The Giving Artist: An Interview With Dave Combs

Posted by parkejladd on Apr 29, 2010 in Featured {Article}, Slider | 1 comment

My friend Dave Combs and I sat down over coffee to discuss art, creativity, and his recent trip to Magdelana, Guatemala, where he and others helped renovate a local art school and show love to its students. Combs is an artist living on Indy’s East side. He is dedicated to compassionate creativity, innovative artistry, serving the church, caring for his beautiful family, and deepening his growing, Irvington community. {Click on pictures to view them full-size.}

Parke: What does it take to be an artist?

Dave: I think everyone is an artist at heart. Look at little kids. Almost all of them love to draw and create and make things. It was the same for most people when they were young, but, as they got older, they lost their tendency to create, or their desire to make art was squelched by societal norms, or someone along the line told them it wasn’t a good idea.

Parke: You experienced this?

Dave: Growing up, I had to fight it. In high school there were a lot of people telling me I should go to college and focus on my education. Inside, however, I was torn between my real desire to create and this misguiding pressure to do something responsible that society could place value on like being a good engineer. I was pushed toward being a good engineer, and I went to engineering school. I didn’t enjoy it, and I didn’t apply myself. I was still really focused on my art which hindered my ability to be a good college level student. There really wasn’t time to screw around. You had to be focused and serious about your studies, and I couldn’t engage it in the way you had to in order to do well. So I took some time off–a few years to contemplate whether or not I was really designed for this whole school thing. Eventually I went back and studied graphic design which I classify as “useful art.” It strikes a balance between art that is marketable and art that exists for its own sake, regardless of whether or not people want to purchase it. Now I’m able to use my desire to create and still have work.

Parke: To some extent, ‘artist’ is a hard word to define.

Dave: Yeah. It’s tough. Sometimes I have trouble calling my own self an artist because I’m not one of those guys who can just do whatever they want, whenever they want. Like if they’re starving to death they’re still going to make their paintings the way they want to make their paintings even if no one wants to buy them. I don’t relate to that. Sure, I want to do things that are meaningful and purposeful, but maybe I’m not enough of a purist to be able to say, “I’m an artist.” I do love to create. I love doing things that are meaningful to other people–enhancing things or contributing in some positive way.

Parke: That sounds like a good definition.

Dave: Well, it’s a definition based on how I’ve lived it I guess. It’s been a process of learning how it is.

Parke: What do you love about the church in Indy, and what specifically drew you to Indy Metro Church?

Dave: Well, at Indy Metro it was easy to connect. Right away we made contact with people and started developing relationships. The relationship building was easy and natural at Indy Metro. We got into a small group really quickly and felt like the people there desired fellowship, to do life together, and that’s something we had been looking for.

Parke: How did you wind up in Guatemala?

Dave: We’d been going to Indy Metro Church for about a month when we heard about their partnership with Guatemala. Obviously, my wife and I have a heart for art. When we heard that Indy Metro was supporting an art school in Guatemala for impoverished kids, it really stirred our hearts. We thought maybe we could go and help in some way even though we had no idea what we would do. So we signed up to go. When we first started out, the main focus of the trip was building a bathroom, and I definitely don’t have any bathroom building skills! But I still thought I could go and help somehow. As it turned out, however, and we had no idea this was going to be part of the trip, we ended up painting murals on the school’s walls. I was like, oh wow this is something I actually know how to do! It was totally God using the gifts of the crew, which he brought together, without us even knowing what the tasks were going to be.

Parke: You had no idea you’d have the opportunity to paint or use your artistic skills?

Dave: No, we didn’t know. We just knew there were going to be kids getting an opportunity, and we wanted to show up to see if God could use us somehow.

Parke: What was the overall Guatemala experience like?

Dave: It was definitely an awakening. I didn’t know a whole lot about Guatemala, and I only had a general idea about poverty. My concept of  poverty was related to what I had experienced in America where even the poor people have it fairly well off compared to other countries. I kind of knew this but had never experienced it first hand. So going to Guatemala was definitely an awakening due largely to learning of just how simply people live there. It was shocking at first. The bare bone essentials of how people live in a day to day way. The people have so little there. In America we have the government to fall back on, programs to help us get by, but Guatemalans don’t have that. The amazing thing was that despite their impoverished state, people were still so incredibly generous. Everyone we met wanted to give us something. They all wanted to give us what they had. It was so humbling for us as wealthy Americans. There we were, going to this place of poverty to serve them and give to them, and all they wanted to do was give to us! It impacted me so deeply. It really made me reevaluate some things.

Parke: Like what?

Dave: Like sometimes I may feel as though I’m really struggling or that money is tight or whatever. But these people lived in a state of absolute poverty, and they were still so giving. It made me question what other ways I could give of what I have to offer. Even if I have very little worldly wealth, I still believe that I have so much to give. It definitely challenged me in that way. And people were so friendly to one another. You couldn’t walk down the street without being greeted. In Guatemala it’s actually rude to not greet one another. People were so friendly; a joy to be around.

Parke: Tell me about the art school.

Dave: It’s composed of young kids, and it’s very community based. I describe it as a beacon of light in a community that doesn’t seem to have a lot of hope. There’s not a lot of opportunity for kids to go to college. Many of their families can’t afford to send their kids past very early schooling . So it’s this hope-based light that teaches kids a skill they otherwise would not have been able to afford to nurture, and some of them can actually earn an income for their families by selling their paintings. That’s what we are doing here in Indy. We are helping them sell their paintings. If we can help a kid sell a painting for $20, that  money will feed a family for several weeks in Guatemala. This is a huge opportunity for them to earn money while learning a great skill.

Parke: A beacon of hope in an otherwise desolate community.

Dave: It’s more than just an art school. Carlos, the head of the school, and his wife, Telma, have a vision of sharing the love of Christ with the kids who come into the school. The main objective  is to love the kids and teach them about Jesus while developing their skills as artists.

Parke: What a perfect combination–a school that teaches young kids to create and about the love of Jesus.

Dave: It really is. Many of the kids who go there can’t afford to go. Carlos accepts students who couldn’t otherwise afford it. It’s very cool. Carlos and Telma are so giving. Most of the time they don’t even have enough for themselves because they are always buying supplies and materials for the kids. Their generosity, especially within the context of their having so little, is moving. They give so much.

Parke: The art work is really good.

Dave: It’s beautiful work. They’re young children doing quality work, well developed artistically. They’re producing art which might be mistaken for an adults work. Their paintings are very rich in color. We noticed there are a lot more colorful patterns. The paintings are very rich and vibrant. They draw you in, almost giving you the experience of being there. They capture the essence of the beauty in the painting.

Parke: Coming back, how has it changed your “generosity standard” here in Indy.

Dave: Holly and I were so inspired we’ve talked about starting an art school here to provide opportunities for kids who might otherwise not have the means to go. If God wants us to, He’ll provide. Guatemala challenged my thinking on generosity. How can I be more giving to the community? Giving time–pausing–not being so busy or caught up in my own thing, my own agenda and ideas. I want to take time to listen to people in need or those who are hurting. It caused me to ask myself what I have to give and where I can find opportunity to serve. I’ve tried to be a bit more engaging with random strangers, reaching out in friendliness to everyone. Sometimes I get strange looks, but I try to not get discouraged. (laughing) I’ve gotten some weird looks so far.

I love creating with my kids. They challenge me. They have such a freedom to create without expectation. It doesn’t matter what comes out, they just create. That’s the essence of art–the freedom to create without expectations of results. It doesn’t matter what comes out–it’s about the process. You may make something that people find of value or you may not. But as long as you are in the process, enjoying it and actually feeling something, I think that’s where real art is.

Parke: That resonates well with me. Creating with freedom from expectations, freedom from worry.

Dave: Yeah. Developing expectations and worry is something you unfortunately learn along the way.

Parke: What would you share with young artists seeking advice or seeking meaning in their work?

Dave: As an artist, don’t worry too much about what others think of your art. There will be a tendency to want approval but understand that there is a huge, historical precedent for people appreciating art long after the artist is dead! If those artists would have worried too much about what others thought of their work, they may have quit and become plumbers. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a plumber, but they would have missed their gift. Creating is a gift. There’s something about it. God is the creator of the universe. He is innately creative. Our creativity is about being in commune with God. God chose to make the world beautiful, and, as we observe and create, because we are made in His image, we can be in harmony with God. Through our own individual expressions as artists, we can design and worship in accordance to what God has created us to be. We can share with Him in relationship as we create. As I’m creating, I look at how God creates and wonder how I can be in harmony with him. Understand who God made you to be and create in accordance with that.

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