“Our lives are megaphones for what we believe. When we work in media, we have an opportunity to bring such good news — to offer hope and show truth and remind people that we don’t have to fear.”

Paolo Verzani, Upper East Side

Pursuing a career as a full-time creative for the first time gave Paolo an opportunity to reflect on God’s calling for his life and align his art with God’s heart for beauty.

I became a Christian two years ago. Before that, creativity was a tool I used to try to understand myself and medicate the fear and anxiety I was feeling. But when I met Jesus, I realized that I would only ever truly know peace through the Holy Spirit. I had to redefine my understanding of the creative pursuit and its purpose. I began to pray and ask God to give me a vision for my work that would be honoring and glorifying to Him alone.

I’d always dreamed of being a full-time creative. When I lost my job during the pandemic, the extra time gave my craft room to breathe. Everyone has their own “how I dealt with quarantine” story; mine was seeking God through praying with other people and asking Him to define and refine His calling for me.

After a few months, all these photography opportunities started falling in my lap. So many people started reaching out to me about doing engagement shoots, weddings, and even portraits. God was so generous and faithful in His provision. He used these moments, and the people He brought into my life during this time, to reassure me that this was what He was calling me to do.

Prayer has really refined my creative direction. I no longer take on projects just for fun, but instead seek out work that sheds light on the colors of God. Our lives are megaphones for what we believe. When we work in media, we have an opportunity to bring such good news — to offer hope and show truth and remind people that we don’t have to fear. I believe there’s a better story to be told about what’s beautiful in the world than much of what’s being captured today. If I can bring that to my work, I can rest well in what I’ve done.

I’ve historically shot mostly architecture and interiors. There’s something calming about that type of photography. The environment is still and controlled. You can move things around, and set the scene in just the right way to perfectly capture the essence of the room. But over the past few months, I’ve been given more opportunities to take on people-based projects, like engagements and weddings. It was a hard adjustment at first, because I didn’t have the same level of control as I did when shooting stills, but it has proved to be so fulfilling as I continue to see God’s heart for this kind of work.

People are sticky. They have emotions and desires and opinions. But when I photograph people, I’m confronting the image of God Himself. When I shoot couples or families, I’m capturing a reflection of God through relationships. When I shoot individuals, I’m shooting God’s image bearers, His creation. It’s so different from shooting interiors. I can’t bless a chair by photographing it well, but I can bless a person by capturing the essence of who God has created them to be in a photo. That shift in my understanding has helped me think about where I should spend my time creatively.

Creativity is a calling. There is so much said about God’s creativity and the creative pursuit in scripture, and I know He invites people to participate in this work for His purposes. God has called me to work in this field where so many don’t know Him. He has plucked me out to carry His Spirit and speak about who He is through my work, but I can only do this if I am in tune with who He is. I have to spend time with Him, and in His word, to learn how He views His people so I can reflect that in my work.

God is my creative director. I don’t want to do anything, or involve myself in any creative work, that doesn’t speak to who He is. I shoot photography not just for the sake of capturing something beautiful, but I do so with purpose and intent — with a goal to capture His goodness, His grace, His redemption, justice, and peace. God is excellent, and He calls us to excellence in our work. I want the whole world to know the glory and beauty and saving grace of Jesus. That will always be the mission behind my work.