Humility for the artist-leader
Mother Teresa’s humility list includes the following: “Speak as little as possible about yourself,” “accept small irritations with good humor,” “accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded,” and “give in, in discussions, even when you are right.”[1] A person like Mother Teresa cultivated such humility over a lifetime of service and devotion to God, but few Christians would gladly do even one of these. In contrast, early Christians saw humility as the foundational virtue from which all other merits grow.[2] Yet today humility is seldom extolled as a virtue worth pursuing. The opposite carries the day with the constant siren call to self-promotion. Children dream of becoming celebrities instead of teachers or mechanics. Still, shame therapy is needed more than ever, and humility often equates to humiliation. Despite these trends, humility persists as the core characteristic of one who lives with calm, confidence, and spiritual assurance. For one who finds herself working as an artist, a leader or both, humility—primarily through Jesus’ example—offers an alternative to pride. This enables her to know herself and God better, overcome temptation, and cultivate a life bent toward resurrection. The roadmap for this exploration entails first defining humility, then exploring the temptations and strengths of the artist-leader, probing a common challenge in the church for this role, examining Jesus’ example, and finally, discussing ways to practice humility with God.
A thorough definition of humility broadens a regard for self and others and a call to service. Adele Calhoun defines humility as, “not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. Humble people let go of image management and self-promotion. They honor others by making the others’ needs as real and important as their own.”[3] A humble person is therefore free of managing her persona. She knows who she is, so she does not need to obsess about how she is perceived. As a result, she can attend to the needs of others as well as her own. John Dickson further describes humility as “a willingness to hold power in service of others.”[4] The humble person utilizes whatever influence, status, or resources he has for the sake of another human. It is also important to consider what humility is not. Humility is never: forced subservience, abuse, shame, or unchosen humiliation. Humility’s opposite is pride, a kind of self-absorption “where status is all important.”[5] A proud person seeks to control everything around him because he does not trust others or God. According to Bondi, “Its essential quality is not found in having too high an opinion of oneself so much as too low an opinion of everyone else.”[6] Self-righteousness and comparison exemplify pride. In sum, humility is the remedy to pride’s self-obsession: it means valuing oneself and others as creatures made in the image of God, living within the gifts and limits God gives, and resting securely in God’s knowledge and provision.
As we consider humility’s role in the life of the artist and leader, it is helpful to define and synthesize both roles. Today artist usually means a visual artist or a performing artist. But for my purposes, I define an artist as someone who practices a creative art like dance, sculpture, poetry, music, handicraft, or visual art. Also, it can mean one skilled in a particular task or vocation such as a computer engineer who artistically codes an application. A leader is someone with influence: she has ability, authority, persuasion, and example.[7] If I combine these terms into one, then an artist-leader is a specialized creative person who holds a strong modeling influence in the lives of others. An artist-leader can have followers, students, and critics due to the visible nature of their work. He spends a fair amount of time in the spotlight. The artist-leader has a unique relationship with humility revealed in these words from Rheta Childe Dorr:
“The artist must be an egotist because, like the spider, he draws all his building material from his own breast. But just the same the artist alone among men knows what true humility means. His reach forever exceeds his grasp. He can never be satisfied with his work. He knows when he has done well, but he knows he has never attained his dream. He knows he never can.[8]
Although a Christian view of humility rejects egotism, the artist-leader must be aware of this inner tendency. She creates from a special giftedness or vision. For this reason, many artists struggle with pride, the belief that creativity comes from themselves instead of God. On the other hand, the artist knows she can never really create what she pictures in her head. Her creation will never be perfect, which is a humbling realization. Artists are often leaders without recognizing it. Their work holds social and cultural authority: persuading indirectly, modeling and critiquing the status quo, and shaping the imagination. Artist-leaders then live in a precarious place of being tempted to selfishly take pride in their talents and powers while living with an awareness of the limits of their abilities.
An artist-leader can struggle with particular temptations. The first includes identity: constantly questioning who he is in relation to God and others. He can be self-absorbed with image, successes, and sins. Conceit and vainglory lure with the promise of being better than everyone else. Another problem is developing a hero complex as one works to expose injustice or tell truth to culture like a prophet. In addition, the artist-leader may be tempted to equate her worth with her work, essentially saying, “I am my art,” or, “my worth rides on my work’s success.” Thus, the self or the art can become idols. Another temptation is perfection. The artist-leader sees his work as never good enough and struggles with overwork. Power is a common enticement as an artist-leader’s influence increases. One might call this the “rockstar complex.” Also, false humility seduces as one manipulates others to be seen as good or to induce guilt. It can also invite low self-esteem, personal guilt, or at worst, shame.[9] In sum, the artist-leader may be tempted by pride’s distortions and fixations on the self, which can grossly elevate or denigrate her relationship with God and others.
The artist-leader holds many strengths. The internationally renowned lead singer of the band U2, Bono remarks, “To understand your weakness is your only chance of ever being strong.”[10] Artist-leaders have an innate awareness of their gifts and faults, often creatively conveying this in their work, which helps their work to connect with people. An artist-leader possesses great honesty as they seek to authentically convey a specific vision in their work. One might also be empathetic, able to sit with others in pain and suffering and portray it creatively through art, which lends a cathartic and restorative quality to her work. Lastly, the artist-leader has environmental sensitivity, whether that be in the world at large or in his local community. He may have a developed sense of cultural and interpersonal shifts, and he may experience them deeply and seek to work them out through his art. The artist-leader’s strengths can result in creative attentiveness to the soul, others, and the world around him.
The artist-leader possesses struggles and strengths unique to her role, but the question that humility asks the artist-leader is: what is a person’s inherent value in relation to another? Philippians 2:3-8 highlights this:
3Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.[11]
When a humble person accepts her own value, she recognizes the intrinsic value of others just as Christ, though he was God and knew himself to be His Son, chose to surrender to the Father’s will. The humble person rejects self-centered interest, following Christ’s example to serve others in self-giving love. Essentially, humility then, “stems from an honest understanding of who we are,” God’s image-bearers who treat each other with dignity.[12]
A common challenge for the artist-leader in the church is the question: is it unchristian for an artist to promote his work? An experienced artist will likely say he wants his work to be seen. As a writer, I want my words to be read. A leader wants to lead. These are highly visible roles. Granted many artists, even in the church, have vied for the spotlight to promote their egos. However, an artist may not share his art or create at all because of an inaccurate understanding of humility. He may have been told it is unchristian to share his work without being asked. He may be discouraged from marketing, selling, discussing, or sharing his work because any form of this could be seen as pride. Sometimes an artist’s work is seen as a hobby, not a respected profession. But if the artist-leader has value in Christ like a nurse or a pastor, and his work can bring goodness, truth, and beauty to the church body, should not he be able to offer his work?[13] Because art is sensory and experiential, it is inherently communal. Art is also designed to be seen and shared. According to Dorothy Sayers, the act of creating is a Trinitarian act.[14] Creating and leading are both collective activities. They invite people to participate in the life of God together. God’s heart is to build up and revive the body of Christ. Thus, the call of the artist-leader is the same. Isaiah 57:14-15 expresses this:
It shall be said,
“Build up, build up, prepare the way;
remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”
15 For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place
and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
To this end, despite a skewed interpretation of humility and the role of the artist-leader in the church, I encourage the artist to share his art with communal discernment and joy for the edification of the church.
As a conduit for God’s work in the world as resurrection, Jesus models concrete steps toward practical humility for the artist-leader. According to Andrew Murray, humility is “the first and most essential condition of true discipleship” based on Jesus’ authority and example.[15] The artist-leader must first recognize her need for Christ as one “poor in spirit.”[16] Christ himself accepted his limits as a human under God’s authority, and in doing so, reclaimed and restored humanity in God’s likeness.[17] Murray points to Jesus’ utter reliance on God and how this fulfilled his humanity and divinity, “This life of entire self-abnegation, of absolute submission and dependence upon the Father’s will, Christ found to be one of perfect peace and joy. He lost nothing by giving all to God. God honoured His trust, and did all for Him, and then exalted Him to His own right hand in glory.”[18] His example was meek and lowly demonstrated in his words, “I am gentle and humble in heart.”[19] He encouraged his disciples to put others before themselves: “the least among all of you is the greatest.”[20] Moreover, he showed that the humble person serves all willingly, and he “will be exalted.”[21] Jesus’ life also displayed how the leader must become a servant.[22] Murray further explains what denying ourselves as Christ and following him means: “We are to be and do nothing by ourselves so that God may be all.”[23] This is a death to self which leads to life, what Murray calls “death-life.”[24] Anderson describes it as a descent into reliance on God as we trust him to lift us up.[25] Through Christ’s ultimate humility in death, resurrection happens.[26] This is true for the artist-leader too. Christ shows what it means to be truly humble: a willingness to accept the limits of his humanity, total dependence on God, a servant's heart towards all, and lowliness in death which is really life.
The artist-leader cannot achieve such humility on her own. Instead, she seeks union with Christ in his gentleness and meekness.[27] With the help of the Spirit, she cultivates humility in key ways. First, she practices confession. Secondly, she listens to what is happening in her community before creating. The artist-leader also keeps company with friends who tell her the truth about who she is. It is crucial for her to avoid insularity and to seek input and critique from trustworthy sources.[28] Finally, she should live on the borderlands, or frontier, as she takes risks with God and acts as a witness to doing things God’s way.[29]
Modeled after Christ, humility develops the character of an artist-leader in many ways. Real humility mobilizes for action.[30] A humble person does not sit in a quagmire of sin and guilt. Instead, she works diligently on behalf of another out of love. The best proof of humility is how one treats others.[31] In an area the artist-leader is confident, she may see she is not gifted. In contrast, where she doubts her giftedness, she may experience restored confidence.[32] Freedom from being ruled by emotions and the tendency to manipulate can also result.[33] Another impact is a person’s willingness to learn in reliance on God while developing an awareness of limits.[34] Epistemological humility makes room for a person to know she is wrong.[35] Gratitude and responsible stewardship are other fruits.[36] In addition, embracing longing as a way to trust God counteracts pride’s desire to know outcomes first.[37] Finally, humility grows confessional grief over sin and develops a readiness to give oneself to God’s mercy.[38]
In summary, humility is a right understanding of God’s complete valuing of a person as his image-bearer. This leads to cherishing others in dignity and love without image management or competition. The artist-leader as a creative influential person faces struggles of pride and vainglory but demonstrates astute self-awareness and empathy. Following Christ’s example, she can cultivate a confessional selfless life in which she shares her work from confidence, blessing, and bearing fruit. Humility is an inner attitude of love. Speaking of the desert fathers and mothers, Bondi writes, “It was humility that made these ancient Christians able with the help of God’s grace to take on the enormous and dangerous task of the transformation of the old creation into the new.”[39] This is the call for the artist-leader: to partner with God in humble service to bring resurrection transfiguration through their art and influence.
Bibliography
Anderson, Hannah. Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul. Chicago: Moody, 2016.
Bondi, Robert C. To Love as God Loves: Conversations with the Early Church. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987.
Calhoun, Adele. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Chan, Wilson. “The World, the Flesh and the Devil: Resistance to Kingdom Spirituality in the Workplace.” Regent College, Vancouver, BC, 2022.
Dickson, John. Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Kindle.
Dorr, Rheta Childe. A Woman of Fifty. 2nd ed. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1924. https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Woman_of_Fifty/g3YGAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
Filz, Gretchen. “Mother Teresa’s Humility List.” Multimedia Digital Content Platform. Good Catholic (blog), May 26, 2021. https://www.goodcatholic.com/mother-teresa-humility-list/.
Krames, Jeffrey. Lead with Humility: 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis. Kindle. HarperCollins, 2022.
Murray, Andrew. “Excerpt from Humility.” In Humility: Selections from Richard J. Foster and Andrew Murray. Eds. Grace Pate Pouch and Brian Morykon. Renovare, 2022.
———. “Humility and Death to Self.” In Humility: The Beauty of Holiness, 2nd ed. London: James Nisbet & Co., 1896. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Humility/570TAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1.
Sayers, Dorothy. “Idea, Energy, and Power.” In The Mind of the Maker, 37–38. New York: HarperCollins, 1987.
Selby, Jenn. “Bono on His (Many) Shortcomings as a Human Being: ‘To Understand Your Weakness Is Your Only Chance of Ever Being Strong.’” The Independent. October 9, 2014, U.S. edition. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bono-on-his-many-shortcomings-as-a-human-being-to-understand-your-weakness-is-your-only-chance-of-ever-being-strong-9784874.html.
Stevens, R. Paul, and Alvin Ung. Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.
Wright, Catherine J. Spiritual Practices of Jesus: Learning Simplicity, Humility, and Prayer with Luke’s Earliest Readers. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2020.
References:
[1] Gretchen Filz, “Mother Teresa’s Humility List,” Multimedia Digital Content Platform, Good Catholic (blog), May 26, 2021, https://www.goodcatholic.com/mother-teresa-humility-list/.
[2] Catherine J. Wright, Spiritual Practices of Jesus: Learning Simplicity, Humility, and Prayer with Luke’s Earliest Readers (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2020), 104.
[3] Adele Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 215.
[4] John Dickson, Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 24, Kindle.
[5] Wilson Chan, “The World, the Flesh and the Devil: Resistance to Kingdom Spirituality in the Workplace” (lecture, Regent College, Vancouver, BC, Oct. 12, 2022).
[6] Robert C. Bondi, To Love as God Loves: Conversations with the Early Church (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987), 76.
[7] Dickson, Humilitas, 42.
[8] Rheta Childe Dorr, A Woman of Fifty, 2nd ed. (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1924), 48, https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Woman_of_Fifty/g3YGAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
[9] Bondi, To Love, 45.
[10] Jenn Selby, “Bono on His (Many) Shortcomings as a Human Being: ‘To Understand Your Weakness Is Your Only Chance of Ever Being Strong,’” The Independent, October 9, 2014, U.S. edition, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/bono-on-his-many-shortcomings-as-a-human-being-to-understand-your-weakness-is-your-only-chance-of-ever-being-strong-9784874.html.
[11] Phil. 2:3-8 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
[12] Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines, 216.
[13] Questions of competence, quality, scriptural alignment, and devotional purpose arise with art shared within the church. This is a nuanced subject worthy of careful consideration in the church.
[14] Dorothy Sayers, “Idea, Energy, and Power,” in The Mind of the Maker (New York: HarperCollins, 1987), 37–38.
[15] Andrew Murray, “Excerpt from Humility,” in Humility: Selections from Richard J. Foster and Andrew Murray, Eds. Grace Pate Pouch and Brian Morykon (n.p.: Renovare, 2022), 22. See also John 13:14. Quotes from Murray in this booklet have been reworded into modern language from the original book Humility: The Beauty of Holiness, which I quote from. See footnote 18.
[16] Murray, “Excerpt,” 21–22. Matt. 5:3, 5.
[17] Hannah Anderson, Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul (Chicago: Moody, 2016), 88.
[19] Murray, “Excerpt,” 21–22. See Matt. 11:29.
[20] Murray, “Excerpt,” 21–22. See Luke 9:48 and Matt. 23:11.
[21] Murray, “Excerpt,” 21–22. See Luke 14:11.
[22] Murray, “Excerpt,” 21–22. See Luke 22:25-27.
[23] Murray, “Excerpt,” 19.
[24] Murray, “Humility,” 73–79.
[25] Hannah Anderson, Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul (Chicago: Moody, 2016), 202.
[26] Anderson, Humble Roots, 199.
[27] R. Paul Stevens and Alvin Ung, Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 19.
[28] Jeffrey Krames, Lead with Humility: 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis, Kindle (HarperCollins, 2022), 50–52.
[31] Murray, “Excerpt,” 27–28.
[32] Anderson, Humble Roots, 110.
[33] Anderson, Humble Roots, 112–14.
[34] Anderson, Humble Roots, 121.
[35] Anderson, Humble Roots, 125.
[36] Anderson, Humble Roots, 140–44.
[37] Anderson, Humble Roots, 159.
[38] Anderson, Humble Roots, 186–87.
[39] Bondi, To Love, 42.
