Create
“They [the arts] are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
In a coaching conversation last week, I was asking what made this man really come alive in his relationship with God. What fed his soul. When did he feel most connected to the heart of the Father.
Like many of us, this pandemic season has done a number on him. Working at home from his bedroom with the kids screaming in the background, managing this crisis from his new leadership role at work with the added bonus of a neighbor doing lawn work for 4 straight hours outside of his window every day, had sucked the life out of him. He knows this is a season, but he also knows the way he's operating inside of it isn't sustainable.
Back to the original question: "What makes you come alive in your relationship with God? What feeds your soul?"
This successful businessman, husband, and father replied in this way:
"When I'm painting."
Well, I didn't see that one coming. But I love those kinds of surprises!
In his own way, he went on to give me the usual excuses and disclaimers I hear when someone shares their unique creative outlet or desire:
"I don't do it for others, I do it for myself."
"My paintings aren't that good, though."
"I mean, it's not like I want to sell them or anything."
Creating something, anything, feels vulnerable. And that's exactly the point. It feels vulnerable because to create something, we have to tap into our hearts...not simply our minds. And that feels risky.
So, we try to manage the expectations of others. Or worse, we never do the thing at all. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but if this is the very thing that would feed your soul and connect you to God, it's a HUGE deal.
I love the quote by Kurt Vonnegut because he adequately captures the concept that creativity gets us out of our heads and back into our hearts. In his words, "it makes our souls grow."
Many of us won't begin any creative process because of our fear of it not being "perfect". If it can't be perfect, which is a completely relative concept, then it shouldn't be done at all.
But this misses the point of creating.
Creating is about the process. It's what happens while you're creating that feeds the soul most. Not the final product. Yes, it feels good to complete it. To be proud of it. But to actually have been the one to create it, that is the gold.
All of us are wired to be creative. It's in our nature. It's one of the ways we most acutely reflect the image of the One who created us. To deny our creativity is to deny an important part of our humanity. My quarantine challenge to you is to simply "do the thing." Do you like to paint? Write? Do you like to cook or plant flowers? I'm not asking what you're good at, I'm asking what feeds your soul. Those aren't synonymous, believe it or not.
You have more time at home than you've ever had in your life. So what are you going to make? Your soul will thank you for it, and as a result, so will the people around you.
Consider:
What feeds your soul?
When's the last time you created something using more than just your mind?
What are you going to create today?