Lightposts for Living by Thomas Kinkade is one of those books that I pick up and read over and over again. The author is a contemporary American artist, often called “The Painter of Light.” He paints cozy cottages with lamplight peeping through the windows, tree-lined streets dotted with lampposts, and landscapes with sunlight filtering through the trees. His book illustrates the order in which he creates his paintings, which is similar to the process of creating a light-filled life.   

    Although “light” is the artist’s trademark, he confesses that if people come into his studio when he is in the middle of a painting they are often surprised and disappointed to find his work-in-progress is quite dark and gloomy. This is because he has deliberately painted layer after layer of dark glaze across his canvas. He considers the dark layers a necessary preparation for the luminous colors he will add later.

    There is a chapter in the book called “The Secret of the Dark Canvas” in which Kinkade explains: “Those dark layers are what will give the work its depth; they will make the windows and the streetlights and even the sun seem to glow from within instead of being dabbed on the surface. Because of the darkness, the light I add has more impact.”

    Knowing this little secret about darkness makes Kinkade thankful for the dark times in his own life. His younger years were marred by the neglect of an alcoholic father and the constant struggle to help his mother provide for their impoverished family. However, he believes that those dark times have added depth to his own character.

    With every work, Kinkade establishes a focal point or center of interest for his paintings; this is the most important part of the entire composition. He explains: “This center provides a starting point from which to choose all your other involvements.” Similarly, our lives should have a focal point from which all major decisions are made. The focal point guides us in choosing what will be included in our life story. Faith in God is the focal point of Kinkade’s life story.

    The Painter of Light blocks out spaces on his canvas and decides what will surround the center point, and he limits his palette to a certain range of colors. Likewise, the artist explains that a well crafted life should be limited to activities that enhance the real purpose of existence. We must eliminate the excess and concentrate upon what is really important in order to live the life God has planned. Kinkade quotes Henry David Thoreau: “Our life is frittered away by detail…Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!”

    In explaining God’s providence, the artist relates: “It simply means that we are provided with what we need, when we need it—but usually not before, and not without our participation.” We participate with faith–the choice to sail forward before we are completely sure why we are going through what we’re going through, before we are completely confident we can trust the final outcome.       

    Thomas Kinkade believes that “If enough people filled their lives with light, the world would be a pretty bright place. But if even one person lives more radiantly, the world will still be brighter.”