Why did I start 35:31 Studios? With the existence of so many creative studios and companies out there, one has to wonder, why go about starting a new one? It actually all started off when I was a young boy. During this time, I was introduced to various forms of creativity and imagination. Whether it was grand fantasies like Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia or adventures in outer space like Star Wars and Star Trek, I was fascinated by these creative expressions. My fascination grew with the introduction of things like anime and video games. It was at the age of 10 that something in my heart shifted.
This shift started because I was deeply bothered by this question: if we serve the most creative God, why are Christians so uncreative? As a boy I could see the disparity. Despite some rare exceptions such as Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, the overwhelming majority of Christian-based expressions (film, TV shows, or even video games) fell into either 2 clear categories. Either they were historical, biblical retellings, or they were corny video sermons. None of which had the artistry or imagination as the things being produced by the world. Though I understood the biblical standard of being within the world but not ‘of the world’, I didn’t understand why that meant that Christians had to throw away creativity, especially when Christians used to be some of the most creative artists in the world. Many of the classical musicians, authors, playwrights, and painters were also deeply Christian.
I was even more convinced that God called Christians to glorify Christ through creativity the more I read the Bible. The largest book of the Bible with the longest chapter in Scripture is none other than the book of Psalms. 150 songs written to glorify God. Many prophecies and other parts of the Bible are written as poems with unique structures, beats, and styles. Then I read a section of Scripture that stuck with me over the years. It was Exodus 35:30-35 (ESV), “Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.’”
Literally, this is saying that God gifted Bezalel with the skills of craftsmanship and artistry for the purpose of designing God’s tabernacle. Namely, it’s here that we get the name for our studio Exodus 35:31, “And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship.” That’s when something dawned on me: God has given us unique gifts, skills, and knowledge for the purpose of glorifying Him through creativity. At first, I started only doing this through my writing, but I kept having a desire to expand to other arenas and to bring other Christian creators along with me. With my experience as a business owner, instead of trying to play things small in a lack of faith, I wanted to do something truly creative for Christ’s glory. It was out of this heart that 35:31 Studios was born.
35:31 Studios’ mission is to simply glorify Christ through creativity. In essence, we truly want to expose the same ancient light that still brings hope inside the present and future darkness of the world. That light is none other than Jesus Christ and just as He has been revealed to us through the Bible—the greatest true story ever told—we want to continue spreading the Light of the world through creative storytelling. Specifically, we want to start with books that turn into manga, comic books, film, anime, and even video games as we grow.
Is it ambitious, crazy, and nearly impossible? Yes! After all, the founder is literally A Weak Fool. But is it worth it if it means to glorify Christ in every area of life including creativity? Absolutely!! That’s why we exist and we would love to have you come along the journey!
If this resonates with you, join the studio — you’ll get the free Stratos Saga prequel story, Godspeed, plus every dispatch like this one straight to your inbox.
Godspeed!
A Weak Fool