Finding God in the “playground” of art
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Daleisa Garcia-Pagan
Art has always been something I connected with, as a child creating worlds while playing pretend with my sister and drawing our stories out. Growing into my late teen and young adult years, I began to take my faith more seriously, along with pursuing a career in art. I realized that both of the things I loved did not have to be separate, and that the answer to connecting faith with art comes from two simple phrases: “God is Beauty” and “God is in the playground.”
When we see beauty, it is as if God is giving a glimpse of Himself through creation. Imagine a sunset or a field of flowers. These creations make you sit in awe, and beauty can cause you to wonder what - or Who - is behind it all.
Because God is the source of beauty, any form of beauty pulls the heartstrings of artists who strive to inspire their audience. All artists, consciously or not, are seeking to draw people towards something. Because every one of us has a God-sized, gaping hole within us, what artists are really wanting to draw people towards is the great and infinite: and that is God.
That’s why the phrase “God is Beauty” has become my inspiration as an artist. But what on earth does the second phrase I mentioned, “God is in the playground,” mean?
Growing up learning through the Salesian order, four pillars were given to us students as a structure for living out our faith: Home, School, Church, and Playground. This taught me that being faithful truly means we can have fun and be playful. Our joy honors God!
St. Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) lived this out fervently with his child-like love for God. He loved Jesus so much that he created a website to draw others to find Christ. He was a fan of Pokémon and Spiderman. He played sports and spent time with his friends, bringing faith naturally into conversation because it was a part of his life.
St. Carlo saw Christ as a friend. He knew what it meant to find lasting happiness in God and to truly enjoy creativity.
Through the image of finding God in the playground like St. Carlo Acutis did, I realized I could share my faith through the joy of artwork. Whatever style I felt drawn to - cartoonish, realistic, painted, drawn, printed, sculpted - I knew the one thing I wanted to keep consistent in my work was God.
As a student at a secular university, I go into my art classes with the question: how can I make the art I create an encounter with God, bringing him into this classroom or student exhibition?
Sometimes, I choose to create work directly connected to Catholicism, such as the Pierced Heart of Mary or the Blessed Sacrament. Creating Catholic artwork has helped me grow in my faith: I look into the meaning behind specific visual symbols and images used in Catholic tradition, learning about their significance. I have also found a sense of intention and patience in the work because I want to represent the faith in the right manner.
The beauty of creating sacred art has drawn me closer to Christ because of what God has allowed me to be capable of. I would find myself asking for the intercession of my patron saint, St. Catherine de' Vigri, who is the patron of artists, and found that God works through her as my pieces allowed me to share my faith with my peers.
However, there are other times where a piece of art isn’t explicitly Catholic but still brings faith-based values or moments into the story. This type of artwork has the potential to speak to a wider audience, even people who are not active in faith.
I explored this type of art in a series of illustrations I drew, “Don’t reach for the stars.” In these sci-fi illustrations, a space cadet, Munch, finds himself lost on a mystery planet, alone in the midst of lurking dangers. In this darkness, he finds himself left with nothing but a prayer.
I decided to include this moment of faith because everybody experiences low moments, where we tend to search for an outlet, one way or another. I wanted to show that even in the lowest moments - especially in them - Christ is present and is always there waiting for us.
Because this was a simple illustration, many of my peers related to this piece - much to my surprise, because the space cadet is depicted holding a rosary. However, in my experience, people tend to have a soft spot for faith when art is brought into the picture, giving them the chance to sit and contemplate how they might connect to the work or what it reminds them of.
Learning to find God in the playground of my art has taught me that I don’t have to take myself so seriously when making a piece. We tend to put so much pressure on ourselves. We don’t share an idea because we think others may judge or might not care as deeply. We may keep a story inside because maybe no one will relate or connect to it.
However, in discovering the playground of my art, I have come to love the creativity within my imagination, leaning towards what I love to make because God gave me that gift. I find that the more I lean into making the things I love, the more genuine my art becomes.
So, here is my challenge to you: find God in the playground. Your playground might be sports, or music, or dancing. Whatever it is, ask yourself the question: how can I encounter God here?
Let’s pray that God can work through all artists to allow our art to bring others to Him, the God Who is Beauty. And the next time you go to your “playground,” don’t forget to ask God to hang out with you!
