Musing: The Need for New

Instructor: Jordan Holt

30min | Beauty, Creativity, Philosophy

Overview

Not all art is created equal.

Some work is functional. Efficient. Designed to do a job. Think of a McDonald’s jingle. It’s catchy but not life-changing. And yet, in the Church, we’ve often treated creativity the same way: polished, predictable, endlessly repeatable. Art made to be consumed, not to reveal anything bigger than itself.

The Need for New is a musing for creatives who feel the weight of that tension. For those who know there’s more than what we’re currently offering in our songs, services, and stories. It challenges the common Christian narrative that usefulness is the highest goal—and instead argues that true creativity balances novelty, usefulness, and depth. That beauty, to remain transformative, must keep moving. Keep revealing. Keep making us feel something beyond what’s safe.

This musing will challenge how you define creativity, usefulness, and beauty. It will explore the difference between making something “good” and making something true. You’ll ask better questions about your own work and the systems you create in. And you’ll be invited to stop settling for “what works” and start imagining what’s possible.

Because we don’t just need more content—we need new language. We need art that transforms, not just entertains. And we need creatives who aren’t afraid to go first.