There are multiple elements within a work of art that provide evidence of an artist’s mastery and understanding of creative principles, as well as the creative power within their arsenal, beyond discipline, talent and skill—the most primary of those are design, narrative and perspective. Creative design serves as a measure of an artist’s imagination and their ability to plan with intentionality towards the functionality of their work. The narrative of a creative work reveals an artist's storytelling capability and their fluency and comprehension of universal language ranging from first person narrative to the narrative of those unspoken for. The perspective woven throughout an individual work reveals an artist’s understanding of the significance of what they have created and the relationship between the elements that go into the making of it. These three elements serve as definitive markers of effective creativity, however, for artists and creatives in pursuit of continued evolution and growth, perspective—specifically based in a foundation of love— serves as the cornerstone towards realizing creative purpose.
Perspective, as evidenced in great works throughout literature, fine arts, film, dance and music, results in an effective creativity made visible in its ability to marry the functionality of design and the art of storytelling towards an experience that serves the needs of an artist’s audience. The relationship between these primary elements and the impact of perspective are paralleled within scripture in the letter written from the Apostle Paul to the Colossians, where he provides an overview of the Creator’s perspective in the creation of the universe—created through Christ, as the creative Word of God—revealing the purpose of his creativity and the context of his relationship with humanity through Christ.
“Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.”
Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.
And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession.”
The design of the universe and all of creation, as created through Christ in spirit as the creative Word of God, is bound and governed by a love-perspective that binds all living things together in heaven and earth. This love-perspective also binds humanity and the Creator through the book-ending of his creative power as expressed through the narrative of Christ's ministry, death and resurrection, in his design and plan to realign his relationship with humanity.
Presently, this love-perspective was made visible through multiple retrospectives outlining the career arc of hip hop and social entrepreneur legend, Nipsey Hussle—a career which was governed by a love-perspective which continued throughout the victory lap of his career. An artist with a wealth of understanding towards the importance and significance of his artistic voice and narrative, he was able to assess the creative, philanthropic and entrepreneurial points of connectivity of his art and formulate a blueprint design towards the realization of the purpose underlying his talent towards the sustainability and economic growth and evolution of the Crenshaw District.
Art under the governance of a perspective based in love serves as a unifiying, creative power for artists and creatives that gives voice to purpose and sets the foundation for effective creativity.