I made my own major called art and business as religion.

The words of Billie Lourd — "I made my own major called art and business as religion." — resound like a declaration of independence, the voice of one who refuses to be confined by the boundaries others have drawn. Here is the spirit of a seeker who has chosen to shape her own path, to weave together disciplines often divided, and to elevate her life’s work to the level of religion. In this, she proclaims a truth as old as humanity: the sacred need not dwell only in temples or scriptures, but can also be found in the deep devotion to one’s craft, to one’s labor, and to one’s vision of life.

The origin of this statement lies in the creative heart. Lourd, daughter of a legendary family of actors and artists, stands at the crossroads of heritage and individuality. By calling her path art and business as religion, she signals a recognition that to thrive in the modern world one must not only create, but also navigate the currents of commerce. Yet she does not treat these as mere tools; she sanctifies them. For her, the act of creation and the act of sustaining that creation in the world are bound together like body and soul. And to bind them is not compromise, but devotion.

Throughout history, we see figures who embodied this same union. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, who was both an artist and an engineer, blending beauty with function. For him, the study of mechanics was as holy as the painting of a face; both were acts of worship in the cathedral of existence. Or think of Steve Jobs, who combined technological innovation with aesthetic vision, treating design and business not as separate pursuits but as one unified calling. These lives, like Lourd’s words, testify that to approach labor with devotion is to make it a kind of religion.

There is a deeper meaning too. By framing her work as a religion, Lourd reminds us of the need for reverence in all things. Religion at its root is not merely dogma, but connection — to the divine, to truth, to meaning. To approach art with such reverence is to see it not as entertainment alone, but as a vessel of beauty and truth. To approach business with such reverence is to see it not as greed alone, but as stewardship, a way of sustaining creation and sharing it with the world. When united, art and business become not rivals, but partners in a higher calling.

The lesson is this: do not allow your life’s pursuits to be fragmented, as though you must choose between soul and survival. Instead, make your own major, as Lourd says. Weave together the strands of your gifts, your passions, and your responsibilities into one fabric. Treat your daily labor not as drudgery but as devotion, not as compromise but as creation. When you consecrate your path, you make of your work a living religion.

What, then, should you do in practice? Honor your craft as sacred, whatever it may be. If you create, create with reverence; if you labor, labor with purpose; if you build, build with vision. Study not only your art, but the ways to sustain it, for beauty without structure fades, and structure without beauty corrupts. Above all, refuse to live divided. Let your heart, your mind, and your livelihood flow together as one. In doing so, you will not only succeed outwardly but live inwardly with dignity.

Thus let this teaching be remembered: life is too vast to be confined by the narrow fields others assign. As Lourd teaches, you may make your own major, uniting passion with purpose, and elevating it to the level of the sacred. In this way, your work becomes not only survival, not only ambition, but worship — and every act of creation becomes a prayer.