Stepping into Creativity, One Scared but Obedient Step at a Time

I’ve only been back in the creative space for about three years now, and I started painting in September last year. So yes, in many ways, I still feel like a beginner. And to be honest? The whole business side of things — the practical steps needed to sustain this calling and ultimately fund the ministry God has placed on my heart — it still terrifies me.

Public speaking still terrifies me because I don’t always have the right words. Like Moses, I often stumble and lose my train of thought when trying to speak. I feel unqualified. I wonder why God would entrust such a big vision to someone like me. Surely, there are others more equipped, more eloquent, more… everything.

But this is the vision He's planted in my heart — a Vibrant Creative Community Centre. A kind of soup kitchen for the soul. A place where people can rediscover their God-given creative identity. Where we don’t ask people to behave before they belong. Where they are simply loved back to life and into the Kingdom. A space of healing, freedom, and authentic expression.

Salvation, healing, restoration & transformation of all is our GOAL through all kinds of creative activities.

God's love for people & His PASSION for the lost will be our driving force.

We will equip & train people in ALL kinds of artful expressions that will edify the church as well as bring healing and restoration to the lost & broken.

Creativity Isn’t Just for Artists

Somehow, we’ve bought into the lie that creativity only belongs to the gifted few — those who can paint or play music or dance on a stage. But creativity is so much more. It’s in the sewing, the pottery, the woodturning, the crochet, the baking, the gardening… the everyday acts of making and mending and beautifying.

We were all born with this gift. Every child sings without shame, dances without instruction and draws with fearless joy. Until, somewhere along the way, someone tells us we’re not good enough. That our art isn’t “right” or “beautiful” or “worthwhile.” And we shrink. We stop trying. We let fear and shame write the rest of the story.

But our God is the Ultimate Creator. He made us in His image. That means His creative DNA runs through every single one of us (Genesis 1:27). The first person in Scripture ever filled with the Holy Spirit wasn’t a preacher or prophet — it was Bezalel, a craftsman, an artist, called to build God’s dwelling place (Exodus 31:1-5). Creativity has always been sacred.

Creativity is More than Just Singing, Dancing, Drawing & Painting

All forms of creativity (art, crafts, etc.) to be taught through regular workshops and activities to young and old.

In the future we envision adding:

• Bible;

• Journaling;

• Music;

• Singing/Worship;

• Dancing;

• Drama;

• Writing;

• Drawing;

• Painting in various mediums e.g. watercolour, acrylics, pastels etc.;

• Sewing;

• Knitting;

• Crocheting;

• Embroidery;

• Cross stitch embroidery;

• Cooking; cooked meals will be distributed to the poor in community kitchen

• Baking;

• Vegetable gardening; to provide for the cooking lessons

• IT & software;

• Photography;

• Carpentry;

• Pottery;

• Soap making;

• Jewellery making;

• Calligraphy & hand-lettering;

• Upcycling;

• Art therapy;

• Crafts;

• Choir

• & many, many more activities.

I also envision in the future a vibrant building with a

• Classrooms

• Café

• Exhibitions

• Market days

• Community kitchen to feed the needy.

• Elijah House trained prayer ministers on the premises to walk with the broken-hearted and help love people back to life

From Pain to Purpose

For most of my life, I struggled under the weight of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. I’ve spent my life clinging to a rope so frayed and slippery, it felt like someone had greased it just for fun, but in His mercy, has been using creativity to restore me — slowly, gently, one brushstroke at a time. For almost two years now, I’ve been walking in victory over depression. It’s not that heaviness never comes — it does — but I’ve learned to meet it with worship, with Scripture, with Bible journaling, with creative communion with the Holy Spirit.

A Place to Belong and Breathe

What I long to create is a sanctuary. A place where people can exhale. A space where they can sit with paint or clay or fabric in hand and rediscover that they are not broken beyond repair. That they are creative. That they do carry beauty. That they can be whole again.

My vision is to create a Hub with the purpose of healing people's hearts, restoring joy and loving them back to life, leading them to Christ and then channelling them into the churches nearest to them.

Activities:

• Healing prayer ministry

• Holiday programmes.

• We will have passionate, people-loving instructors for all forms of creativity.

• We will have ample studio space to host exhibitions, craft markets & other events (secular and non-secular) that will contribute generously to the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

• We will have several large rooms for hosting regular workshops & craft parties.

• We will have a state-of-the-art computer centre for IT & pc based training, including but not limited to Adobe Creative Suite, Affinity Designer & CorelDRAW.

• There will be a recording studio for training & to create music & video content for online training courses & webinars.

• We will create marketable content for Bible Journaling / scrapbooking, colouring, etc., at affordable prices for the local community.

• We will host craft parties. This is not about fine arts or perfect craft, but merely for fun, fellowship & community with other creatives.

• I aim to create an environment where people feel free to relax & express their God-given creativity.

• We will spread the love of art in the world & give people a safe place to experiment.

• We aim to create community & connection whilst having some creative fun.

• Abundant market proceeds will cover all running costs & impact the community.

• There will be an abundance of finances & supplies to keep workshops affordable &, where possible, FREE.

• We will have a sustainable fruit & vegetable garden that supplies organic produce for cooking workshops and a meals ministry.

• We will have a Cafe that is open daily for people to hang out and experience God's presence.

• We will have great relationships & support from churches & businesses around us.

• We will reach the lost through all our creative activities & draw them into God's Kingdom with community activities.

• People & families will come to Christ because we represent God to the lost & found for restoration & transformation in Christ.

• People will be supported & equipped to start new ventures that will then give back to the Kingdom of God.

• We will raise up spiritual fathers & mothers for creatives & our creative community as a whole.

• We will raise an army of creatives who become people of influence, equipping others to train & pass on a wide range of creative skills to expand the Kingdom of God.

• We will be blessed to BE A BLESSING.

• We will embrace “calling” from God to reflect his character of excellence in everything we do.

• We will set ourselves apart from the world by prioritising people over profit and everything else.

• We will be the first responders for those who are hurting & broken through our healing prayer ministry.

• We will take back our nation for Christ.

• Creative Connect groups will form the foundation & driving force of this community.

• You can BELONG before you BEHAVE!

• We will change the world 🌎 1 broken💔heart💖 at a time.

A Building That Already Feels Like Home

When I allow myself to dream about the physical space for this vision, my mind keeps returning to the Mairangi Bay Art Centre.

Every time I picture it, I find myself whispering, “Lord… how does this fit into the grand scheme of Your purpose?🤔” And yet, the more I sit with that question, the more the space itself feels like an answer.

It already holds so much of what this vision would need.

There’s a kitchen — perfect for cooking lessons and shared meals. Space for a small café that could easily become a literal soup kitchen, mirroring the soup kitchen for the soul God placed on my heart. There’s even a garden, just waiting to be stewarded into a vegetable patch, growing ingredients for the kitchen and nourishment for the community.

The exhibition areas are generous and light-filled — ideal for showcasing creativity, telling stories, and celebrating beauty. The hall is large enough to host markets and gatherings, creating opportunities for connection and sustainability. There are spacious classrooms, and even a dedicated pottery studio with an existing kiln — already prepared for hands-on, healing creativity.

It feels almost too perfect, and maybe that’s the point.

I don’t know yet how or when or if this is the place God has in mind, but when I stand back and look at it, I can’t help but notice how ready it already is — how it feels like a building that understands community, creativity, and quiet transformation.

For now, I hold it loosely. I place it back in God’s hands. And I keep taking the next faithful step — trusting that if He’s already prepared the vision, He’s also preparing the place.

Right now, I don’t know all the details — where, how, and when — but I’m taking it one small, obedient step at a time, and I’m trusting that God will bring the right people alongside me to build this vision together. People who carry the same heart to see the broken restored and the weary reawakened. People who know what it’s like to feel lost, but also what it means to be found.

Because I believe this with all my heart: healing happens in community and sometimes, a paintbrush, a pencil, or a skein of yarn can be just as holy as a pulpit.

If you’re wondering whether there’s room for you in this vision — if there’s a seat at the table — I want you to know… there absolutely is.

Let’s build this together. Not perfectly. Not fearlessly, but faithfully.

🙌🏻Prayer

Lord, I can't wait to see how You're going to do this! Like Moses, I feel ill-equipped for a project of this magnitude, but I realise You don't call the qualified, but You qualify the called. I have so many weaknesses (fears, anxiety, social anxiety, trust issues) & insecurities (vulnerability, confidence, qualifications), but I trust that your strength will be revealed through my weaknesses. Show me how to conquer this mountain. I pray that you send me the right people to help build this community & fulfil Your purpose & vision.

🎨 Let’s Connect:

If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re longing to rediscover your creativity, join a workshop, or support the vision of a Creative Community Centre, your story matters here.

📩 Email: trixi.schwartz@gmail.com

🌿 Website: www.trixiscreations.com

🖼️ Browse my artwork: Trixi’s Portfolio