Nike for Creativity

There seems to be a way in which people get so caught in everything that is immediately in front of them. This is something I’m guilty of, too. but I find that it’s an especially difficult pattern to break when your dependent on others to create that world that surrounds you. I mean specifically the kinds of things that we use to entertain ourselves. Because if we become too reliant on others than we lose the ability to create, examine and interpret the world for ourselves.

For example, music. Music never satisfies. It fills like a cup that has lost its bottom. It fills, yes, but then it empties. So we become dependent on new sounds, always new sounds to fancy our ears and bring us to new sensations by the combination of new interval patterns. There’s the potential to feel awakened in the moment. Then hit replay. Feel it again. And again. And again. Until it too becomes old. Search for the new. But by search, I mean find a new artist, a new album, a new style, a new beat - that someone else has created. Let someone else do it.

But. What if the world fell silent? What if we lost all recorded music? What if the only music available to us was the music we could create in the present moment? What melodies would you whistle? Would you create your own? Would you find that music was worth so much to you that you would seek to teach yourself its rules? Go out of your way to find an instrument and excavate its treasures? Or would you move on and forget this gift of music all together?

My concern is this: We leave creativity (of all sorts) to the professionals. If its quality is not of the highest standard, than it simply cannot be tolerated. So we say we can’t create, and pay others to do it instead.

My challenge would be, then, in every area, whether it be music, storytelling, poetry, art, making videos, to learn to break from what’s popular and just. cre. ate. It might suck. But then you’ll know it. And maybe you’ll grow. Or maybe you won’t and that’s OK, too. Other people will still create art available to enjoy. But if you don’t try yourself, you’ll never know what you’re capable of. Just do it.

#nikeforcreativity
#sorryforanytypos
#lunch>proofreading

Tick Tock

Tick tock
          Another winter’s come and gone
Tick tock
          Only days left to go
Tick tock
          Lift your eyes up -
          Lift your eyes up!
Tick tock
          The time is now to trust in God
Tick tock
          Your weak hands can be made strong
Tick tock
          For forgiveness is already yours
          Wait for the good name of the Lord

Written by Stephanie Sophia
March 12, 2015