I talked to a girl the other day who said she felt like she was really creative but she just couldn’t find what she wanted to make.
Then she went on to talk about the projects she had seen on Pinterest and the scrapbooking she used to do with her mom. But she just couldn’t find in those things what she was supposed to create.
It seemed like she felt the need to create things that her culture and her parents had taught her to want to create. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but now she was stuck not knowing what SHE wanted to create.
About the same time I was thinking about my fear of conforming. (I think I’m enneagram type 4). I take a little too much pride in being eccentric. My dad told me once, “Ross, sometimes I feel like you just try to do things differently just to be different.” At first I was like, ooh good point. Maybe I should stop that. But then I thought, wait a sec, how can I add something new to this world if I don’t try to do things differently! Bringing new, helpful things into the world is basically my goal in life!
And then I think I realized that part of the reason I’ve had so many new ideas, and been able to create so many diverse things is because I’m not scared to be different.
And I think some personality types, like that girl, have to work a little harder at this than others.
But I think if you feel the creative urge surging within you, but you feel constantly frustrated because you don’t know the medium or idea through which to create it, I would advise,
BE NOT AFRAID OF YOU.
The real you is waiting to be discovered. Embrace, and in fact, cater to the quirky side in you. Shed the fear of what others will think. Don’t censor what’s on your mind as much as usual. Even try to do things that will make you feel like a goof ball, those things that others will be surprised you did. They will probably push back a little bit, because it’s scary for them too, but eventually I think they will be glad you did because when they see what it turns into, they’ll finally see the real you and how much more value you bring to their lives.
And the world will be more than it was before because you have finally given back to it what God had hidden inside of you.
Be brave. Be not afraid. Be you. Be quirky. Bring your unique YOU to the world. Then just watch the unique gifts the unique you begins to create because you aren’t afraid of what others will think.
Go. Be you. Be not afraid.
Raw Spoon, 3-22-16
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