The Pink Room, Chapter 18, Creativity & Others, Part 3

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The Pink Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living  

Chapter 18/ Creativity and Others.

Part 3 (Previous post contain the previous chapters.)

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I heard someone once say, "vultures and hummingbirds both fly"...both are looking for food, one fills itself with death and one with new life. I didn't remember this until I did some research; it is also a verse in Philippians. It is a brilliant visual contrast. The size, their lot in life, the things each looks for-- they are very different creatures.

I would like to be one seeking out opportunities and new life. Not be a vile bottom feeder picking at deadness and decay and making a scene. It is very difficult to keep focused and devote time to what's important in a life filled with distractions of all kinds. Facebook banter and negative news on TV, the unending barrage of ugly words and the new trends of “throwing shade” and other similar things. Sometimes it is laziness and distraction that make me the ugliest version of myself. Rushing through conversations or forgetting people to handle a task.

I still choose the TV over friends or sleep over prayer, even though I know they are dead ends. But it is a substitute less and less often as I realize, with time, I need prayer and community to function well.

Creating opportunities for others to experience love, community and prayer are some of the most meaningful things I have done in this life. One of those things was ArtSpace at Lifest where we created a space for thousands to sit and create. One thing in particular was a community art board where people could create and combine their marks.

Brainstorms lead to a sheet of 4’ x 8’ plywood being mounted to the wall. We called it “The Community Art Project” thinking it was a good way to help those leery of contributing a complete work of art or those who thought they could only draw stick people.

At first I was disappointed at the sheer number of people who just wrote. They added words, verses and sayings. I didn’t like where it was going but through it there were small additions and then large ones; and blocks of color that started pulling it together. In the end I must say that I have seldom been as surprised as I was with this odd but cool piece of art. It was bright, whimsical, free-flowing and ultimately both spontaneous and a patchwork of glimpses into the lives of passers-by. I won’t soon forget it.

I still sometimes have the innate sense to judge or pick before I speak life or encourage community. But as I get older, and desire more peace, I no longer want to be right more, as much as to show love to others. And Jesus can work with that.

I have the distinct privilege of being a part of a community of believers that is witnessing something extraordinary. There is an effort to be healthy and to promote the life-giving message of Jesus—it is a simple clear message of the gospel and starting with Jesus. People are responding. I responded, too.

Hummingbirds and a community art board later—there is evidence that things filled with life and community are the best things.

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We often get distracted by the stories, the Pharisees, the death, the betrayal and forget that the heart of what Jesus brought was healing and restoration for our minds, bodies, spirits and souls.

The Pink Room, Chapter 18, Creativity & Others, Part 2

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The Pink Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living  

Chapter 18/ Creativity and Others.

Part 2 (Previous post contain the previous chapters.)

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Not too long ago a girl I know asked me what the difference was between two people I knew that were credentialed to perform a wedding. Because she was getting married and we worked with a guy who decided to get “ordained” online to be able to marry some of his friends.

I said, “Well, the first one went online one night and 10 minutes later was ‘ordained.’ The other one has a Bachelor’s Degree, and Master’s Degree in religious studies or something related, 15 years working in a church and with people and is working on a PhD.”

I described the difference and this young woman had no idea that there were minister with knowledge and then ministers with a calling and experience serving people. 

There is a nice simplicity that many of our current technological advancements have permitted us. Immediate knowledge based on a Google search and the convenience of so many things including being ordained online.

There is also a danger in motivating toward conveniences without also having wisdom and healthy boundaries. It might not seem like a big deal to get ordained online to see some friends married off, but there is a spiritual responsibility to the care of that relationship that may not be fully accounted for. There is a precedent set where it is clear that some people are “called” and spend time becoming equipped to care for others.

The beauty of boundaries in life, and in art, is often overlooked. Our culture often minimizes or makes this type of thinking seem antiquated or old school. Boundaries might be old fashioned, but the practice of setting healthy boundaries also is time tested and it shows its value in the end.

In art, even your “support,” the canvas, is in itself, a boundary. People think of painters and sculptors as magicians if they don’t feel they have the skills themselves. The reality is that there are sets of skills that allow artists to thrive that have nothing to do with skill. The reality is that once the accept their boundaries and limits set by the project area, the canvas, or whatever the media is in sculpting, then they can create.  

There are the principles of design and the elements of art, there are the limitations of your supplies and the support you choose. There are the restrictions of the shape or form and the list can go on and on. Once an artist embraces the limitations and begins to bounce ideas off of them things begin to flow.

When I think about boundaries and creativity there is a list of things that come to mind--sharpening this skill takes practice and there are a few approaches that've helped me:

·         Fluidity is key in managing your own expectations of the final result

·         Flexibility with the materials at hand and the expected result

·         Boundaries-- giving yourself a set of criteria or a theme will help

·         Being open to experimentation along the way

·         Being open to chance occurrences and embracing them

·         Looking at accidents as happy things that will eventually make the work better

·         Giving yourself freedom to vary what's happening

·         Find a place that feels safe to create--don't ask for input until you are really ready to hear it because it could derail you

·         Use all your senses, understand the elements of design as foundational and the principles as building blocks

·         Be present

·         Don't view a limitation in supplies or materials as a stopping point--press forward and see if you can finish with what you have

·         Embrace your limitations and the limitations around you--being tired or crabby or having an irritation can impact your ability to create

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If we are honest, boundaries help us thrive and be healthy. Practically, they also help with creativity and problem solving. God gave himself boundaries when he created everything.

The Pink Room, Chapter 18, Creativity & Others, Part 1

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The Pink Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living  

Chapter 18/ Creativity and Others.

Part 1 (Previous post contain the previous chapters.)

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The idea of working hard never scared me. Now it makes me a bit tired but there was a point where I would work and work and work and could do more work than just about anyone around me. It took a toll on my health; it mentally did something to me, too. I learned to ignore that internal red flag that says “stop, you are tired.” I no longer know where the line of "it is time to quit, I'm tired" is anymore. And that is bad. Very very bad. We can use work as a crutch to hide from God if we are not careful.

It is hard for me to sit still. It is difficult for me to know there are things to do and not do them. But I am learning that rest is as important to God as worship as a matter of fact, Sabbath is a form of respect and worship. And therefore it should be a priority to show God that honor and in retrospect to honor me, my body, my mind, as well.

A lot of us, who get this part out of order, are struggling in other areas as well. A lot of the time it looks like self-worth or messed up priorities.

One of the things I've learned, people who are hurt push others away. It doesn't always look like "pushing" though. Sometimes it looks like anger, then they can blame; sometimes it is being over-emotional, then no one will invest. Sometimes it is being busy, and then they don't need to deal with “it”... Isn't it better to be scared and vulnerable and be known?

And no matter what we do, there will be something that isn’t healed up or we have not yet gotten over. An old wound that heals so flippin’ slowly that you feel like you will never ever be okay… All of it is okay though. And we serve as working walking wounded. And as we do, we are taught through those we help and healed by helping heal others.

We have a lot of ways to serve God in this life. Only one of them is as a full-time minister. Most often we are tent-makers. Like Paul in the Gospels—he was working in ministry while doing other work to make a living. He did it on purpose. Paul did not want to be in-debited to anyone with regard to service. He did not want to owe anyone for anything--he did not want to have anyone think he was doing anything or saying anything because of a debit of any kind. His words were inspired by God and were through him, and no one else.

In our culture, like Corinth in the Bible, people have a hard time receiving without believing they will be giving back at some point. Many people take this to the point of never receiving anything or turning down all things and all forms of help or gifts.  

Ministering to people can be like this—where help is subtly refused either because of past pain or because people don’t want to “owe” anything.  In our culture, I believe it is coming to the point where even authentic friendships feel like there is something that needs to be owed. Often only superficial friendships will do—and social media is a replacement. People would sometimes rather pay for memberships, online services, sometimes life coaches and that type of thing also happen rather than to risk going deep with a real person.

As we get older we allow God to parent us and us to parent ourselves. We get creative about how to deal with past harm and re-learn to risk with the help of God.

We must get creative when dealing with people, and when they don’t know what they need continue blessing without receiving repayment, small encouragements, telling others what you like or even love about them and let them know their positives. Words are powerful.

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Words have the power to shape and create. I believe this is the most interesting part of the scriptures, that Jesus is the Word of God. That God’s words created and brought everything into existence; that there is an innate legacy of written and spoken words in our very DNA.

The Pink Room, Chapter 17, Advent, Part 3

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The Pink Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living  

Chapter 17/ Advent.

Part 3 (Previous post contain the previous chapters.)

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Last Christmas I attended Mass with my parents. The homily was about messes. The priest talked about all kinds of messes that occurred at, and since, the first Christmas. The manager was a trough and was messy, the birth itself was messy, traveling with animals—messy; the cave they were in, and the family dynamics of a fiancé with a pregnant betrothed; so many things were oh so very very messy.

He said, even today families and kids and holidays are generally messy. This shouldn’t be surprising to us because of the precedent but we typically are.

It is true; often relationships and families are messy. I can attest. I shared a bedroom with my sister all my childhood, through high school. Messy.

I would get frustrated because, sure, I might have a few piles but there was order. Normally, everything of mine was put away. There was stuff everywhere. All. The. Time. And it drove me crazy. When my sister went to college I used her bed as a couch. While she was on campus and away from home I had a couch with great pillows in my bedroom and when she was home--everything changed.

While she was away—“it” all got put away. No more mess or clutter and I think “maybe mom will finally believe me,” the part where I told her that my sister was the messy one.

Most importantly, the Pepto-pink walls saw their last days. The eerie glow of the pink finally got handled. My friend Shari and I (who are painting pals—we’ve painted so many walls together it is beyond counting)  we moved everything to the middle of the room, broke the light fixture, and covered all the walls with white. I didn’t want ANY color after the pink. I was fatigued by so many years of the bright glowing reddish-deek-dark-pink; it covered everything--and the ceiling, all deep reddish pink.

White seemed so clean, simple, and open after that, I could breathe. And everything matched it.

After we painted, the room seemed twice as big. The white seemed so nice—all fresh and new. It  may have something to do with why white is my favorite color/non-color.

Advent wreaths often have a white, in the middle. The candle is for Christmas Day. Celebrating the promise of Christ—the Christ candle; the new covenant beginning with the person of Christ, a new beginning.

New beginnings bring joy and excitement—it is a blank page and full of possibility. I am sure that is how the Israel felt about the arrival of baby Jesus.

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We all are blessed by new starts and anticipate great things with new things. We are in the midst of the greatest unfolding. The white advent candle was lit but that one can’t be put out.