“An exploration of
Creativity, the Creator, and Spiritual Growth.”
Okay, so I know, the subtitle of this blog is audacious, or pretentious. Perhaps even sacrilegious, as it suggests
that I might have some insight into the unknowable mind of our Creator. If this bothers you, or makes you
uncomfortable, I would recommend that you stop reading now and navigate away
from this page. If, however, you are
intrigued… then I invite you to walk
with me for a little while.
My purpose here is
simple: I want to unlock my own
potential, to stop fighting the urge to become what my Creator made me to be. The thing is, I believe that this is a
journey that will be a lot more fun if I have traveling companions. That is where you come in. While I know that I am rather unique*
(*translated by many as “downright weird”), I don’t think my situation is that
unusual at all. Let me tell you a little
about myself, and see if you don’t recognize some of your own story. (FYI – this blog will be filled with personal
anecdotes, and if that makes you uncomfortable, I’d strongly suggest that you
close your browser and clear its history – NOW.)
I am… a writer who isn’t writing. A storyteller who smothers his
characters. An artist who refuses to
pick up his brush, a photographer who doesn’t take pictures anymore. If I had any musical talent whatsoever, I
would undoubtedly be a musician who isn’t making music. I am a lifelong Christian with a fractured
and uncertain faith. I am a creative
person who has lived a relatively mundane life, largely due to a shameful lack
of courage. I am the undisputed master
of 80% complete. I am a man who has
tried with everything I am to be responsible, mature and steady, and in all of
these things, I have failed.
Now, if you are typical, I
suspect you are questioning my credentials, and rightfully so. The world is very clear in its
directives: We are only supposed to
follow successful people. By emulating
successful people, we are supposed to find our way to the Good Life, to
success, to wealth. For some people, I
suppose this may be true. I, however, am
not one of those people. If you have
been drawn to this page, I suspect you are not one of them, either.
I would like to advance a
theory for your consideration. It is my
failures that qualify me to lead you on this journey. I have tried life by the world’s rules, and
it doesn’t work. I am a creative person,
and I can tell you with great confidence that the rules of our modern world
work in direct opposition to creativity.
I know, because I’ve tried to reconcile the two for nearly thirty
years. For me, at least, they are
incompatible operating systems. Again, if
you were drawn to this page, and you are still with me, I suspect you, dear
reader, are in a similar place.
This blog is not about
Twelve Steps to Success, or The Clear Path.
This journey will be one of rabbit trails and unexpected side trips, backtracking
from dead ends, pushing through heavy underbrush to discover glorious and
unexpected vistas. It is not intended to
be safe. In my life, I have discovered
that safety is a lie and a distraction, and I have been betrayed by the
so-called “safe things”: once too often.
I will warn you ahead of
time – If you are looking to these pages for advice and guidance, I will let
you down. However unintentionally, I
will occasionally lead you astray. I
will share things that are a blessing for some, and poison for others. For this, I apologize. It is not my intention to cause harm. I would ask that if you come to a point where
you think this journey is wrong for you, step away. You won’t hurt my feelings, and if you do,
that’s my problem, not yours.
So what do I believe? Above all, I believe that each and every one
of us is individually created for a purpose.
I believe that we are carefully, lovingly handcrafted by the Ultimate
Artist, the same one that spoke the universe into existence. This is a God with a sense of grandeur, as
illustrated by the Pillars of Creation nebulae, and an absurd sense of humor,
because otherwise there never would have been a dodo bird, much less a
duck-billed platypus.
Does this mean I believe
in predestination? Not really. I believe that free will is fully existent,
that free will is in fact an inextricable element that helps form the core of
the wonderful paradox that is humanity.
When I say that I believe that we are created for a purpose, I do not
mean that there is one and only one thing we can do that will fulfill what we
are designed for. Quite the opposite. I believe that, if we choose to fully engage
in life, the grandest adventure is to see how many purposes we can fulfill, how
fully we can utilize the unique abilities that are hard-wired into each of us. Furthermore, I believe that as we seek to
understand and empower ourselves and those around us, we can discover entirely
new ways to combine our gifts in ways that may even surprise and delight our
Creator.
Let me try to illustrate
this concept. Let’s just say, for the
sake of discussion, that I am a lowly wedge of iron, eight or nine inches
long. Should I choose to just sit there,
it would be very easy to conclude “I am a doorstop.” I might even be a very effective doorstop,
and depending on how I was wired, I might find a life of contentment in being a
doorstop, and that would be good. But
too often, life does not allow us to just fall into what is natural. Where I, the wedge of iron, to try to fill
the role of a knife, I would likely feel awkward and ineffective. I would be too heavy, shaped wrong, too
thick, too blunt. I might, however, find
contentment as a paperweight.
Now, let’s suppose that I
had a wild urge to split wood. I might
find that I was just the right weight and heft to be used as a splitting
maul. Or, if I were to have the audacity
to team up with a shaft of hickory, I would be an axe! I could cut firewood, clear forests, build a
house! I could be a weapon of war, were
I called to do so. I could partner with
a long iron bar, and lo, I am the fulcrum for the lever that moves
mountains! I could become the pivot
point that worlds spin on…
I know, totally silly, but
still… not bad for a doorstop. My point is this: Too often, we tend to look at ourselves and
see only the most mundane potential, if we see potential at all. In this world we live in, we are far too
likely to view ourselves in much the same way as our lowly iron wedge as it
tried to fill the role of the knife – barely functioning, awkward and ineffective
because we are trying to be something we are not made to be. In such a place, it is all too easy to say to
ourselves “I am poorly made.” If only we
could teach ourselves to ask “What am I made for?”
Now, here’s the real
question. If a lowly wedge of iron has
such potential, how much more potential do we possess, with our infinite
complexity and unique experience? This
is the question I want to explore with you.
I believe that this could be incredibly exciting, and that the more of
us there are on the journey, the more fun it will be. I believe that there are hundreds, thousands,
maybe hundreds of thousands of us who have been living unfulfilled lives, and
that it’s time to claim our birthright.
I believe that the ability to do so is hardwired into each of us. What do you say? Are you up for this? Do you want to try it with me? Come on, go for it. You know you want to.
In closing, I want to lay
some ground rules. First and foremost,
the purpose of this blog is to be a POSITIVE influence on your lives, and on
mine. While I encourage and hope for
discussion, and welcome differing points of view, I want to be clear. This blog is not a democracy. Differences of opinion are welcomed, hatred
and negativity are not. I will be
merciless in deleting comments and postings that are derogatory, demeaning,
cruel and hurtful. I believe bigotry is
ugly no matter who it is coming from, or where it is directed. I will not allow anyone to be hateful to
anyone else in this forum, nor will I allow personal expression that belittles
others. You are entitled to such
opinions, of course. You just aren’t
entitled to express them here.
For the most part, the
words and images I use here are my own.
When I share someone else’s thoughts, I will, wherever possible, credit
the original author and/or source. If
you find that I have said something of worth that you feel compelled to share,
you may do so with two provisions: 1) Ask my permission, and 2) credit me as the
source of my words.
Finally, I reserve the
right to be wrong, to make grievous errors in judgment, to express myself in
ways that are awkward and childish. I
also reserve the right to apologize if I wound you, to attempt to make amends,
and to part company if I cannot.
I welcome your thoughts.
Troy
PS: Yes, I believe in the Christian God, but I
don’t think this precludes those of you with different beliefs from this
journey.
Coming next: DreamSmith?
What the heck is a DreamSmith?
Wonderful. Inspiring. Look forward to the Journey...
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