that it's , it's a game changer , um , I , I would say um . In Song of Solomon it's one of my favorite books in the Bible he , uh , it's a , it's a picture , it's like it's a , it's a love poem book , a book of letters , like from a bride to a bridegroom and a bridegroom to a bride , from a bride to a bridegroom and a bridegroom to a bride , and in that it's a picture of the bridegroom being Jesus and the Shulamite bride being the bride of Christ . So we're all part of the bride of Christ . Jesus is a bridegroom and he's wild about his bride in these chapters and it shows his wild emotion towards human beings .
Speaker 2And one of my favorite lines in Song of Solomon is when Jesus says or the bridegroom says come , let me see your face , let me hear your voice , for your face is lovely , your voice is sweet . And he says come , come into the cleft of the rock , Let me see your face , let me hear your voice . He's like beloved your . This is just so beautiful to me . You know , your voice is so beautiful to me . Every time you come around the corner I'm taken by love .
Speaker 2Another verse in song , song it says my sister , my bride , you have ravished my heart with one look of your
eye , with one jewel of your necklace . You've ravished my heart with one look of your eye , with one jewel of your necklace . You've ravished my heart . You've overtaken my pleasure and joy . The Lord looks at us and he sees our face and he says beautiful . He hears our voice lifted to him in worship , even if it's just a joyful noise and it may just feel like that , a noise you know nothing , nothing beautiful , but to him it's , it's , it's ravishing , it overtakes his emotions with pleasure and joy . He's so undone by your simple little squeak to him in worship , by your weak little yes in song it , and I double-dog there . You were created to sing and it takes time to realize that beauty . But even if it's not beautiful to anybody else , it's beautiful to your maker and I encourage you to sing , go , sing , go , walk , take a walk and sing scripture .
Speaker 2I do it all the time . I love to open the Bible and sing the word of God spontaneously . I would not be around , I would not be on this podcast , I would not have an art career or art business If I didn't pick . I wouldn't be a minister of God If I didn't pick up my Bible and sing the word of God every day . It has changed my life . It has changed the way I see God and talk to God and experience Him and it's been powerful in changing my emotions through difficult seasons . Just because we go through difficult seasons doesn't mean we don't live in those seasons .
Speaker 2And the good news . You may feel like there's a cage around you , but the reality is the cage door is open . And what happened when God's people started in the prison ? Paul and Silas started singing in the prison , the jail cell broke open and the ground shook , you know , and it's time to start shaking the ground that has been saying to us and lying to us , that we're not enough , that we're not good enough , that we have to live in the patterns of this world , that we have to live in the confinements of this prison and when you start singing again out of it , start singing for your freedom . Sing for your freedom today , right now . So , yeah , that's what we teach in our classes and our communities , and we hold a Friday night worship night where we sing for two hours every Friday night .
Speaker 3And .
Speaker 2I think it's really important .
Speaker 2We have people that are awful at singing that come , but Jesus doesn't see that . He always hears his beautiful voice and he would say it's a noise yeah , it's a beautiful , glorious noise to have , and the Lord actually commands us in Scripture make a joyful noise for the lord and uh , so let let that encourage you . Like , just go go , start making a noise . If somebody doesn't like it , it's okay , it's not for them , it's for your father in heaven , he's really into it . It's for your bridegroom , jesus , he's really into it . And if you're not a visual artist like you don't know how to draw I can just tell you this when I was a little boy , I used to get shamed for drawing on the backs of comedian envelopes during church . You know like , oh , don't do that . But the reality is I was drawing prayers to God and I think God is reestablishing visual prayers to people . I love Pete Gregg . He's out of the UK , I believe in peace with 24-7 prayer and I'm giving you a lot of references because I'm hoping you guys will seek some of these people out and learn and start cultivating creativity in your life . But Pete Gregg talks he just talked recently about doing visual prayers , getting out of your mundane prayers and start drawing your prayers , start scribbling your prayers . And Pete Gregg's a horrible artist . He says he's friends with some really good artists . Like I would encourage you if you don't follow Charlie McKessie he's a wonderful artist . He will really inspire you , even if you're not an artist and he just draws little animals . But God speaks so powerfully through those little animals . I encourage you just to get around other people . Get around Pete Gregg . He talks about making visual prayers to God . I do this in my Bible . I was just flying back on my flight in New Jersey where we did an art conference just this week and I was just drawing my visual prayers in my Bible .
Speaker 2A lot of you are like oh , we can't draw in our Bible . We don't want to mess up our Bibles , but it's time you need to start messing up your Bibles a little bit . What I mean is don't alter the Word of God , but start drawing and make marks in your Bibles and start scribbling little things that mean things that there's something that happens , even scientifically , that when you draw um out your your to-do list um it , it will resonate with you and help you memorize your to-do list um better than if you just write it out . They're just drawing scripture , drawing , doodling your prayers . It's just as valid of a prayer as speaking out your prayer .
Speaker 2And I just want to give people permission today Start scribbling , doodling , making messes , do abstract lines that express emotion . Sometimes you can't draw a form that will express emotion in worship like you can , or just scribbling out something wildly , like a child . You have permission to become like little children today . Break out of the grieving closet of your life , out of the traumas of your pain , and see that there's a loving Father on the other end who wants to take you and you can become like a little child again , lost in wonder and amazement , lost in creativity , lost in hope , but found in wonder and amazement , found in hope , found in the Father's grace again .
Speaker 2I'm telling you it's liberating and I double-dodged there some people to go make some art today , some messy art , and I double-dog dare some people to go make some art today , some messy art .
Speaker 1So if you make some of this art , can they tag you on social media ?
Speaker 3Yes .
Speaker 2I want to see all your scribbles , your drawings . I want you to tag it to me . Tag it to A-E-R-O-N Brown Art on Instagram or on Facebook . And you know , the father would love to put that on his refrigerator . He would grin ear to ear and chase away fears that you might have in your heart . And he's so proud of you . He's proud of you when you're sleeping , he's proud of you when you're awake . Whatever you do , don't stop trying .
Speaker 2Learning makes lots of mistakes . I tell my friends , do you want to open up errors ? I mean , do you want to open up errors ? I mean , do you want to open up portals to discovery ? I say that Raise your hand in my class , do you want to open up portals to discovery in your creative life ? And they're like , yeah , they all raise their hands and I'm like good , go make errors then , because errors are the portals of discovery . Go make a mess , go experiment , go play again like a little child , go scribble on the walls , you know , and you will learn some things . And , uh , I think it's time to do that . Tag it , tag me on instagram . I would love to validate , encourage you like a father and like the father you've never had , tell you who you are , that you're chosen , accepted , beloved and cherished , that you can have wonder and amazement again in your life . I would love to be a part of the journey .
Speaker 1I love that . You know it's giving me a visual of finger painting when I was a kid and I can even smell it . I can smell the finger paint right now , come on .
Speaker 3Yeah , I need to go to the .
Speaker 1Hobby Lobby and get myself some finger paint . It's fine , I need to go to the Hobby Lobby and get myself some finger paint .
Speaker 2It's fine . There are people that you spend thousands and thousands of dollars to go sit with art therapists . Right now , I'm telling you you can go down to Michael's for just drive yourself down there and spend like five bucks and do some art therapy for your heart .
Speaker 1You know , right now , right here , just start scribbling and start writing some scriptures down that that inspire , that are inspired by your scribbles , and you'd be amazed by the connection , the wonderment , the joy that you can restore back to your life with god and creativity so I'm having this and it could be just a thought or maybe an idea um , but have you created , uh , an album or music that like partners with somebody while they're getting creative and yes , I have .
Speaker 2Um , I have an album called the father's heart and I created it in a closet of a friend's house and it's acoustic . It's really soft , beautiful . There's such some cello on there and it's me son , seen to God as a father , as a much-loved child , and there's about 10 tracks of just relating to God as a father and receiving his love and they break off . This core lies in agreements we've made with our heart that say that god is not a good father and the misrepresentation that we've even agreed with in our own heart who he is . It really restores like this loving , playful , joyful innocence back to our lives , to be like much loved children that create an experiment . So you can find that on spotify , you can find that on youtube and it's it's aaron brown , a-e-r-o-n
brown , and it's called . It's called father's house . Yeah , and you'll find it .
Speaker 2It's a tan little um it's tan cover and a picture of a guy in black on there carrying a bag of stars . It's a father carrying a bag of stars to a little house where he's going to give his children the heavens to give them stars . So you'll see that on Spotify . You can engage with that . I also have a live recording of some new songs I'm going to be doing at a worship event in Marietta , california , november 8th . We're actually doing a fundraiser . If you want to get to see people touched by the Father's heart some more , get lost in creativity and worship and music and really experience the Father in grace we would love to have you partner on our GoFundMe page to make that recording a possibility .
Speaker 2We're also doing that . You can find that on my stories on Instagram right now and if you want to partner with seeing more people touch with the Father's heart . But other than that , you can go on my website , aaronbrownart , and you can see all my paintings . I have lots of paintings of identity , like declaring visually who we are in Christ .
Speaker 2So you'll see women holding Bible , like one woman's holding a Bible . She's actually a pioneer and she's pioneering into a new land . It's a picture of those pioneers holding a Bible to her chest and the sun is rising up inside of her chest . A Bible to her chest and the sun is rising up inside of her chest , and these beautiful flower fields are just coming out of her chest and out of her dress , along with a garden and a river of life that's just flowing from her heart . And that's who we are . We're pioneering . We're artists that are pioneering and creating wonderful things that are helping people encounter God in the Father's heart , and so you can go on there and find some of my paintings like that and others I have .
Speaker 2I'm also I'm so blessed that I have 12 paintings right now permanently installed in Southern California at the largest church in California called Saddleback Church , lake Forest , where Rick Warren started his church there and all around the property , you can go on a prayer walk around their property .
Speaker 2It spans a few miles long and you can go station to station to have gone a prayer walk with Jesus and it covers the walk . The walk is covers the life of Jesus and the hope of Jesus and you can go spend time in prayer . You can find that on my website , too , under walk with Jesus , and you can also find that on Saddleback's website walk with Jesus , saddleback . But yeah , we also have a nonprofit where we go to churches . We go to cities , underprivileged cities , different places that need murals . We go to churches and do murals . We go to churches and we build prayer rooms , creative art installations in churches where we help people connect with God through the arts , through prayer . We build a beautiful room out and guide people step-by-step on how to pray and how to connect with God creatively and make visual prayers and to really engage and encounter God in a powerful way .
Speaker 2Because there's so much available to us but we just keep doing the same old things . The only reason that we think God is boring is because we've become boring . We've been trapped in the cages of our boring cultures and when God wants us to get a jailbreak of liberation and wonderment ? So yeah , I know that was . You asked one question . I went on Like I said I have 80 .
Speaker 1No , you use you . That was perfect . I think , um , everything you shared needed to be heard , and I love everything that you're pioneering in this time , and we'll be sure to have links in the show notes . If you didn't catch , you know everything that , um he was releasing , because I really want to help point people to what you're doing . So you're , you're , you're in the creative space and you're helping to unlock many , and I can even see like your shirt says Cajal's birds , which is actually one of my favorite artists as well . So you are out there unlocking many , and I'm sure it's . It's a quick unlocking .
Speaker 1The Lord's called me a locksmith , so I want to speak that over as well that's good so you are out there mentoring and I mean , I think you said you're also doing some coaching as well yeah , I mentor artists online and coach artists .
Speaker 2I help them up . We're also releasing our next few weeks an e-course on how to make memorable art that's also sellable and because I believe artists not only need to get lost in wonder and basement . They also need to provide for their families and their lives . And you can do that . You don't have to be stuck in nine to five jobs . You don't have to be stuck in the mundane of this world . You can get liberated , liberate your family as well . So we love to champion artists .
Speaker 1I love that and you know the . The lie is that you're a starving artist , right . That kind of like that lie . That was kind of implanted in you in school from the school counselor . What is the flip ? The script that you would speak over the possibilities in that .
Speaker 2Well , I've been mentored under some people as well , and the theme that I keep coming back to is that we get to be thriving artists .
Speaker 2We get to we get to know . We've never lived in a better time in human history then right now , to be an artist . We never had social media . We have . Artists are making thousands upon thousands of dollars every day . That's never been happening in human history where you were born for such a time as this . You were born in this , this day , this , this year . You know you were alive 2024 and you have social media and marketing and you have . You have programs out there , you have mentors like myself and others that are out there to help you become powerful artists and you can do it .
Speaker 2It was a fly from the pit of hell . I am doing it , I've been doing it for so long and you can do it too , and I just want to encourage you . You don't have to settle for just being dead on the inside . You know , like Ivan , you don't have to settle for the assignments and the accusations of the enemy over your life that you couldn't create that . You don't have to settle for the assignments and the accusations of the enemy over your life that you couldn't create , that you can't be an artist , and you don't have to agree with the lie that you're too old or it's too late .
Speaker 2There's artists that are . You know , just I'm 41 , but there's even artists that are in their 50s , 60s and 70s that are just starting to create and their hearts are coming alive . It's just not , it's not okay to just live a lifeless life . You know , we were made for life and life more abundant , and , uh , I would just encourage you guys to go on the journey again , take the adventure , be a pioneer , something uh I I started , and as a young , uh , I started around 26 , but uh , and in that place I I was at , I had a job as a janitorial physician .
Speaker 2And I had a janitorial business basically , and I worked that job . I also delivered medical
supplies and I ministered at the local church .
Speaker 2And I was working these three different jobs and I was still and I had three kids , three toddlers , running around and God still gave me the ability , with ADHD , to make an art career in our business . And you can do it too , and I have a lot of tips and tricks I would love to share with you guys . Do it too , and I have a lot of tips and tricks I would love to share with you guys . Just follow me on my page at Aaron Brown art , on Instagram or on Facebook , or even just message me on aaronbrownart on my website , and I would love to just partner with you to help you guys out .
Speaker 1Yes , I cannot wait for those who hear this to reach out to you . You are a living , walking testimonial to his goodness . I would love for you to share . Before we wrap up , maybe a testimonial of somebody that you've worked with , somebody you've mentored just seeing the creativity unlocked in them if you'd be open to sharing that , because people just really love to hear real stories .
Speaker 2Yeah , totally you open to sharing that , because people just really love to hear real stories . You know , yeah , totally some of the um , the artists that we've been able to work with recently was there's a lady who , uh , she's raising , she's an at-home mom , she's raising her , her kids , and she's trying to create and , um , she's a , she's very good with words , she's a writer . She wasn't even a painter , but she came into my , my , some of my webinar calls , my encouragement calls for artists , and she sat in and we encouraged her in her writing and her poetry . And she was in the middle we , she was in the middle of a hurricane in her community literal , literally , a physical hurricane . I don't remember what state she's at , but she was talking about how she's in this hurricane , she's on her encouragement calls , in the middle of a hurricane somehow , and she was so inspired she started creating and we challenged her to create for 21 days straight . She did and she , she made more writing and art than she had in months and months , years and years and , um , out of that place , not only did she make more art but she , through our coaching calls , got inspired to write a children's book , which she's already halfway through now and , uh , we've been coaching her through that and she's been going through more family trauma but even in the middle of trauma and she's been able to gain focus and the encouragement she's needing because you can still create even if you're going through difficult times in your life . Actually , sometimes it's the most , the best time to create and when you're going through really difficult times and she is making words and books that are powerful , that are going to touch so many people and have already begun to touch us in our coaching calls as she has read them out to us , many of us , there's been this laughter and tears .
Speaker 2In our coaching calls there's been a woman that has a child with autism and she had been struggling in her painting and wanted to give up as an artist . She had been through like art school . She had a master's degree in art incredible artist but wanted to give up and through our coaching call she's painting again every single week , live at her church , which is unbelievable to her because she never thought she could paint in church . I paint at church . I teach people how to paint as worship , in worship settings , to help people encounter God .
Speaker 2She's doing that . People are getting so transformed by her work and she's getting transformed and coming alive again . So she follows me . She has sent me huge testimonials . Her and others are just being so transformed . We've even had some people that are brand new artists , that have come to my inside of my classes and learned how to experience wonder and amazement again in their life and their hearts are coming alive and they're drawing for the first time and they're finding new ways to life and their hearts are coming alive and they're drawing for the first time and they're finding new ways to pray to god that are unlocking their emotions .
Speaker 2Things that have been trapped inside of them emotionally , like trapped emotions , are coming and loosening up and they're getting emotional healing through just creating so at whatever level you're at , whether you're a brand artist , you can get on a group coaching calls for encouragement , encouraging artists you encounter god and you'll be so blessed by that . Or if you want to go up a level , you can take my acrylic painting classes on how to make memorable and sellable art . So those are some of the things , the testimonials amazing .
Speaker 1I I like to say , ah amazing I like that , ah , amazing yes , oh
my goodness .
Speaker 1So what ? Like ? What's what's next on the horizon , like what's something that is really stretching for you , that's coming if you're led to share . You may not be able to share yet , but is there something really stretching for you ? Like , we all have things that you know , we get , we get comfortable in . Is there something really stretching for you ? We all have things that you know , we get , we get comfortable in . Is there something he's calling you into that's a little uncomfortable ?
Speaker 2Yeah , there's a lot of things actually . I think we always keep in front of us and things that are a little out of our wheelhouse . That's how we grow . Like I said , errors are the portal to discovery , and how can you discover anything if you're not taking risks ? You're making errors , you know . So I want to always keep doing that . So I encourage people all the time like , like , just go find three things in your life , talk to three people that you don't want to talk to everyone so well , and make sure you're talking to people that are powerful and encouraging to your life . Learn from people , do things that are just out of your wheelhouse . Go places like I just went to new jersey and to philadelphia , thinking like I wouldn't really honestly enjoy it , but I just did , and I'm a high level introvert . I actually like to be alone , but I was just around people non-stop for , you know , four days in philadelphia , in an unknown land , and it was so life transforming .
Speaker 2It's so beautiful . So I'm actually going to be in tennessee teaching on art and creativity and worship in the presence of god and helping this partner with people for revival in Tennessee and that's coming up next month with this little created community that we're a part of there . You can find that on my website or on my Instagram . That would be really cool . That's something we're doing in the future . Some things that we're doing to stretch ourselves me and my wife is we're doing murals more on big buildings we are we have . We're also writing books . My wife's writing a book . I'm writing . I'm going to be writing a book as well , gearing up for that . Um , as well as we are , our non is growing , so we have like 60 people at our house every week , but we may be getting a building .
Speaker 2We may grow it into a church on the side . We're raising up a church community that's a lot different , where it's not like your classic Sunday morning church where you just on a Sunday , sit and listen to a message and hear some music and that's it . We're doing some spiritual formation and discipleship in our community . We're doing extended hours of worship , like two hours of worship nonstop on a Friday night . We're doing fulfilling prayer rooms that are creative installations and we want to have art shows in those space . We're actually empowering multiple leaders . So we're not the main leaders . They're always talking , uh , like talking heads we have . We believe in the plurality of leadership , so we want to see several pastors , several leaders um led by responsible communities that are taking initiative and not trying to build a name for just one person , but a name for Jesus through the plurality of leadership and through the body of Christ whole , rather than just one or two years . So we're forming that right now . It's been really life-giving to us and we're raising our kids up in that and it's really life-giving to us .
Speaker 2We're also going through some really hard things . You can create things even in hard seasons , and the proof of it we're . We're going to court right now for custody of our two children , with a long story that I don't have time to get into , but that's been trying and difficult , uh , because we are a blended family and uh , but there's that as well . As I , I struggled with some chronic disease in my body for years and years . We're also on a healing journey physically through naturopathic doctors , and we're going after that too . So we got a lot going on in our lives . But when you have the grace of God at your back , the way that God at your back , you can do a mess really more than what you can ask , think or even imagine , and it's really powerful having a wonderful partner like Tracy , who is the only reason I can do all of this .
Speaker 2So I'm so thankful and we're excited for the future . We're more hopeful than ever even though we're going through a lot of trying things in our life , so we're excited .
Speaker 1So good . I'm sure that this will resonate with you , but I think I just heard my spirit back in . You know , mid 2020 , when in war create .
Speaker 2Come on when in war . Hey , that's a good word , think back to .
Speaker 1You know world war ii and how many songs , and you know , in in the winter , yeah , yeah um , I'm sure art . You know so many different things were created in the time of pressing .
Speaker 2That is so true , man . That is so true . I think , yeah , some of the greatest paintings in history . If you go through art history , they were painted and created in diversity . It's so funny how , like , the oil of anointing is squeezed out of the olive through the pressing , how , like , the oil of anointing is squeezed out of the olive through the pressing and some of you are being pressed right now , at this moment , you're listening to this call and you're like God , I'm in it .
Speaker 2Well , maybe it's time to start creating Honestly . You can , just you can find yourself . You may be going through it , but you don't have to stay in it . You can go through it . You can go all the way through it , pass through , don't stay there . And I think one way you can go through it , pass through it and not stay there is to create amen .
Speaker 1Well , I'm sure you could speak for hours on this . Um , it's been such a joy to hear more of your story and um , I do have to ask one more question before I forget , because I have one of your paintings yeah the the lion with the monarchs yeah my favorites because I love lions um and monarch butterflies . Can you tell me a little bit more about the painting , because I know that a lot of my listeners love lions and butterflies ?
Speaker 2So beautiful ? What is the color theme in that one ? Because I've done several lions .
Speaker 1It's like brown and there's monarchs . Like a monarch almost looks like the ear of the lion .
Speaker 2Is it ? What size is it ? What is it about ?
Speaker 1um here .
Speaker 2Let me show you one second okay , yeah , because I've done some multiple sizes , multiple colors . I've done a lot of lines in my my journey , which is a long story . So , oh , yes , okay , I know exactly what's going on . Okay , cool , um , yes , this , this piece was , was um inspired by the idea that we are . We have within us Christ , the lion of the tribe of Judah within
us , that our praise , that our worship that's rising out of us , that Christ within us like a lion . We can remember who we are , that that is being birthed in us , that is coming forth from us in the cocoon of our hearts .
Speaker 2It's basically a lion of transformation , and I was just saying like in that painting that Christ is being formed in us through , just as a butterfly does in a chrysalis , just a the line is being formed in us .
Speaker 2We could take courage because we have the lion part of god inside of us . We can be bold as lions . The bible says the righteous are as bold as lions . We can assume it's like a signpost and be bold as a lion to come out in the spirit of transformation and and transform other people's lives and be transformed by the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus . So these butterflies always symbolize transformation . For me , the lion is always his courage , his kingly stature and also as well as his righteous boldness . So I just I wanted to convey to us that you know , maybe some people are going through hardships right now . Right , they're listening . They just need to hear that Judah is , they're being transformed , beauty is , is is on its way . It may not be beautiful yet , but it's going to get there and that was a large inspiration behind that .
Speaker 1Well , which ? Which painting would you say over your years ? If you could even nail down one , which one would be your ultimate ?
Speaker 2like wowser , Honestly , it's changed so much through the seasons of my life . Sometimes the newest painting that I'm doing is the one that's lousy , because I just want to keep my life ever fresh . I paint out of the seasons of my life and have my own personal encounters and they just happen to be other people's as well . I have people say that my artwork um describes , describes their own . It's military for jesus and so clearly it's like visions of their own experience and that that blessed me because I know that the same spirit of Christ that dwells within us as well and is talking to us and working in us . But I say one of the paintings that I loved a lot . It wasn't because it was overtly more beautiful than any other one . People all have different favorite paintings , but personally I did one that I sold to a woman in Palm Springs A lot of homosexual community out there and she she was so touched by the painting and it was basically basically a painting of a lion crying .
Speaker 2And his tears were forming into his mane and it was like this beauty of suffering and it was like the suffering savior . And I still get emotional just thinking about it , because I've gone through a lot of suffering in my life .
Speaker 2I've lost my father , gone through divorce , chronic disease , my son with autism . I've dealt with a lot and in that place I've noticed that God oftentimes just weep with me , just cry with me . It's one of my favorite things about God . He's not just some high priest that's disconnected from our emotions . He weeps with us , he cries with us , he suffers with us and the promise is that he also heals us . And if we're not being healed yet , it's not the end of the story . But one of my favorite verses is that he's close to the brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit . And so I , sometimes , in prayer , I'll even remember Jesus , just the weeping lion . I love the idea of a lion weeping because it's like this majestic God , like a powerful lion but tender enough to stop and kneel down and be with us . God sets the sun and the sky in such a way that he paints it in all of its majesty to warm our skin , and I love that about God .
Speaker 2So yeah , that's one of my favorite ones my newest painting I really love and you can find it on my instagram , and it's basically a man with cathedral windows in his chest and beautiful green vines growing around , and it's a celebration of manhood . It's a celebration that we are tabernacles and temples of the holy spirit . It's a celebration that we are his house of prayer . It's the place where he longs to dwell , and so it's a celebration of that truth .
Speaker 1And well , you guys , go check out his Instagram . Everything you have to offer . It's such a beautiful plethora of creativity , and just even the coaching that you talk about , too . Like as a coach myself , it's so beautiful to come alongside people and see the gold you know coming out of them and unlocking them into the fullness of who they are . So keep going . I love to you know part of I shared with you . I really do this for the one . You know part of I shared with you . I really do this for the one . So I would love for you to , to , to get a vision of the one who's listening today , and is there anything else that you would love to speak over this person ? And would you pray us out ?
Speaker 2yeah , I'm . I would say that .
Speaker 2I would say I would hear the voice of the father and I'd echo his voice . I think his voice would say something like this . I think he would hold our face in his hands and he would say to us , beloved , there's nothing wrong with you . He would say I love you , because I love you , because I love you . And a lot of us get ashamed and we look at ourselves and we think no good thing come from us . But , beloved , you know , the father is so proud of you and he doesn't condemn you , he doesn't shame you . He says shame off you , not shame on you shame , condemn you .
Speaker 2He doesn't shame you he says shame off you , not shame on you , shame off you . Today he would hold our face and he'd say your face is lovely . And he would say your already see him laughing and dancing and smiling and rejoicing over your artwork hanging on his refrigerator in heaven . And I just hear him say hey , children , come from the north , south , east and west . Come to me , come out of like , come out of those stalls that the world has kept you in like sheep , just herded away . Come bursting through the stalls , come out of the stalls , come dance into fields of grace . Come dance and leap into fields of grace , come like a little child dancing into your new day . It's a new day . Hope is rising . There's hope on the horizon . Glimpse glory , look and see that you're not what you once were . Or in the voice of the bridegroom Jesus , you would say come away from the flood , for the winter has passed , the springtime has come and the season of rejo .
Speaker 3The springtime has come and the season of rejoicing creativity has come abba , father , thank you so much for these dear children whom you love . I just pray that they would see you rightly today , not as a harsh taskmaster , but a loving , tender , compassionate , gracious Father who's teaching them and taking them on a new adventure , a new journey of exploration . I pray that there would be experimentation and playfulness that would emerge , father . I pray that wonder would sweep over their souls afresh amazement , awe and amazement . I pray that , abba , that they would see you as a father of lights , not as a dark shadow . Father of lights , not as a dark shadow . But I thank you , father , today , that you're not a God of shifting shadows , but steady light , steady for them , steady for your children to bring hope and a future . Pray you tear through the clouds of discouragement , hopelessness , hopelessness break through with light and life and pray that they would be in a place of encounter with you in the days ahead , where they could make visual prayers and sit under trees and experience your presence in new ways that even now would you embrace them . I just feel like the Father's embrace is coming around you right now as you're listening to this , and he would hold you close to his heart , so close that you could hear his heartbeat and his heart is for you , not against you . He I would . I would just say this that he would speak over us with love and compassion , something like this my child , there's nothing wrong with you , your face is lovely , your voice is sweet . I would hold your face , cup your face in my hands and pull you close to my face , child , and I would say there's nothing wrong with you , I'm so proud of you . I see you , I know you , I've set you apart . Just receive the wild pride in your Father's eyes over you . Today , god , we just bask in the delight of being much-loved children to come to you and get to be like children again , in awe and amazement and wonder In Jesus' name , amen .
Speaker 3And I just want to commission you guys . You know , like children , children are awesome , they're hilarious . You know my kids . You know I've seen other kids , my son . He's had autism , he's hilarious .
Speaker 3But I've watched kids running down the street . You know they're touching everything , like licking handrails , like just . They're like walking petri dishes . You know they're always experimenting with germs , putting their hands in their mouth , everything in their mouth . I think it's time to play like that , experiment like that , learn some things , make some mistakes , make some victories , start to feel again . Our senses have become numb , but children are ever-present to every little wonderful nuance in the world , staring into light , looking out of windows and running dancing . Maybe some of you need to dance again . Just go put on some worship music in your house and start spinning around in circles and jumping up and down . You get to be powerful and take up space like a little child and just move your body and just start to create movements , sculpt the air with your worship , change the atmosphere . I just bless you today with the father's blessing to just be free like a little child , in Jesus name , amen .
Speaker 1So you're going to get a lot of people sending pictures licking handrails . That'd be awesome . There's so much fear in germs and you know , yeah , and sanitizer , and it's like we're good . I ate dirt when I was a kid come on , that's awesome .
Speaker 3We need to go like some handrails in the spirit .
Speaker 1That's so great . Oh , so much wisdom pours out of you . Um . Thank you so much . I would love to have you back on another time and maybe you and Tracy could intentionally come on together and um share what's on your hearts and what you're up to . Um .
Speaker 1I will be sure to uh share , you know , all of Aaron's contact information in the show notes . Anything that he's got going on in the future we'll be sure to have in the show notes . But ultimately , go to his website and his Instagram and keep up with what he's doing and continue to just pray over him and his family . As he said , he's in a war but he's still creating right .
Speaker 3That's right .
Speaker 1The war is not stopping you and it's not going to . So there was one more thing I was going to say , but it'll come later , I'm sure . But thank you for bringing a brave heart who is setting others free . Continue to release everything that he's created you for to others . And goodness , such a power packed um call here today . So , thank you , those of you who are listening , I would love for you to you know . Reach out to Aaron , share your key takeaways with him . Um , what
are some of the breakthroughs that you received in listening to him ? You know , this isn't just for today , it's for beyond . This is he's a man speaking over the generations . So there we go .
Speaker 1So , if we close with our anchoring verse over Hope Unlocked it's . May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit , you may abound in hope . I love that word abound , and that's Romans 15 , 13 . So thank you again , aaron . You have been such a treasure to the Hope Unlocked community and I'll be back with another episode next week .
Speaker 2Thanks , Aaron , All right bye you .