creative highlight
MEMBER from our community
THERESA WUNDER
Hi! My name is Theresa. I am a 27-year old kindergarten teacher by day and Christian lettering artist by night (and whenever I find the time)! I was born in a small town in Austria (the one without Kangaroos!) and live here again after living in the US from 2014-2018. I was raised in a Christian home, but it took me a long time and a lot of detours in my faith to get to where I am now. I am so grateful for God’s grace to not let me go astray and correct the course where it was needed, even though it was painful at times. In 2018 I started to share my art on my Instagram page @TheresaWunderDesign and it has been my desire to share God’s word with my followers, so they could fall in love with and know God through it.
Instagram: @theresawunderdesign
Website: theresawunderdesign.com (website going live soon)
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheresaWunderDesign
Instagram: @theresawunderdesign
Website: theresawunderdesign.com (website going live soon)
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheresaWunderDesign
Can you tell us about your introduction to art? How did you know you had a creative gift?
I loved drawing as a child and went to a middle school with lots of art classes. My senior art project in high school was painting Bible verses on canvas with acrylic paint - not the words, but how I imagined the verse to look like.
After high school, I stopped painting for a while because of a lack of space and time. I lived in the US and I had a roommate in 2017 who was (and still is) an amazing painter and artist. She inspired me to get back into my creative side, but this time I was interested in writing Bible verses so I could memorize them and get them rooted in my heart. I had always liked the pretty Bible lettering I found on Instagram and Pinterest and decided to start practicing faux calligraphy myself. Ever since I started, people have been telling me that I have a gift and I should pursue it! So, in August of 2018 – after lots of prayer – I finally started my Instagram page @TheresaWunderDesign!
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
I don’t think I ever seriously thought about it until I got started with my Instagram page.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
It’s my desire to read and/or study the Word of God every day. Whenever I do that, my whole day is just different! There is a peace and a joy that I notice isn’t there in the same capacity when I’m not reading my Bible – even through exhaustion from my full-time job or when I let other things in life get in the way.
When a verse sticks out to me during my study and I choose to put it on paper it’s because I have encountered the Lord first through His word. When it’s His leading, I notice that it’s a very smooth and mostly quick process, and the verse gets into my heart and doesn’t stay on the surface.
The process from start to finish – from study to styling if you will – helps me spend time with God and His word. It’s a beautiful thing I get to do and I’m so grateful I get to be with Him whenever I create something.
I loved drawing as a child and went to a middle school with lots of art classes. My senior art project in high school was painting Bible verses on canvas with acrylic paint - not the words, but how I imagined the verse to look like.
After high school, I stopped painting for a while because of a lack of space and time. I lived in the US and I had a roommate in 2017 who was (and still is) an amazing painter and artist. She inspired me to get back into my creative side, but this time I was interested in writing Bible verses so I could memorize them and get them rooted in my heart. I had always liked the pretty Bible lettering I found on Instagram and Pinterest and decided to start practicing faux calligraphy myself. Ever since I started, people have been telling me that I have a gift and I should pursue it! So, in August of 2018 – after lots of prayer – I finally started my Instagram page @TheresaWunderDesign!
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
I don’t think I ever seriously thought about it until I got started with my Instagram page.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
It’s my desire to read and/or study the Word of God every day. Whenever I do that, my whole day is just different! There is a peace and a joy that I notice isn’t there in the same capacity when I’m not reading my Bible – even through exhaustion from my full-time job or when I let other things in life get in the way.
When a verse sticks out to me during my study and I choose to put it on paper it’s because I have encountered the Lord first through His word. When it’s His leading, I notice that it’s a very smooth and mostly quick process, and the verse gets into my heart and doesn’t stay on the surface.
The process from start to finish – from study to styling if you will – helps me spend time with God and His word. It’s a beautiful thing I get to do and I’m so grateful I get to be with Him whenever I create something.
What are your favorite ways to express your creativity?
Right now it’s everything that has to do with lettering. I love the process from “studying to styling”.
Are others in your family creative too?
Yes! My great grandmother started it all. She knitted and crocheted not only little doilies but made tiny crocheted figurines and beautiful blankets. My grandmother is creative in her cooking, singing and decorating her home and my mother has been painting with oil and acrylic painting for years, and she has also designed her own clothes in her late teens and early twenties and much more. My 82-year old grandfather continuously surprises me with his creativity and I’m sure I have some of it in my genes as well. He keeps painting geometrical designs onto the garden table, the shed or his wheel barrow (and keeps re-designing them) and I love it.
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
Because I have lived in the US for so long, my content is mainly in English and I feel like the Lord wants me to start focusing also on the locals here who mainly speak German. Especially when it comes to sharing the gospel the Lord has been nudging me to create cards and stickers that are in German- so I can reach the German speaking world as well.
Some practical steps you'd encourage other creatives to take to become productive and learn business skills etc.?
"Teach me Your way, O יהוה; Let me walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name." Psalm 86:11
When I read Psalm 86 and specifically verse 11 a few years ago it became “my” sincere prayer. I desire this verse to be reality in my life. I think a prayer like this, with a humble and believing heart can help you find out what direction God is leading you aka His way, His truth, in the fear of the Lord. So definitely prayer! Another practical step would be to get a couple free months of “Skillshare”. A lot of YouTubers offer 2 months for free. You can learn a lot of skills that people share (pun intended!) such as calligraphy, how to grow your Instagram or how to improve your photography skills! It helped me with creative and business skills for sure. Also, download apps like “OVER”, Lightroom CC or Snapseed if you want to edit your pictures for Instagram directly on your phone.
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
You won’t be perfect from the start. Don’t expect perfection from yourself! Get started when you feel God telling you to and start with what you have. Do your research and give your best but don’t compare yourself to others (or their perfect Instagram accounts) to the point of not even starting at all because you’re intimidated. If you have a gift that can glorify God, share it for His glory, and not for the followers or to earn money. Those things might come with time, but keep the focus on the Lord.
Right now it’s everything that has to do with lettering. I love the process from “studying to styling”.
Are others in your family creative too?
Yes! My great grandmother started it all. She knitted and crocheted not only little doilies but made tiny crocheted figurines and beautiful blankets. My grandmother is creative in her cooking, singing and decorating her home and my mother has been painting with oil and acrylic painting for years, and she has also designed her own clothes in her late teens and early twenties and much more. My 82-year old grandfather continuously surprises me with his creativity and I’m sure I have some of it in my genes as well. He keeps painting geometrical designs onto the garden table, the shed or his wheel barrow (and keeps re-designing them) and I love it.
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
Because I have lived in the US for so long, my content is mainly in English and I feel like the Lord wants me to start focusing also on the locals here who mainly speak German. Especially when it comes to sharing the gospel the Lord has been nudging me to create cards and stickers that are in German- so I can reach the German speaking world as well.
Some practical steps you'd encourage other creatives to take to become productive and learn business skills etc.?
"Teach me Your way, O יהוה; Let me walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name." Psalm 86:11
When I read Psalm 86 and specifically verse 11 a few years ago it became “my” sincere prayer. I desire this verse to be reality in my life. I think a prayer like this, with a humble and believing heart can help you find out what direction God is leading you aka His way, His truth, in the fear of the Lord. So definitely prayer! Another practical step would be to get a couple free months of “Skillshare”. A lot of YouTubers offer 2 months for free. You can learn a lot of skills that people share (pun intended!) such as calligraphy, how to grow your Instagram or how to improve your photography skills! It helped me with creative and business skills for sure. Also, download apps like “OVER”, Lightroom CC or Snapseed if you want to edit your pictures for Instagram directly on your phone.
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
You won’t be perfect from the start. Don’t expect perfection from yourself! Get started when you feel God telling you to and start with what you have. Do your research and give your best but don’t compare yourself to others (or their perfect Instagram accounts) to the point of not even starting at all because you’re intimidated. If you have a gift that can glorify God, share it for His glory, and not for the followers or to earn money. Those things might come with time, but keep the focus on the Lord.