ARE YOU CALLED TO LIVE BY THE CODES?
Men with creative vocations are called to live differently. This article explains why.
(Scroll to the bottom to read the codes and request access to our Discord server.)
Why We Long To Create
The book of Exodus describes the men who God instructed to build all the beautiful items of that His people would use for worship, as well as the Ark of the Covenant. Scripture says they were “.., men whose hearts moved them to come and do the work.” (Ex 36:2). In every heart with a creative vocation, God has placed a longing to make the things that honor and glorify Him. However, in modern times, because of our fragmentary and diluted culture, creative men are not brought up in a way that teaches us who to be as artists.
Why We're Lost
No man should be self made. Creative men should naturally learn the discipline and focus necessary for our great tasks by growing up in a society of other disciplined and focused men. We should have institutions and culture that set us on a path to self mastery like the great artists of Christendom, who often began apprenticeships before the age of fourteen. But the ancient creative cultures did not last. When a nation fell, so did it’s creative class. And the culture we inherited in does not build us up. It’s time to forge a Catholic creative culture that will outlast any nation.
Until there is a subculture that unquestionably centers us on truth, goodness, and beauty and unites us under the mutual pursuit of excellence, we will not be able to defend against the culture that drains us of our life with distortions, relativism, and spectacles. Creative men will be be left undisciplined, unfocused, isolated, and crumbling under the stress of everyday life.
This Is Our Fight
There is no excuse to remain passive and victimized. It’s time for Catholic creatives to make a radical shift in how we approach creative professions. The world paints creativity as something soft, an escape from reality. But we have creative drives because we are made in the image of our Almighty Father, the creator of all. He is not passive or afraid of reality. We must respond to His gift with all our heart, mind, and strength and bring our talents to bear on the work he has laid out for us.
Forging a New Way
Young creative Catholic men are offered a terrible selection of choices. If we don’t want to compromise on our faith we can either avoid creative professions altogether or attempt to build a creative business on our own, often unsupported and unguided. Many try to make it in Hollywood or other secular institutions but the culture of those places and organizations is already toxic to true, masculine creativity. As St. James warns us, “…where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.” (James 3:16). It’s time to build a new creative corps from the ground up. The Tekton Codes of Honor are the foundation of that corps.
We Are Tektons. What Kind of Warrior Are You?
Being a tekton is not something to take lightly. If you’re interested in taking the next step to realizing your creative vocation, read the codes and understand them. If you’re not sure, take some time to discern. But don’t be passive. Connect with tektons and start building relationships. The Tekton Initiative is based in Boise, Idaho. But, we’re growing an online community as well. When you’re ready, fill out the application below to access our Discord Server.