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Escaping the Vocation Traps: How Artists Lose Their Way—and How to Get It Back!
5 Playsin 9 hours
Episode Description:
"And in that framework of call, we're invited to ask different questions...instead of asking, what is God's will for my life? ...To move the focus to who is God? What does God love?"
Calling—that sacred sense of purpose—sounds inspiring... until it turns into a booby-trapped maze of pressure, performance, and perfectionism. Are you chasing your calling but feeling more stuck than ever? In this kickoff to our new series Escaping the Vocation Traps, we explore how fear, pressure, and the wrong questions can quietly derail your creative life. Subscribe and join us as we explore four common traps—and how to get unstuck, one faithful step at a time.
Welcome to The Vocation Traps, a Be. Make. Do podcast series for brave souls and creative hearts who are tired of tripping over the same old lies:
💣 The Security Trap – where applause feels like purpose
🌀 The Happiness Trap – where chasing good vibes leaves you empty
🦸 The Hero Trap – where saving the world becomes your burden
🔥 The Chosen Trap – where doing “big things for God” gets you burned out
Resources & Tools:
- Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: https://soul-makers.kit.com/traptracker
- Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
- Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
- Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics
- Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
Connect & Share:
- Subscribe to the Be. Make. Do. Podcast for fresh episodes every week
- Share this episode with fellow artists and creatives
- Join the conversation on social media using #VocationTrapsPodcast
- Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Vocation Traps
00:00:00
Speaker
Ever feel like you're chasing your calling but somehow getting more stuck? In this kickoff episode, we introduce the idea of vocation traps, those sneaky mindset detours that can derail your sense of purpose.
00:00:13
Speaker
If you're a creative longing for clarity, freedom, and a more grounded way of living out your calling, then this series is for you.
00:00:32
Speaker
Hello, welcome back to Be Make Do, a Soulmakers podcast, where we explore what it takes to live out your call in the arts with spiritual wholeness and creative a freedom. I'm your host, Lisa Smith, here with my producer, Dan ABH.
00:00:46
Speaker
Hello,
Becoming Who You're Meant to Be
00:00:47
Speaker
everyone, and welcome back. Yes, it is our passion to encourage you to become who you were created to be, make what you were created to make, and do what you were created to do Here we are, season five. Season five.
00:01:00
Speaker
So excited to begin. it feels like we just wrapped up our last season with the Artist Motivational Archetypes, which was a phenomenal season. We talked to a lot of people. We met a lot of people. We got to connect with a lot of people.
00:01:13
Speaker
How did you feel about it? Yeah, it's so it's so interesting to see the level of clarity that is coming for so many people that and that just that sense of, oh, I'm okay. Like the way that I make and the way that I process things and the way I do things, that's that's a good way of doing things, even if it's not the way that everybody else does it. So yeah, it's been really fun to start to build conversations around that and use that as a tool together as a community.
00:01:40
Speaker
So it's wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. And also just this idea of having like a conversation starter. And I think having our quiz, yeah, something that really gets you thinking. And if you have not taken that quiz yet, please head to our show notes or go to soulmakers.org and find out what spiritual artist archetype you are.
00:01:59
Speaker
Yeah. And if you didn't get a chance, you can listen to the previous episodes that talk in depth about what those archetypes are. We also have a special guide that we've created that includes all of the artist's archetypes in there, as well as some additional questions for you to be able to work through to take that to the next level.
00:02:18
Speaker
you can find all of that stuff on our website as well. And as always, be sure to stay in contact with us and stay up to date by subscribing, listening to the podcast, and of course, sharing with friends.
00:02:31
Speaker
All right, let's get started.
Introducing the Vocation Trap Tracker
00:02:44
Speaker
Okay, so first things first, I wanna let you know about a brand new vocation trap tracker tool that we created just for you so you can follow along with us this season as we explore these vocation traps.
00:02:57
Speaker
You'll be able to assess for yourself if any of these traps are ones that you get stuck in. Plus, we created a workbook with lots of great questions and thoughts for reflection and some exercises to help you bust through those traps and find freedom.
00:03:13
Speaker
You can download the free tracker on our website at soulmakers.org slash be make do or find the link in our show notes.
00:03:29
Speaker
Great. Well, we are excited to get started with our Vocation Traps series, which is a part of the larger structure of what we talk about on the Be Make Do podcast, which obviously goes to this idea of the artist's calling.
Identity in God's Story
00:03:43
Speaker
And so much of the time when we think about call and vocation and what we do as artists, we're talking about the thing that we do, whether it's the medium, the discipline that we're in, or what we want to accomplish, or how that accomplishment is measured, whether or not we're successful in that.
00:04:01
Speaker
Or as a Christian, whether or not we're being faithful to what God has called us to do. But our invitation at Be, Make, Do is to back that up and say, yeah, the do part is important, but thinking about calling is actually a threefold process that begins with becoming who you were created to be.
00:04:18
Speaker
Developing a clear sense of identity and self-knowledge within the larger story, God's story, and finding our identity within Christ and being able to build the practices and habits and ways of being um that shapes us to become that person that we were created to be.
Impact of Identity on Calling
00:04:35
Speaker
And that that is part of our calling and in fact is probably the most important part of our calling because it affects everything that pours out of us.
00:04:43
Speaker
Then the make is about all those special gifts and abilities that God has imbued you with, the ways that you see the world, the things that you get excited about, the the the relationships, the way that you engage the world.
00:04:56
Speaker
These are all about making what you were created to make. And it's about the daily practice time, the daily studio time, the daily writing time, the showing up of the page, the proficiency, all of those things that we have to develop and work on throughout the course of our lives, regardless of the circumstances.
00:05:16
Speaker
And those two pieces are just as important as whatever that thing is that we're doing, right? So as we get ready to dive into this season of um the Be Make Do podcast, we're smack dab in the middle of make.
00:05:30
Speaker
We were talking about our motivations and gaining confidence through the archetypes, about the ways that we're wired, knowing that that that is a gift, not a problem, right?
00:05:44
Speaker
And so as we get confident around that, we um gain more of a sense of what we want to be about and how we want to engage our art making. But the thing is, even still, we can get stuck.
00:05:59
Speaker
And why is that? Why after all that sense of like, yeah, I know the things I'm good at. I know the things that i love to do. And I know that that is given to me by God. And yet I'm still stuck.
00:06:11
Speaker
And I think the reason why is there are these external factors that are unacknowledged, like little programs kind of running in the background, um that ah make us kind of confuse success and faithfulness or fulfillment within our artistic endeavors.
00:06:29
Speaker
um What it means to be faithful gets a little confused. So these messages often come from the cultural or familial stories that are just sort of around that we're in in enmeshed in, immersed in.
00:06:42
Speaker
And also the fears that we have about how we'll look to other people or even about our own doubts about our abilities or our circumstances or the resources that we
External Influences on Vocation
00:06:53
Speaker
have. And when we get stuck there, we kind of are in this whirlpool of these vicious thoughts. And that's when we've entered this world of the vocation traps.
00:07:03
Speaker
All right, Lisa, what are the vocation traps though?
Recognizing Vocation Trap Questions
00:07:08
Speaker
Yes. Okay. I think the best way to get started talking about them is to highlight some of the questions that we kind of get stuck in.
00:07:18
Speaker
we've got a list of questions here. Why don't you read off some we can talk about them. All right. How can I know my true purpose? What if I never do that thing that I'm meant to do? What if I never reach my full potential because I'm limited by lack of time, money, opportunities, et cetera?
00:07:34
Speaker
What if I'm not good enough? What if the creative work I want to do isn't what God wants me to do? Yeah. So, okay. So everybody out there listening, if you identify with any of those questions, this these are keys that kind of tell, yeah, me too, raising hands.
00:07:51
Speaker
I have seen these questions and heard these questions from so many people. And they're great questions, meaningful questions, legitimate questions. And I think I've probably gotten stuck with probably every single one of them I'm looking at right now at some point in time.
00:08:07
Speaker
Oh, goodness. Yeah. Me too. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they creep up at at all kinds of of different places. You know, what if I'm not good enough probably creeps up every single time I get ready to sit down and write or record or audition or do anything. Yeah.
00:08:21
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I feel like that one resonates with a lot of people for all different sorts of reasons. I mean, all of these definitely resonate ah for me, but what if I'm not good enough is like the be all end all wrong question to be asking myself. Right.
00:08:36
Speaker
yeah yeah Right. Right. And then these questions about how do I know my true purpose or what about that one thing I meant to do or what if what I want to do isn't what God wants me to do these well you can tell from what we talked about earlier about our feelings about do is a wrong place to put our focus and our energy so these are leading us towards the vocation traps.
00:08:59
Speaker
So, okay, if you find yourself repeatedly asking questions like this or or something close to it, you might be stuck in what I like to call the vocation paralysis traps because it does cause paralysis and that's the problem with it.
Understanding Vocation Traps
00:09:15
Speaker
So a vocation trap is a mindset or a story or a belief that keeps you stuck. So if you feel stuck, then probably you're in a trap. The trick is that these traps get you to stay distracted by unhelpful questions.
00:09:30
Speaker
So good, bad, whatever, they're just questions. But in this case, they're not helping us. They're keeping us stuck. They're well-meaning, but they don't unstick you. So they're not really helpful, right? The questions themselves actually become the problem.
00:09:46
Speaker
And the quest to answer those questions can keep you circling and circling and circling for years and years and years So I'm suggesting the questions themselves just need to be booted. They're distracting.
00:09:58
Speaker
So this series on the vocation traps is not like a five easy steps to get unstuck kind of thing. That's just not the type of podcast that this is. That's not how we operate.
00:10:10
Speaker
We acknowledge that we do not have all the answers. We're just trying to work together to ask some good questions or at least some better questions. So I think that really...
00:10:22
Speaker
The answer here is actually very simple, but it's not easy. And that's how it goes. I will say as artists and creatives, we are, I believe, uniquely vulnerable to these traps. all Everybody deals with it. But because we live in the tension of where we're making things that are deeply personal to us, and yet they are meant for other people.
00:10:49
Speaker
So that naturally does create some tension. our Our identity and our output are by its nature deeply intertwined, even though they're different things. It it makes sense that that we get a little caught up around that.
00:11:04
Speaker
And then I think also as Christians, it makes sense that we get caught up around these things because we care. We care a lot about whether or not we're doing what what God wants, and that's a good thing.
00:11:15
Speaker
But sometimes, unfortunately, i think that we've been taught to be afraid or we've taken it into a place where it becomes a position of fear, where we're concerned about what if we get it wrong or or what if what I want isn't what God wants.
00:11:34
Speaker
So we're concerned with doing God's will, which is a good thing. But when that starts to bleed over into that place where you're talking about your archetype motivations or your gifts and skills, and it becomes limiting, that that's a problem, right? Because those we've already talked about, those are all good gifts.
00:11:54
Speaker
given to you by God to enjoy and develop and use in service as acts of worship. like You can't really get using those things wrong as long as you're in the right framework.
00:12:07
Speaker
And that's the thing. I think we we are focused, fixated on what am I doing with those gifts? what am i how am I using that? Am I using it right or wrong? Instead of backing way up and saying, am I in the right framework? Because if I'm in this right framework, if I'm in the right pool, then whatever I'm doing in that pool is great.
00:12:28
Speaker
So it's not about what I'm doing, it's whether or not I'm in the right framework. And it's actually those questions that are based in fear and self-focus or wrong focus that are actually the things that are tripping you up around God's will.
00:12:42
Speaker
And this is where I say it's simple, even if it's not easy, because we know what God's will is. The Bible is consistent all the way through from the beginning to the end. God is very consistent about what His will is.
00:12:55
Speaker
he He asks us to love God, to love our neighbor, and to love our enemies. it's It's pretty clear when you go into the Bible that what it is that God desires for us as human beings in this world. And that is the framework within which we as Christians, as all people, are called to live our lives and have our relationships and do our work.
Biblical Perspective on Calling
00:13:20
Speaker
So I recognize that in this conversation, we are talking about a particularly biblical view of call, right? So this is different from conventional wisdom and from just sort of average secular ways of thinking about purpose.
00:13:36
Speaker
It is very specifically and particularly a biblical framework. And in that framework of call, we're invited to ask different questions, Even different questions, I think, than we typically ask in Christian circles around calling.
00:13:55
Speaker
So instead of asking, what is God's will for my life? What is my purpose? To move the focus to who is God? What does God love?
00:14:08
Speaker
And then how can I align my love with God's love? How can I live my life, align my gifts, my current circumstances, my talents, my motivations, my interests,
00:14:24
Speaker
How can I align that within what God loves, within God's will, and live that out right now where I am, how I am, in anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promises that everything will ultimately align with God's love?
00:14:42
Speaker
That's the the framework that So, okay, I know I'm not answering a lot of specifics and there's probably a lot of hands going on, well, what about, what about? And that's that's good. And we're going to get to specifics in our upcoming episodes as we explore each of the traps and talk about what this looks like in in more detail.
00:15:00
Speaker
But in this introduction, I want to keep... widening our perspective out a little bit in hopes that but you might loosen your grip on the idea that there even is one right answer about what you're meant to do or one thing that you are meant to do right now and maybe consider this idea that you If you are in the right framework, if you're in the right narrative, then the invitation is actually to play and explore and just go for it without fear or pressure and to see what kind of comes from that.
00:15:37
Speaker
So there was this um this metaphor, this this idea that was really helpful to me in in letting go of some of these things. um Because I am definitely, since I've talked about this many times, but since I was very young, I have had this sense of like,
00:15:54
Speaker
What has God got for my life? What is my purpose? And I really had to let that go in order to kind of embrace the freedom to really become who God created me to be and to have the the fun and the freedom to to make and do what He created me to make and do.
00:16:15
Speaker
um And so this comes from, actually, there are several writers, theologians that talk about it in this way and to write, um but I'm specifically thinking about Samuel Wells in his book, Improvisation, where he talks about improvisation as a way of thinking about worship and Christian ethics and um and purpose and living life.
00:16:35
Speaker
And it's the idea is talking about um understanding the narrative of the Bible as a five-act play. which of course speaks to me as an actor very much.
00:16:46
Speaker
But the the framework, the layout there is act one is creation. Act two is God's love story with Israel. Act three is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
00:16:58
Speaker
Act four, where we are now, is the story of the church, the witness. And act five is the ultimate fulfillment of all things, the restoration of everything.
00:17:10
Speaker
So, proposing that we see the Bible as a play in five acts, Wells goes on to illustrate basically how wrong things go when we place ourselves in the wrong act.
00:17:22
Speaker
So, for instance, let me give you an example. If we put ourselves in Act 1, which creation— which is the creation then essentially we're putting ourselves rather than God in the role of creator. So when we think like that, it's easy to act as if the whole story begins with our appearance on the scene. It's kind of like that um teenager mentality where we feel like we're discovering and naming everything as if it's the first time that it's ever been done Or if we see ourselves in Act 2, we're behaving as though the Messiah hasn't come and we can act out of scarcity instead of abundance.
00:17:57
Speaker
Or in Act 3, we take on the Savior role and that pressure to save everyone and everything all by ourselves. Or if we act like we're in act five, then we are thinking that we can fix all the world's problems and bring the world and story to a glorious end.
00:18:15
Speaker
So in
Playing a Role in God's Story
00:18:16
Speaker
those scenarios, in all of those scenarios, we take center stage as the main character in the narrative. And the story becomes about us in a variety of ways. It plays out differently, but always about us.
00:18:31
Speaker
So instead of choosing the framework that realizes that this is God's story and we have smaller yet significant parts to play, we can get tempted to believe that we're the star of the show that starts when and ends with us.
00:18:46
Speaker
And you know if we buy into, take it even further, if we buy into the secular belief that this is basically a one-act play, then the pressure's really on to milk this life and this moment and this story for all that it's worth to our own benefit.
00:19:01
Speaker
But fortunately, that's not the story. That's not the framework. We are in a five-act play and we are in act four, the church, the witness.
Improvisation within God's Framework
00:19:12
Speaker
So that means that we, meaning all Christians, we find our true work by moving off of center stage and recognizing God is the lead.
00:19:23
Speaker
And we knowing that we do have a specific and meaningful role ah partnership with God, but thinking about it more akin to improvisation than scripted part.
00:19:36
Speaker
Like there's a lot of trust that God gives us. And within that trust is a desire to play. together and have real relationship.
00:19:47
Speaker
So what we are bringing to the table is is very is vital and important, and God uses that in a lot of different ways. So it's it's kind of like thinking about it as an improvisation.
00:19:59
Speaker
God kind of says, okay, here's the parameters. you know Think about an improvised ah script, like a play or or even a TV show or a movie. Like that group of actors gets like, here's the parameters. You're in this kind of setting.
00:20:13
Speaker
ah This is the scenery that's happening. Here's the major plot points that we're trying to hit. Here's what you need to be about, like the basics of your character. Here's your bag of goodies.
00:20:23
Speaker
You know, like here's all the things that you do and ah your shtick and your ah the things you care about, things that make you mad, things that you you know you're really good at. And here's where it's all going.
00:20:35
Speaker
Here's where the story's going. We know that there's an act five. We know how that ends. All right, here you go. Action, right? And then We get to participate as part of Act 4 in this grand narrative where the major defining action has actually already taken place previously in the biblical narrative.
00:20:55
Speaker
And the final act is yet to come, but we know that's taken care of too. And so we are in this fourth act where our role is basically to bear witness to the glory of God and to act as signposts for the kingdom of God, which is both here and to come.
00:21:12
Speaker
And we're just joyfully improvising and playing together and with God. And as artists, we're here, like ah artists, our friend Karen Swenhold always says, we're here creating evidence and artifacts that God was alive and well in our time.
00:21:31
Speaker
So our story and our calling only makes sense within this context of God's larger narrative. And having a clear understanding of where we are in that drama sets us free from our paralyzing insecurities and leaves us ready to pursue our true calling,
00:21:48
Speaker
which maybe is a lot more general, but also a lot more fun because we're free to leave behind the pressure and perfectionism and trying to be God or accomplish things for God. And we can just walk with God.
00:22:03
Speaker
So here's this is the truth. The little
Freedom in a Supporting Role
00:22:05
Speaker
takeaway is that you are not the main character of the story. But you can let go of that because you do have a role in the story that is particular to you and that matters.
00:22:19
Speaker
And that is very, very freeing. I love that you're highlighting and really talking about Christians in in this world of art making and being creatives because it's easier for us to put more pressure on ourselves because we don't think that we're serving God through art making.
00:22:36
Speaker
And so what happens is that it's so much easier for ah Christian to push their faith away or to just stop making art. Yeah. and to feel alone or get the support that they're needed. Obviously, if they're listening to this, hopefully it's it's helping them.
00:22:53
Speaker
But I think as a Christian who is an artist that does work from that place, I get very stuck in those wrong questions. Mm-hmm.
00:23:04
Speaker
Much easier than maybe somebody who's not a believer. You know what I mean? So i just I just wanted to highlight that because I think it's very interesting. Absolutely. There's no right way of living out your giftings.
00:23:19
Speaker
You can do that in a variety of ways, and a variety of settings. It plays out in a variety of ways at different times in your life. The important is what story are you living in? What context does that play out in?
00:23:31
Speaker
And going back to becoming who you're created to be, who are you? What are you aligned to? What do you love? Who do you love? that That kind of a bigger picture, holistic understanding of what it takes to live out our calling and do our work in this world it It sounds like, well, we're not giving an answer, but it's actually freeing. It's more free. There's a lot more room to play in that space, and that's what we're invited to. We're were looking to integrate our desires, our feelings, our choices into this commitment to abide in Christ and then serve out of the overflow.
00:24:09
Speaker
And then we're just freely improvising within that story and living life, as we were talking about earlier, Dan, we're living life on and with purpose rather than seeking to fulfill a purpose.
00:24:23
Speaker
I think that's so, so freeing. It's super important too, and very freeing. Yeah, yeah.
Identifying Common Vocation Traps
00:24:30
Speaker
So we hope you'll come along with us in this vocation trap series as we look at four traps to see if any of these are keeping you distracted and stuck.
00:24:39
Speaker
We've got the security trap, where applause feels like purpose. The happiness trap, where chasing good vibes leaves you empty. The hero trap, where saving the world becomes your burden. And the chosen trap, where doing big things for God gets you burned out.
00:24:54
Speaker
So we'll look to refocus our mindset and framework, ah to embrace mistakes, setbacks, and uncertainties as part of the process and not something to fear, and see our abilities and gifts as tools to help us live out our call in our everyday lives, regardless of circumstances and at various stages of life.
00:25:13
Speaker
And as always, along the way, we'll keep inviting soulmaker creatives into the conversation with standalone interviews and discussions.
00:25:22
Speaker
Thanks for listening to Be Make Do this week. If this episode sparked something in you, we'd love to continue the conversation on Instagram. Find us at Be Make Do Podcast and comment on our latest post with your biggest takeaway. Let's connect and hear what vocation traps might be tripping you up.
00:25:39
Speaker
All links for this episode are in our show notes. Until next time, keep being, making, and doing.