The Writing Life
“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 3:12-4, New American Standard Bible
A few weeks ago, The Next Web published an article about the brutal truths of the creative life. I enjoyed the article so much that I decided to approach each of the eleven truths in individual posts. The first truth: no one’s ideas are original.
[Read more…] about Creative Life Truths: No One’s Ideas are Original
I still remember the words from a children’s song learned many, many years ago.
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world.
I remember teaching the song, too, as a fifteen-year-old corralling a group of ten to twelve preschoolers. Perhaps simplistic words, but they contain truth. Jesus loves all the children, all the people, of the world. He loves them, regardless of skin tone or what they have or have not done. He loves them, and he wants me to love them, too.
“There are different questions that an aspiring artist can ask.
“One question is, ‘What must I do to be famous?’
“This question will open up a writer to all manner of destructive forces both within and without. We’ve all seen it play out.
“A different question, and one asked much less often is, ‘What must I do to make this sustainable?’
“Songwriting, painting, acting, writing—these are all crafts that one can practice over the course of a lifetime. You can get better — grow — for a long, long time.”
— Linford Detweiler, Over the Rhine
Art often proves a subject difficult to pin down—the butterfly refusing to be caught in a net or pinned to the board. It flutters about the room, bumping against lamps and windows. Its would-be captors stare at it and query, “What is it?” [Read more…] about Why Art Matters for the Church
Integrity comes easier in the lush times. Client work remains steady; the coffers stay full. I experience the luxury of choice and can accept or reject a project without risking anything. In the lean times, integrity becomes difficult. Client work slows to a trickle; the pipeline echoes; and money exits the bank account without ever returning. I consider a questionable project, wondering whether to accept it. [Read more…] about Integrity through the Seasons