Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Lee Cochran.
Hi Laura Lee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The Christian Creative Magazine is a magazine to share the talents God has given us but also experience God in creative ways.
- Our slogan is: Singing God’s light into the world with creativity, and it is based on the bible verse Matthew 5:16
I started the Christian Creative Magazine in 2020, mainly as an idea, and I started an Instagram account. I remember talking about the idea to people, and a friend told me that I actually talked about it a lot and that I should make it happen. It originally started as a Christian poetry book but slowly became a magazine to allow more mediums. The first issue came out in Fall 2022; I’ve been writing a magazine each semester. This was opened up for submissions solely by the church community I was a part of. Mainly because I still needed to learn how to ship them. It took a while to find out where to print them from, but once I got my submissions and got them printed, I began selling them.
All my friends were excited to buy one or see their artwork. I have done three issues in all and hope to one day turn this into a thriving business, all with the help of the Lord. Each issue is complete with a submission, prompt, music, devotional, and mission section. I wanted to make this magazine because art has become something that is all about venting negative feelings or secular agendas. God’s’ creativity points back to him; he is the ultimate creator. We, too, can create, but often, we have it point back to ourselves in pride or showcase negative emotions. I think art can be made to encourage and challenge people. To spark new creativity and ultimately bring us closer to God. I want to make a platform not only for that but also for Christian creators to be able to join together in the community. A little about me: I am a University of Tennessee Knoxville student with a Journalism Major and a Public Relations Minor. My major and minor have been a big help in understanding what a magazine entails, and they have equipped me with social media knowledge and how to go about entrepreneurship in media. I started following Jesus in my first year of college in December 2019, and slowly afterward, the Lord sparked the magazine for me. I believe art is an important and fun way to connect with God. I don’t want to redefine art but return it to what it once was. Art is beautiful. God is beautiful. And art should point to God’s beauty and his wonderful creativity. After all, we are created by the creator to create; why shouldn’t we then give our talents back to the one who bestowed them on us?
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggle is I don’t know what I’m doing. That sounds crazy, but it has been challenging as a college student who doesn’t fully understand how to bring an idea to life. I’ve had to learn everything on my own, with some help from professors or lectures, but ultimately, making a small business legitimate requires funds and time that I don’t have full access to. Also, I want to print the magazines, but purchasing them beforehand makes it challenging to find places and people to sell them to. In my entrepreneurship endeavors, I must trust in the Lord’s promise. I thought it would look different, and I’ve gone on a break from the magazine for my last semester. I have 150 copies of my third issue and 60 of my second. I have an Etsy that I’ve been trying to sell them on, but obviously, I want to have my website, but again, that requires funds. And I’m not seeking anyone for solutions. I may still need to figure out exactly what I’m doing, but I know what I want and where I am headed. I have plenty of ideas, just the execution of them. Other than that, I have had great responses from my peers and others who have purchased. For my third issue, I had strangers (who ho) submit, which was a huge accomplishment (thank you, Instagram ads!). What I bring to the table can bring so much light into this world that it may be challenging, but I plan to keep pushing through.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am creative, and I love expressing my faith through creativity. I talked about it in my other question, so I won’t repeat what I wrote there for time’s sake. Many Christian magazines and organizations focus on sharing creativity for God’s glory. Still, Christian Creative magazine is the only one that does it through submissions and putting it on a physical copy for people to purchase and enjoy. Also, something I learned early on from the Lord is that this magazine is not just a business; it’s a ministry. It was funny; I was sitting in worship, and he told me to rip my second issue in half. So I did, surrendering this magazine to him and declaring that I didn’t want to start this magazine for selfish reasons and to make money.
All in all, I want people’s lives to be transformed. I want people to be encouraged in their faith. I want people to see God in new ways, and ultimately, I want people to come to know Jesus. I want your readers to know the passion I have for this business. My vision is for it to become big, allowing artists from everywhere to be encouraged and challenged in their faith to have an outlet to share their creativity. And also, how amazing is it to have your art published? I want to make it less of a business and more of an experience. I want to become a business-to-business. I want to partner with coffee shops and by starting in Knoxvillebookstores. I have about 70 copies of a misprint I have been meaning to take around and give to businesses for free to allow their customers to enjoy them, hoping to create a relationship with other businesses.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
My Instagram is @christiancreativemagazine. My art page is @lauralee.creates. Many people think the arts don’t matter, but I want to remind everyone how much art is intertwined in our world with entertainment, ideas, and connection. Art brings connection. Connections bring community. Community glorifies God.
Pricing:
- $10 for a magazine
- $5 for past magazines
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/lauraleecochran/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christiancreativemagazine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christiancreativemagazine
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-lee-cochran-2a350324b/
Image Credits
I took all the pictures and made the logo: Laura Lee Cochran or Christian Creative Magazine
