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In my last newsletter, I talked about my recent decision to starting taking my art seriously. Some of you may be wondering what this decision actually looks like and why it had such a big, dramatic buildup. Here's what it looks like for me: At the beginning of this month, I went part-time at the job where I've been working full-time since February of 2020. This was not a decision I made lightly. This was the decision I prayed and cried and fretted to God about for weeks. Going part-time meant taking a cut to the main source of income I've been relying on to pay my bills each month. It meant accepting the reality that I would no longer have employer-sponsored insurance. It meant wrestling again with the lie I'd believed for years: that in order to be a real adult, I had to either work a full-time job or be married to someone else who had one. When I was still part-time at that job — which lasted for over three years — I carried a heavy burden of shame on my shoulders. I believed that only working part-time meant that I was lazy, inferior, and unqualified for “real” work, and every rejection I received from a different job I applied for seemed to confirm that belief. I felt that I was wasting my expensive, hard-earned education by working a part-time, unskilled job. I also believed that God was ashamed of me. I imagined Him staring down at me as I scanned and shelved books behind the front desk of a public library, shaking His head at the sad waste of potential. It didn't matter to me that, at that time, this job was bringing me joy. He knew I could do better. We knew I could do better. (Side note: I hope it goes without saying, but not a word of this was true.) Even though I tackled this lie during my time in therapy, I felt its roots creeping up again as, three years after finally being promoted to a full-time position, I began to consider going part-time again so I could spend more time focusing on the thing I really wanted to do: building a full-time creative career. This time, I knew God wasn't going to be ashamed of me. In fact, I heard Him confirm again and again that this was the right choice to make. But I still worried, as humans naturally tend to do, about what people would think. Would they think I was being foolish? Hasty? Impatient? Unwise? Overconfident in my abilities? A poor steward of what I'd been given? And then there were practical worries, which I talked about in my second newsletter. Real and valid concerns that, as a single person with one major source of income that I was about to cut in half, I wouldn't be able to afford my living expenses. Rent. Electricity. Groceries. Gas. Student loans. The occasional meal or coffee out with a friend that maybe wasn't a “necessary” expensive, in the strictest sense of the word, but served as medicine for my soul. I'd been living within a tight budget for the past several months, and this decision was going to make it even tighter. In summary, going part-time meant closing my eyes, taking a huge leap of faith, and trusting that God was going to be on the other side with His arms wide open to catch me. And catch me, He did. |
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The photo above is part of a letter I received from a dear friend, someone who watched me grow up and who vividly remembers the days when drawing came as naturally to me as breathing. We'd recently had a conversation about the book of devotions I was recently published in (you can find more information about it below!), and his first question was if the devotional included any of my artwork. I laughed and said no, not this time, and this generally light-hearted friend suddenly got very serious as he looked me in the eye and said, “You need to do something with your art, Kati.” Two days later, this same friend came to my workplace and handed me an envelope. Here is an excerpt from the letter inside of it: I want to encourage you, Kati, to use your gift of art along with your ability to write…I believe you can do this with the power of the Holy Spirit. Anyways, I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you, Kati, and I want you to consider stepping out and using all your gifts for God. This friend had no idea when he wrote those words that I'd been desperately praying for God to let me know that I was making the right choice in going part-time at my job to pursue a career in art and writing. I needed to know that this calling was from Him, not just me following a whim, and that He was going to take care of me if I chose to take this uncertain path. As my mouth hung open and my eyes drank the words of this letter in, I felt a playful nudge from the Lord. So would you like a neon sign, too, or can you trust me now? |
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Thank you to my lovely friend Rachael for taking the photo above! I recently read the story of Gideon in the Bible reading plan I'm currently using (this is not an affiliate link, I just really love this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a good Bible reading resource!) If you'd like to read it for yourself, check out Judges 6:11-40. Gideon was a young man who felt unequipped for the mission God called him to, and he told God so. ("How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.") When God told him to go through with the mission anyway, Gideon asked God for a sign that He would be with him, that He would give Gideon the victory he knew he couldn't achieve on his own. The Lord gave him several signs, but my personal favorite is the sign of the fleece. First, Gideon placed a wool fleece on the threshing floor and left it there overnight. He asked God to make it so that when he checked it the next morning, the fleece would be covered in dew even though the ground around it was dry. The Bible tells us Gideon then wrung out a whole bowlful of water from that fleece. But this wasn't enough for Gideon. He asked God again — apologetically — if He could do the same miracle but in reverse, so the ground would be wet and the fleece would be dry. He needed just a little more confidence, a little more certainty that God was who He said He was and that He was going to do what He said He would. And God did it. He made the fleece dry and then wet, and He saved the Israelites from an impossibly large army by Gideon's hand. I find comfort in knowing that people in the Bible struggled to take God at His word, even when He appeared to them in the flesh (or, in Moses' case, through a burning-but-not-actually-burning bush.) I love how patient and gentle the Lord is with Gideon in this story. He knows his fearful heart, and He meets him right where he is with kindness and compassion. He doesn't berate him for not having enough faith. He doesn't roll His eyes and take off to find someone more confident, a man who isn't part of the weakest clan and who won't ask so many questions. Instead, God shows His love to Gideon with a fleece. He showed His love to me with a letter. Then, a few days later, He showed His love to me again with an offer for a new part-time job. This job has a flexible schedule that will still allow me the freedom to devote time to my desired career path, which is exactly what I was hoping for in this season. Oh, and it also comes with health insurance. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:19–20 — Kati Lynn |
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A current work-in-progress that holds a lot of meaning for me. In my next newsletter, I'll share a little more about what my new day-to-day life looks like, as well as some practical ways you can support me in this journey. Here are a few for now: - If you know someone who would enjoy or be encouraged by this newsletter, please consider forwarding this email to them (or share this link and encourage them to sign up!)
- I recently created a Facebook page where I'll be sharing my artwork and occasionally reflecting on the process of growing as a creator. If you'd like to keep up with me that way, you can follow Kati Lynn Draws on Facebook. And if you really like it, you can invite others to like it as well!
- I'm officially taking art commissions! You can see samples of work I've done and get details about my pricing by clicking here. (Or tapping, I guess?? I'm not sure what the proper term is anymore. Is clicking just a thing millennials do now?) If you're interested in commissioning me for work, you can contact me via Facebook, Instagram, or by replying directly to this email.
- Lastly, you can support me in a big big way by taking a moment to pray. Pray for continued courage and discipline as I pursue this path. Pray for wisdom and perseverance as I currently manage multiple part-time jobs on top of my creative projects. Pray for doors to open and for me to have discernment in knowing which ones to walk through and which to close again. Pray for God to provide more than I can ask or imagine, especially in the area of finances. Pray that I would constantly to use my gifts in a way that bring Him glory and the service of others.
Please reply to this email and let me know how I can support you by praying for you, too! |
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things i've written recently or just want to share again |
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"Our friends don’t need a long list of things to do and change; they need to be seen and loved for who they are—an image-bearer of God. They need a friend who will talk with them (not at them), showing them the same grace and compassion we have received through Christ." Grateful to my friend “Daisy” for taking the time to share about her eating disorder journey and the ways that she experienced God's love and grace in the midst of it. |
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"I look desperately for meaning and purpose in days that feel long and mundane. I have dreams for my life that seem bigger than the place where I wake up. I wrestle with the disappointment of both what is and what has not yet come." A prayer I wrote for the bored, weary, and wilting. (In other words, a prayer I wrote for myself that just might be for you, too.) |
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I had the opportunity to contribute two devotions to the book Refreshed: A Devotional for Women in Dry Seasons by Well-Watered Women! I have already received so much wonderful feedback from friends who tell me how much they've enjoyed this devotional. Now that I've finally had the opportunity to read through it for myself, I can whole-heartedly echo their sentiments. Please consider purchasing a copy for yourself and/or for a friend who needs some biblically grounded encouragement while walking through a dry season. (P.S. Since I'm a Well-Watered Women affiliate, I make a small percentage of the profit when you use that link to buy the devotional or any of their products!) |
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