A Spiritual Experience

Reid draws inspiration from several sources, but often feels the Lord places the projects on his heart. “The purpose for my spiritual pieces is to give encouragement and hope,” says Reid. “As an artist, I am also blessed to be able to witness through however the Holy Spirit seems best. It’s a blessing when I hear from others how my work spoke into their lives.”

Reid especially enjoys creating portraits, having done his first self-portrait at the age of 9. When drawing faces, he delves deep into one’s nuances and expressions, even capturing the emotions in the subject’s eyes. When it comes to his social media videos where he depicts Bible characters or stories, he sketches the image on a canvas, sets up the camera and paints. He later edits the videos to speed up the painting process and adds background music.

Reid says the process of creating art is not only a blessing to others but a spiritual experience for him. He recently went through a difficult and humbling personal challenge, leaving him in very low spirits.

“An image I painted of Jesus holding a man in sorrow came to mind,” Reid reflects. “I imagined that man as myself. And every time I look at it, I am comforted. I am reminded that Jesus is always here to hold me.”

One of Reid’s biggest dreams is to create a graphic novel on the book of Revelation, a project he was inspired to do about 14 years ago, at the age of 14. He offers the following words of wisdom to young Christian artists on how to use their gifts for the glory of God: “Stay humble and hungry. Keep learning new techniques, stay open-minded and keep the Lord in your future. He will make your paths straight.”