Tag: creative process

hope, Uncategorized

Intentional Living, One Step at a Time

The Kedge Anchor
Open door leading to a cozy living room with an armchair, bookshelf, lamp, and fireplace

I used to think showing up was the win. Now I think it’s just the doorway.

Since my last post, I have been intentional about showing up. And as usual, when I do that, when I sit down to do anything I need to do, especially creative work or time with God, voices enter the scene.

I hear: “You shouldn’t be doing this… what about laundry?” Like Lisa Simpson having to organize her CDs first. IYKYK. Or “Why bother, no one cares.” And the classic: “You’re not good enough.”

All distractions. All lies.

Showing up requires intention and preparation. My corner of our shared office, or really my little studio corner, needed organization. I didn’t want to work in a space where I couldn’t access my art supplies. There was no room to spread out, and it became frustrating.

So I changed it.

One day while my husband was at work (he had to be for me to do this, his allergies… OY!), I rearranged the layout and organized my supplies. It’s still a work in progress, but I have to admit, it is so much better. (I have a few photos I’ll share in another post.)

Once things were more organized and accessible, I felt more encouraged to actually go in there and create.

Some days I have a specific project in mind. Other days, I just make marks on paper—paint, markers, or hand-letter a verse of Scripture. And there are days when a migraine shows up, and that’s when I give myself grace. Pushing through migraine pain has never benefitted me, or anyone else, for that matter.

I used to think showing up was the win. Now I think it’s just the doorway.

I’ve started applying the same mindset to my time with God. I’m not just “showing up” – I come prepared, usually with my Bible and a favorite pen. There was a time I would simply open Scripture anywhere and read whatever landed in front of me. But now I have a plan.

One of my goals was to read the Bible all the way through. My mom gave me a chronological Bible a few years ago for my birthday, and I only made it halfway through.

Now I’m more intentional. In January, I bought a journal and decided I wanted to create a kind of junk journal as I read. I write notes on passages that speak to me, not as a theology student or someone in seminary, but simply as someone listening for God along the way. I add notes, doodles, and small decorations to the pages. It helps me remember, and it draws me back in later.

Showing up in my office/studio space has become more inviting. I’m more prepared to work on projects and to journal.

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” – Proverbs 22:3  To me, this speaks to being intentional and aware with how I use my time, choosing what deserves my attention, instead of moving forward on autopilot.  I’m trying to be more discerning with my time, intentional about when I create, when I rest, and when I simply let an idea come through.

art, Obedience

What If … Obeying God

The Kedge Anchor

In the last post, I shared a creative process. I made up a game called “What If…” What if I just sat down to paint? What if I just made some marks? What if I mixed green and orange together? What if I tried something new or different? So I did. I sat down to paint and play and try some new art supplies. And I surprised myself.

When I was done, I actually liked what I painted. Was it perfect? No. Could I make improvements? Of course. Then I began to think. What if? What if I took more risks, more chances? What if I was more in tuned to hearing God’s voice? What if I was and obeyed Him? I guess this is where I began to reflect on areas in my life where I am hesitant to obey, not hearing to obey or just not obeying.

My intention in my artistic exercise was to paint, to stop procrastinating and do what brings me joy. It wasn’t to make a perfect piece of art, it wasn’t for anyone it was for me. Sometimes I find it hard to find time to do just this, paint. Once I began to evaluate what I was doing with my time, I began to see pockets of time with which to create. I really need to keep time limits on scrolling social media. When scrolling takes away from what I need to do and what I enjoy doing, it becomes an issue. Now, when I find I have an idol moment, if there is nothing pressing on my to do list, I choose to do something artistic. This takes a bit of practice, training, discipline.

When it comes to obeying God I believe the same can apply. It takes training, practice, discipline. I first need to actually recognize His voice and I can’t do that if I’m not reading His word daily. What’s my intent when I read my Bible? Like when I sit down to paint, why am I doing this? My intent is to hear God’s voice so that I can obey Him. Sometimes I feel like I’m not obeying because I’m not sure I am hearing His voice. John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” and there’s more, a promise, a blessing verse 28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Sometimes I feel like I am missing out on some things, blessings, because I am not paying attention to the God’s voice. God knows my heart. So when I am earnestly trying to do what I think He wants me to do in a situation or even in the slightest seemingly, smallest thing I know He sees me trying. Many times I fail. He might be telling me to reach out to someone and I may be hearing a voice that says “don’t disturb them.” Or it could be buy extra food at the grocery store and I hear, “you’re on a budget.” If God is telling me to buy extra food, it’s not for us. It’s for someone else. There have been times my husband has come home from work and asked if I could pick up some extra cans of soup, granola bars or cereal for the food closet at work and I listened to the voice that told me I was on a budget. Ugh!

Now that I have recognized this pocket of time, I need to act on it and paint or draw. Take the risk. Recognizing God’s voice is still a work in progress. When I recognize it I need to obey it. Take the risk. That’s a risk that will always give a return on investment. I can’t lose. I can’t loose by making messy art, I can still learn. It may not be pretty but I will walk away learning to do something or not do something. By obeying God, I really can’t lose. Even if I mess up somehow, God will work out my mess, Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

What if…, what if I stopped procrastinating and painted or did something creative everyday? What if I stopped to hear God’s voice everyday and obeyed? What if…?