The Imagineers, AI art, Improvisation, and a Good old-fashioned Jesus Revival.

5 things worth sharing this week

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Hey Crash-ers,

Here are 5 things worth sharing this week around “IMAGINATION.” 

For the longest time, we have been Disney fans; the movies, the experience, the magic, and the feeling. And, of course, the stories they tell are often redemptive, which has definitely struck a chord. But more than that, we have always been captivated by “the Imagineers” - the people who push the boundaries, dream the dreams, and work to see their imagination come to life. 

They are a picture of us… people who are meant to see the world through the lens of a prophetic imagination (in the words of Walter Bruggeman) and who partner with the Holy Spirit to see the Kingdom come…. On earth as it is in heaven…. from black-and-white to full color!

The Harvard business review writes that “we need imagination now more than ever” and outlines in an article how, with imagination, we can do better than merely adapting to a new environment — we can thrive by shaping it. The article gives practical help for cultivating more imagination. Dare you to try some of the suggestions. I’m living points 6 and 7 currently.

May these things today stir your imagination!!

THE CHRISTIAN IMAGINATION - NT WRIGHT

NT Wright gives an incredible lecture about the role of the imagination as part of the Christian faith - it is beautiful and inspiring. It will help you reclaim imagination and value having eyes to see and creativity to help tell the gospel story. Read it here.

This video below is the story that correlates to the LIVING TREE he references in the article.

“You need imagination to live in God's world. The Christian church has often been bad at encouraging imagination… But the arts, the imagination, our capacity to create beauty ourselves, is not simply incidental to what it means to be human.”

The Christian Imagination - NT WRIGHT

OLAFUR ARNALDS - “AND WE’LL LEAVE IT THERE”

What does it look like when someone else imagines with you? Here is my friend Anthony Gomezes's favorite composer, Olafur Arnalds. He posted an improvisation to social media and came across someone else who sang improvisations over his music. It's a gorgeous piece of work from two artists who improvised unknowingly….. enjoy.

THE JESUS REVOLUTION

What happens when Frasier makes a movie about the transformation that Jesus brings and then lets the world imagine our story? Have you seen this yet? Thoughts??

Imagine an actor moved to tears by the beauty of what they are caught up in... Incredible!!

LOSE YOUR MIND - AN EXHIBITION OF AI ART

Does your imagination allow for this?

Artist Refik Anadol doesn't work with paintbrushes or clay. Instead, he uses enormous collections of data and machine learning algorithms to create mesmerizing and dynamic installations.

(Also, we want one of those LED frames at our house. How about you? Imagine that!!)

REAL-LIFE DISNEY IMAGINEERS WHO BECAME CHURCH BUILDERS

Read about the storytellers of PlainJoe Studios in this inspiring article.

With creative roots deep in Disney Imagineering, Universal, and LegoLand, PlainJoe Studios understands the importance of storytelling in architectural design, including for churches… McGowan’s aesthetic fuses his background in film and design with a decade spent at the Walt Disney Co., plus the spirit and creativity of Disney’s original Imagineers, designers, and fabricators.

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Read the entire article here.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Here’s a link to the latest edition of the Rhino Journals called “Behind the scenes: Our creative process & where the magic happens!”. (If you’re not a part of the Rhino paid community yet, here’s a secret link that will give you 10% off, but use it now, as it will expire in 24 hours.) We share how we’ve created shared space for each other and those we work with within our creative “ways.” If you ever have to work with anyone else, this will help!

Grace and Peace,

Cass & Rich