The Healing Story behind "Gyotaku and More!"

Glory to God in all of our tiny details...

During a recent emotional struggle, a good friend introduced me to Gyotaku. It's an ancient Japanese print method used by fishermen (it translates - "fish rubbing"). It dates back to the 1800s as a way to accurately document their caught fish (since there were no cameras back then). Since then it has become a popular art form. I have always been in awe of fish, underwater creatures, etc. and I hold a lot of respect for them and all their tiny beautiful details. While enjoying this art form and trying my hand at it, God recently smacked me with an Ah-Ha moment. My emotional struggle happened when I retired and I lost who I was. For so many years, I was looking at one detail of me and blowing it up so big that I couldn't see all the other details. I've been doing this for years, probably since I started working at 15. My work, my career, my jobs... were who I was. They defined my value. This Gyotaku has been so healing, where God has shown me the many beautiful OTHER details of me.

So often we do this don't we? We can take something good about our self (whether it's beauty, status, a career, money, a partner, etc) and make it bigger than it is. It can shadow all the other details that God gave us when He formed us. The same is true for a flaw! We can take that flaw (whether it's addiction, a failed marriage, a scar, jail time, etc) and we can make it who we are! It makes it really tough to see all the other beautiful details. We are all made up of so many beautiful details, all different, all unique... one of a kind! Just as God planned.

As you look at these Gyotaku prints of not just fish but feathers, leaves, crabs, shells, etc., I pray that you get it. You are made up of many tiny beautiful and unique details...... God did that! He made you "One of a kind"!

My goal here isn't to sell Gyotaku (but I will) but instead teach about NOT just the details of these fish, shells, leaves, feathers via art but to explore "the beautiful details of you" in this process.

Psalms 139:13 - 14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's Masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"