About Wild Goose Designs
The Wild Goose is an old Celtic name for the Holy Spirit. If you are familiar with Fr. Dave Pivonka, you may already be familiar with this little tidbit of Catholic History. If you are not familiar... search for his Wild Goose video series online. Fr. Pivonka's series had a significant impact on the spiritual life of my family, and played a significant part in me branching out with my talents into places I never had the courage to go before.
I spent the next few years doing graphic design freelance work and getting familiar with the process of working with my own clients. In February of 2023, I was asked to do a painting of the Stella Maris. How could I turn down the opportunity to do a painting of our Blessed Mother? And so, having not successfully finished a painting in many years, I stepped out into the deep and trusted Him. So here we are. What an amazing adventure it has been so far.
Come Holy Spirit, the Wild Goose, Wind of Imagination and Creator of Artistry, continue to fill my heart with Grace that I may continue to be an instrument in Your Hands.
About Paul Wiswall
Husband, Father of Seven, and Disciple whom Jesus Loves living near St. Louis, Missouri. I did not give myself artistic talent, but I will use what God gave me to give back to Him in every way possible. "If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!"
We are told to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. I can certainly claim to have dealt with perfectionism throughout my life, and yet never been even kind of close to being perfect. Far from it most of the time. Attempting to make my first couple paintings brought to the surface many challenges that I have long since put off since my youth. In a nutshell, I was terrified at every step, and many a nail has been removed from their fingers. But my heart told me there was treasure to be found in each next step. And from the experience, I learned something I never expected to find.
There is no perfect picture, there is no perfect day, there is no perfect time, except the one done with the Creator. Perfection is not doing everything right or everything going the way we plan. Perfection is simply doing everything with God and whatever His Plan may be. Perfection allows for stumbling and unexpected messes. It allows for things to not be our plan. For us to fall and to get back up again. It is a continuous walk with God.
“Before undertaking a task great or small, before making decisions, before beginning a journey, the humble will acknowledge their dependence on God and invoke His guidance and His blessing on all their enterprises.“ - Bishop Fulton Sheen
This is perfection. A Continuous Yes to God. Not only one Yes at His annunciation in our hearts, but every moment leading up to our crucifixion… and beyond.
We are not called to do everything perfectly. We are called to do everything with Perfection. To do everything we do with Jesus.