The Kingdom Art Life Course (KAL) is a journey about you – about the artist who shows up in your faith walk, relationship with God, and creative career. KAL takes you through twelve reflective conversations that affirm you in your experience as a Christian building an art career in the marketplace. These conversations will spark a renewal in the way you see your art life in God, and see God in your art life—helping you cultivate a Christ-centered, faith-maturing, Kingdom-building, purpose-fulfilling, fruit-producing, God-honoring, Holy Spirit-led, intimacy deepening life in art that honors your creative heart as you boldly take space in your art career.
The Kingdom Art Life is perfect for personal and group study.
What Participants Are Saying...
Although this study and the relationships it fostered are more than words can describe, the experience exposed a true call to liberation of my creative wholeness in Christ. The tenderness of truth in Marlita’s modules awakened a desire in me to reorient my thoughts, beliefs, and practices as an artist with a newfound trust in God. A real reckoning occurred in my heart and mind: my art can honor my relationship with Christ without having to prove the quality of it. Ultimately, I will be forever grateful for this encounter and the invitation to step into any and all spaces with the courage to reveal the fruit of His craftsmanship in me.
Kristen Filipovich
Visual Artist
I have done several bible studies but never experienced such tangible growth and healing as I have seen during Marlita Hill’s The Kingdom Art Life. It feels as though this was written just for me, and yet I am absolutely certain it is relevant to every artist of faith.
Like so many others, I have carried a conflict between my art and my faith that I have never quite been able to understand or articulate. Marlita’s divine wisdom has allowed God to heal that divide and help me to understand that those essential parts of my identity were never meant to be severed in the first place.
This is not some new head knowledge, but a true heart-transformation that I will continue to walk out throughout my life. Marlita has helped me dig through layers and layers of deception and recalibrate my beliefs. I have already seen tangible fruit, especially in my relationships with myself, God, and others.
I used to believe that my God-given artistic talents and aspirations only brought value to the Kingdom if they were used in or for the church. Frankly, I used to keep God locked out of any “secular” artistic endeavors. I now understand that God is behind ALL of it, even if it doesn’t fit into the Western Christian culture that I grew up in. Hello Freedom!
Also, doing this transformative work has enabled me to participate in more intimate and vulnerable conversations with beloved friends, deepening long-standing relationships as I’ve allowed my whole self to be seen by people who have known me most of my life but with whom I’ve never really been able to share my whole self.
And I thought this would only help my career!
My only regret about this experience is that it didn’t happen 20 years ago. And yet I believe God’s timing is perfect and look forward to continuing to see the fruit that comes from it.
Kate Hathway
Theater
I didn’t think I could have a positive relationship with a Christian God again until I joined the Kingdom Art Life Course.
I have a difficult and abusive past associated with the Christian church and was turned off to the concept of even meeting a bible study for over 15 years. When I heard the way Marlita phrases her understanding of God’s word and the impactful questions she asks of her fellow participants, it gave me a new vocabulary to explore a different God. A kinder God, a less abusive God, a warmer and more affectionate Father God than had been presented to me in youth.
Marlita has created a curriculum that brings together individuals from different walks of life to create communication with a new vocabulary to explore a new view of God. This is the kind of conversation we all need to be having as a spiritual collective.
Raw. Deep. Inquisitive. Unconditionally loving. Empowered. Grounded in a loving version of the Lord. I recommend this group to any and all who need a new lens and vocabulary to describe and explore their relationship with Christ consciousness.
Emma Harris
Dancer, Visual Artist
A simply invaluable course which brings incredible tools and teaching to realise breakthrough in every sense of the word for an artist. It busts myths, breaks new and exciting ground and is like a stream in the desert of spiritual support for the artist. It will change your mindset and activate a new belief in this kingdom art life relationship. It’s refreshing to finally have someone bringing forth some encouragement and real support for artists who are very much creating in the wide world and outside of church walls.
Tiny Leaves Music
Composer, Performer, Musician
tinyleaves.co.uk
A wonderful study that really goes deeper in helping us to understand how God sees our life in him and how our artistic career is integral to that.
I am loving the Kingdom Art Life study. Marlita is full of wisdom. She draws out such profound truth in the studies and I can honestly say it has really changed the way I feel about how God sees my art. I am excited to continue my art walk with God with a renewed sense of knowing that he wants to be involved in all aspects of my walk, and in giving him the space to speak into my life and allowing space to listen.
Liz Pike
Writer and hand letterer
etsy.com/uk/shop/LittleBirdEditions
The Kingdom Art Life Study has been fantastic. A blend of both revelation and confirmation over my creative career. I’ve enjoyed listening to the sessions that have been masterfully crafted to take me on a journey and bring a wealth of understanding and Kingdom perspective. From the first session I knew I was going to get a lot from the discussions and it didn’t disappoint and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed hearing others share too as we’ve embarked on this journey together.
Josie Gamble
Freelance Graphic & Web Designer
christiancreativenetwork.com
The Kingdom Art Life is extremely beneficial in helping to recognize your own self-conscious judgements you place on how you see art and your role in it, as a Christian artist. Going through this study allowed me to recognize how much of my personal relationship with God is actually hindered by the limitations I place around Him, especially in my art life.
This study allowed me to release the subconscious judgements in order to fully invite God into every aspect of my art and work. It helped me to realize that, as a Christian, your art is not separate from your faith. In fact, He’s given you your art, and has placed you in your work place, to increase your faith and further spread His gospel.
Brianne Nix
Dancer
The Kingdom Art Life Study has enabled me to take time to consider my art career in the context of how God is ‘for me & not against me.’ I have found the format of listening to the session with accompanying ‘script’ notes plus the workbook really helpful. There is a wealth of information, thoughts, ideas, perspectives and scripture references for reflection that could be used in various different contexts to encourage creativity.
Wendi Lee,
Painter/Photographer/Maker
This course is amazing and I would recommend any creative to sign up! Marlita has a real gift of communication and she takes you on a journey from the foundations of being an artist who belongs to Jesus through the truths and practical outliving of that. Her course material gives you food for thought at every turn. Her way of explaining things, to hit home a point, are great. Marlita anchors everything with Bible references and the stories used as examples are relevant and memorable. This material goes deep and I imagine it will be a resource I’ll go back to again and again.
Annica May / All Things Design
Portfolio Designer
allthingsdesign.co.uk
Module 1: On the Issue of Seeing
Explores how we see ourselves and our experience as career-focused artists in Christ actively engaged in (or pursuing) an art career.
Module 2: The Relationship-Deepening Art Life, Pt. 1
Explores how we’ve come to see ourselves and our experience as career-focused artists in Christ the way we do.
Module 3: The Relationship-Deepening Art Life, Pt. 2
Explores how we begin to cultivate trust, intimacy, and vulnerability with God in our creative life so that we can walk in wholeness.
Module 4: The God-Honoring Art Life
Explores how struggles with usefulness has impacted our relationship with God and Christian community, and our vision of our place and art career.
Module 5: The Christ-Centered Art Life
Explores the reality of our experience as artists who have said yes to God.
Module 6: The Spirit-Led Art Life
Explores how the Holy Spirits leads us in the everyday-ness of our art careers.
Module 7: The Faith-Building Art Life
Explores the practical ways we build, manage, and navigate our art careers by faith.
Module 8: The Honorably-Minded Art Life
Explores the accountability of being a career-focused artist in relationship with Christ and the mindsets that keep our career decisions honorable.
Module 9: The Kingdom-Building Art Life
Explores how our “secular” art careers participate in building the Kingdom.
Module 10: The Fruit-Producing Art Life
Explores how God works through the daily routines and experiences of our art careers to produce spiritual maturity in us.
Module 11: The Purpose-Full Art Life
Explores how our creative lives participate in the things God purposes to do for us, in us, with us, and through us.
Module 12: The All-Honoring Art Life
Explores what it means to bring all parts of ourselves into all parts of our experience as Christians building an art career in secular culture.
Marlita Hill is a choreographer, multi-published author, and educator. She is the creator of the Kingdom Artist Initiative (KAI), which mentors professional artists of faith in building a healthy, undivided relationship between their faith and art career. She also forms instructional partnerships with colleges, artist organizations, and churches, providing curriculum to help disciple their marketplace artists. Her books are used for college ministry courses, small groups, and dance ministries.
Marlita is an Adjunct Instructor and MFA graduate with Belhaven University (MS). She is the creator of the Kingdom Art Life podcast and is the Artistic Director/Choreographer for Speak Hill Dance Project, through which she showcases her own work and provides master classes, guest choreography, and residencies. Her choreography has been presented at venues including Belhaven University, ARC Pasadena, Lineage Performing Arts Center, Diavolo, Towson University, Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (in collaboration with VT Dance), Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (MD), and Carpenter Center Performing Arts. For over twenty years, Marlita has served God as a dance artist in the church and marketplace and, through that experience, mentors artists around the world.