Testimonies from Art Sozo Trainings

Bethany experiences healing and freedom:

"Our ministry, Agape Celebration, hosted an art Sozo workshop and training. It was truly a wonderful experience for me. I found it to be healing in unexpected ways, and God has unleashed a bountiful supply of new freedom in my life. 

Because of childhood issues and lies I believed, I have not enjoyed swimming. But after the Art Sozo I discovered that swimming was easy and fun. Every roadblock I once had was removed by the hand of God. 

Another amazing gift from God was the ability to paint again. For years I have felt like someone with two left hands and only thumbs, but after the Sozo, God renewed my ability to paint and doused me with joy as I spread paint across each canvas. He has continually brought the theme of hearts to my mind and added various words to each painting. I am blessed to be lifted up in his presence through painting. I had believed I was not artistic in this way, but with his Spirit, artistic is unlimited. 

Thank you Gail and Eli for a wonderful, well led workshop and training. God is working through you to bring miracles into the lives of others."

- Bethany from Coeur d'Alene

Julian experiences personal breakthrough: 

I came to the Bethel School of Creativity last year (May 2017) and felt God speaking to me about starting to paint. My experiences of painting in the past weren’t great and were mainly limited to a week or two during a Foundation Course in Art and Design over thirty years ago, when I wasn’t at all pleased with the results! I am a successful product designer and have won a British Design Award and had my products chosen for the Olympics, so the idea of painting didn’t initially resonate with me and I didn’t do anything about it for five months. However, I live in England and I really felt I should go the Art Sozo training in London in the fall of 2017. This got me into painting with the sponges and Q-tips and, as I was leaving on the last day, I felt God say "you have dipped your toe in, are you going to dive in?". The impression I got was this applied to Art Sozo but also specifically the idea of painting. At that point, my design work had dried up, so I had time on my hands and went out and bought some acrylics and an easel. A month later, I took six of my paintings to a local gallery. The proprietor liked them, hung one immediately and promised to take on some of the others when he had more space. Two days later this painting sold for £400. I was amazed and delighted! He now has six paintings in there and one recently sold and went to Northern Ireland.

A month or so later, I was sitting in a teashop in our village and mentioned to the owner about starting to paint. She asked to look at my paintings and then offered me exclusive use of the café over the next six weeks to exhibit the paintings. I now also have my work in a café in a nearby town and the owner is selling these at zero commission because we helped them set the café up a few months ago. In addition I have my prints for sale in a luxury cliff top B&B at the local Sussex beauty spot, Beachy Head. Other artists have their work here, but in a small, fairly inaccessible room at the top of the lighthouse, whereas I was offered the dining room where the guests have breakfast every day. So far I have sold at least three canvas prints here and I am waiting to find out next week how sales have been during the last two months. Over the first six months, I have sold four originals in total and the money from this has come in very useful while the product design work has been sparse.

This period of incredible favour is something I have never experienced before. It’s a God thing which has just happened without me having to lift a finger (other than to paint). This makes me laugh a lot! But, maybe the best part of the story is that two of my friends have been inspired to start painting. They have both been going through a difficult time and have found it very healing. One has just made his first sale after only a month since starting!

So I just wanted to thank you for playing a major part in this story. Art Sozo provides such a beautiful, unthreatening environment which puts people at ease with the idea of painting. Instead of performance, there is the focus on tuning in to the Presence and what He is saying to us. As I reflect back on the training, I recall the profound atmosphere of peace and rest in the room, which created a wonderful springboard for healing, creativity and new beginnings.

- Julian from Sussex, UK