A message from the SPARK Women’s Conference – May 3, 2025
What if your start even the one that looks messy, uncertain, and small, isn’t just a beginning?
What if it’s sacred?
That’s what God whispered to me as I prepared to speak at the SPARK Women’s Conference:
“Some starts are sacred. Some starts are seeds.”
What Is a stARTist?
You probably saw the word “stARTist” in my session title and yes, it’s spelled that way on purpose.
It comes from two life-shaping resources:
Start More Than You Can Finish by Becky Blades
The STARTist Devotional by Amy Seiffert & Hannah Seymour
After reading these some new ideas sparked and my heart leaped as the lord began to reveal some things to my heart about my starts. So I put my own spin on this topic.
A stARTist is someone who begins, boldly and imperfectly.
Someone who chooses to co-create with God, whether or not they feel ready.
STARTist (n.) – A person who takes creative initiative to start, restart, reinvent, or renew.
stARTistic (adj.) – Relating to or marked by sacred, Spirit-led beginnings.
stARTistry (n.) – The skill or art of beginning faithfully and creatively.
Why This Message Mattered to Me
I’m not a finisher by nature, but I am the sum of my starts.
I’ve started again and again in life:
Breaking generational cycles
Leaving abuse
Becoming a teen mom
Learning to speak up, set boundaries,
Trusting God had good intentions toward me
Dreaming with God about my future
Partnering with my husband to start movements
Launching businesses, ministries, and healing journeys
I’ve stood at the edge of a blank canvas with nothing but pain and prayer—and said yes anyway.
I’ve learned God doesn’t just bless the finishers.
He blesses the faithful.
The Sacred Art of Beginning
Here are 5 truths I taught during the breakout session. They’re now yours to carry with you:
1. Starting Is Obedience—Not Performance
It’s not about how it turns out. It’s about who you trust.
Like a baby learning to walk, your first steps are sacred, even if they’re wobbly.
There’s beauty in the trembling yes.
“Come on, you can do it,” says the Father.
2. Perfectionism Is the Enemy of Progress
From Start More Than You Can Finish:
Some starts:
Launch new projects
Spark clarity
Build confidence
Stretch our creativity
Train our obedience
And some… are just for you and God.
3. Some Starts Are Never Finished—But Still Faithful
You are not the sum of your missed opportunities or incomplete work.
You are the sum of every holy spark that’s ignited something in you.
4. Co-Creation With God Is the Heartbeat of the Brave stARTist
Remember Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus 31?
God filled them with His Spirit to create.
Artistry was anointed.
Their assignment? To build a place for God’s presence to dwell.
Yours? It might be a business, a book, a home, a family, a garden, or simply your next brave breath.
God still empowers His people to build.
You are His canvas and His co-creator.
5. Every New Day Is a Blank Page—Start Again
There’s no degree for creative initiative.
You learn it in the wild.
You learn it in the fire.
You learn it in the waiting.
You learn it by saying yes.
Your story—like mine—may not have begun the way you wanted.
But in Christ, you get to begin again and again.
“We leave ourselves in the world not just in how we live, but in how we act on our ideas.” – Becky Blades
🙏🏾 My Breath Prayer That Day
God, I’m open.
Breathe on what I’m sharing today. Spark something fresh in every woman who’s listening.
And He did.
Women reflected on where they could start.
Women were able to reflect on the things that kept them stuck.
Women said yes.
They permitted themselves to start.
💬 Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be a creative to be a stARTist.
You just have to be willing.
Let God shape your yes.
Let your surrender be your start.
Let your life become a canvas that reveals His glory.
What is God inviting you to start today?
Write it down.
Pray over it.
And start.
You are braver than you know.
You are a stARTist.
You are not behind—
You're right on time.
🎟️ The Brave stARTist Permission Slip
You don’t need perfection.
You don’t need credentials.
You don’t need to know how it ends.
You just need to begin.
✨ This is your permission slip to:
✔️ Start before you feel ready
✔️ Begin even if it’s messy
✔️ Obey without knowing the outcome
✔️ Create with God, not for applause
✔️ Try again after failing
✔️ Walk away from what no longer fits
✔️ Say yes to what makes you tremble—with faith
✔️ Be led by the Spirit, not the pressure to produce
✔️ Take up space as a creative, called woman of God
You are released from fear,
commissioned to co-create,
and blessed to begin again.
Reflect & Respond: Declare Your Yes
Before you move on from this moment, I want to lead you in something simple—but powerful.
Take a deep breath.
Now say this with me:
I , ____________________________, hereby grant myself
PERMISSION TO:
Surrender all to God
To receive all that God has planned for me.
Co-create with God even when the finish line is unclear.
Begin again with courage and creativity.
Release fear, perfectionism, and shame.
Listen to the Holy Spirit with curiosity and follow Jesus’ lead.
Take Holy Spirit-led risk.
Change course, rethink, and Experiment
Start, restart, and spark sacred ideas.
Dream boldly about my unwritten pages and believe I am not too late.
Trust the Holy Spirit to guide my hands, heart, and steps.
To make space for rest, relaxation, play, and hobbies
to pursue my interests and passions
Enjoy the life God has given me and leave more of me in it.
Embrace that I am a Brave stARTist—called to Live again.
You may not feel ready, but you are already equipped with presence, permission, and purpose.
📄 Free Download: The Brave stARTist Permission Slip
I’ve created a printable Brave stARTist Permission Slip just for you, a reminder to post somewhere you’ll see often.
🖨️ Print it.
🖊️ Sign it.
📌 Post it.
📸 And if you’re feeling bold—snap a photo and tag me!
👉🏾 Download it here: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifecanvascollective/e/406249
Because sometimes we don’t just need encouragement...
We need permission—and a visual reminder that we already have it.
Your canvas is waiting.
Your God is ready.
And the world needs your yes.
By grace,
Ashley Harris
The Brave stARTist | Unwritten Pages | Life Canvas Collective
If this blog spoke to you, here’s how you can take the next step and stay connected with me:
📖 Subscribe to the Life Canvas Collective
Get regular encouragement, updates, and behind-the-scenes reflections:
👉🏾 buymeacoffee.com/lifecanvascollective
💛 Follow Unwritten Pages on Facebook
For life, love, legacy, and raw faith reflections:
👉🏾 https://www.facebook.com/AHHISVIRTUE
📸 Join me on Instagram
See my day-to-day life as a creative wife, mom, minister, and entrepreneur:
👉🏾 https://www.instagram.com/ahhisvirtue/
🌱 Explore my Resources & Freebies
Get tools to support your spiritual, emotional, and relational growth:
👉🏾 https://linktr.ee/ahhisvirtue
💬 Want to work with me
Email me or reach out through social:
📩 [email protected]