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Make What You Were Created To Make
284 Plays2 years ago
Make What You Were Created to Make.
What if being an artist of faith is more about WHO YOU ARE and HOW you create than WHAT you make?
Too many Christians in the arts are living in a no-win situation. They’re serious about their work, committed in their faith – but feeling disjointed and disconnected. In part two of this series, we’ll consider how to integrate the many pieces of you through the three-fold way of calling. And find clarity, confidence, and freedom to truly become who we were created to be, make what we were created to make and do what we were created to do.
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Transcript
Introduction to Be Make Do Podcast
00:00:10
Speaker
Hello, welcome to Be Make Do, a Soul Makers podcast where we talk about what it takes to pursue your calling as a culture maker with spiritual wholeness and creative freedom. I'm your host, Lisa Smith, and it is my passion to encourage and inspire you to become who you were created to be, make what you were created to make, and do what you were created to do.
Defining 'Make' vs. 'Do'
00:00:35
Speaker
I'm back with Dan ABH, my producer. Hello. And we're going to chat about the second part of Be, Make, Do. Make what you were created to make. So, okay, this is where it gets interesting, right? So we've got Be, Make, and Do. We just talked about Be, this Make and Do thing.
00:00:53
Speaker
this is where it gets interesting, because I've actually had quite a few people kind of push back a little bit, like, isn't that the same thing? May can do. Yeah, like aren't we, you know, make do what's the difference? But when we're talking about do, which is how we are most often talking about call, like I'm called to be an actor or a dancer or a minister or whatever, but that's really broad. That's a very broad sense of things. When we talk about make,
00:01:22
Speaker
make what you were created to make. We're focusing on your particular unique gifts, abilities, your talents, and the everyday habits and disciplines that go into being an artist, going back to that craft thing. It has to do with how and why you make.
00:01:41
Speaker
So we're asking really how is your B applied to the process of creating in Make? What's your ethical structure for your creative process? What happens when you see your creativity as a gift from God and you're making as an act of worship? How does that change things?
00:02:01
Speaker
So there are two core principles that comprise make. The first
Principles of 'Make' and Artistic Instincts
00:02:07
Speaker
is a clear sense of vision and values, which is accepting and enjoying the gift. And the second is a commitment to proficiency in a creative discipline and artistic integrity, which is accepting the responsibility. So we're going to break down the first principle and make a clear sense of vision and values.
00:02:30
Speaker
So artists and creatives share lots of things in common, but we are not interchangeable. You have unique gifts, right? There are things that each of us are just naturally created to make as artists. Some of us just naturally draw or write or perform or make music or bake or design or whatever. It's just sort of how our brains work and how we show up in the world.
00:02:57
Speaker
These are things you just make regardless of whether or not they make you any money or give you any recognition or anybody else recognizes them as valuable or good. They are instincts to make that were put in you on purpose by God and they have intrinsic value for that reason. They are gifts and should be honored as such.
00:03:19
Speaker
And I'm not just talking about skills and talents, but also the gift of the way you see and engage the world. Like what stirs your heart and how you interact with others, not to mention the unique and particular things that motivate and drive you. Like for example, when I wanted to be an actress because I love to step inside other people's shoes and see things from a different perspective. And then I found that I love doing that for others too.
00:03:48
Speaker
And funny enough, I've always had this thing about calling. I remember pulling kids in the neighborhood together to do a play and the theme was, what do you want to be when you grow up?
00:03:59
Speaker
That's just always what I've done, helping people see what's special about them and what they can do and think about what they want to do and be. That's just part of how I am. And so I find that I use that in any circumstance I'm in and I apply the skills that I've learned as an actor to everything that I do.
00:04:20
Speaker
It shows up in different ways at different times. So even if I'm not on stage, I'm still being faithful to the practice of my craft and the gifts and the skills that I've been giving. My actor artist sensibility is just kind of part of how I engage the world. I mean, I see this, I think we share in common the desire to
00:04:43
Speaker
bring people together around art.
Community's Role in Creativity
00:04:46
Speaker
You use music and production. You have a lot of different facets to your call and how that shows up, but it always seems to have this community.
00:04:57
Speaker
community development piece to it yeah there's a lot there's a lot of people involved and i think if there wasn't um i would be uninterested in doing it which is why like and to teach their own but i'll never be a musician that just makes music by themselves on my computer and just put it out
00:05:20
Speaker
and not play shows and not have development with other people and not being able to mentor people, which is one of my favorite things to do. And when I think of Call, that's definitely part of my package that I know of now. And before I didn't, I just thought it was weird. I'm like, why?
00:05:42
Speaker
Why do I care about these people so much? Yeah, it's yeah. So I think I think that's a huge piece that gets missed sometimes is a huge piece. I was thinking about you like even in your just your personal hobbies like collecting vinyl. You don't just collect vinyl like you start a record club record club with people. Right. Right. Have a dedicated schedule with a format.
00:06:08
Speaker
Yeah, so these pieces can show up in so many different ways and these sensibilities. So these are all part of that, like you said, the package of who we are. Knowing those strengths and gifts and motivations is helping you consciously articulate your values and identity. And that's going to drive how you align your work with your vision to help you define success for yourself and not get wrapped up in chasing after every opportunity.
00:06:38
Speaker
And understanding why you create makes it easier to connect with your audiences, the audiences you really want to connect with and who really want to connect with you. So that brings us to the second principle of Make, which is a commitment to proficiency in a creative discipline and artistic integrity. Basically, be good at what you do.
00:07:00
Speaker
But it's also about being intentional about how you create. And this is really, I think, one of the key aspects of Soul Makers. The idea that the process of creating is as if not more important than what we create or do to defining what it means to be a Christian in the arts.
00:07:20
Speaker
I think
Creativity as Worship
00:07:21
Speaker
being faithful to your call as an artist really has to do with integrating your values and vision and identity into the process of creating and seeing that act of developing your capacity and your craft as a part of that calling.
00:07:41
Speaker
Because if we accept that we have these gifts that are given to us by God on purpose, then we have to accept that there are certain responsibilities associated with those gifts.
00:07:52
Speaker
I mean, as Lewis Hyde writes in his book, The Gift, he says that a gift is meant to be opened and enjoyed and given in return. So you have a responsibility first to develop your gifts, then second to give them away and to find ways to use them in service to God and others.
00:08:15
Speaker
So attention to this part of call is about appreciating the gifts we've been given, engaging the process of making as an act of worship, not making for worship, but an actual act of worship and devotion and an offering, if you will.
00:08:32
Speaker
So it's about how you show up in the studio or the rehearsal room or the writer's desk or pick up that guitar. It's showing up in a way that is honoring it as a gift that you have a responsibility to use and to give away.
00:08:47
Speaker
In our last episode, we gave an introduction to becoming who you were created to be. Now we've untied the knot of making what you were created to make, and together we have a complete foundation for our calling. And when we're aware of that foundation, then we can embrace the practice and feel confident that we're living out our call regardless of our circumstances or whatever we happen to be doing at the time.
00:09:12
Speaker
In our final piece of this overview of Be Make Do, we'll be taking all of who you are and who you've been shaped and prepared to be and combining it with those creative gifts and passions and skills and talents you've developed. And then we'll put them into action to do what you were created to do. But first, we have another incredible conversation to share with you.
00:09:35
Speaker
That's
Introducing Shala Graham
00:09:36
Speaker
right. Photographer and entrepreneur Shala Graham will be with us for the next podcast episode. Yes, I love Shala. She took my last set of headshots. She's so good at making me feel comfortable and confident. And she's just this amazing artist and business woman. And I can't wait to introduce her to everyone. She's the perfect person to talk to about making what you were created to make. All right, everyone. We'll see you next time.
Engagement and Follow-Up
00:10:04
Speaker
Thanks for listening to Be Make Do, a Soul Makers podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, join us next time when Lisa sits down with photographer and entrepreneur, Shalek Graham. They'll talk about vision, branding, and how boundaries help you find and keep the audiences you want to serve.
00:10:25
Speaker
But I think that if we are aware, we'll save ourselves and our clients, our audience, a whole lot of heartache. We just know where our boundaries are. And that's just a whole other conversation. To catch all the latest, you can follow us on Instagram at Be Made Do and on YouTube at Soul Makers. Links and resources pertaining to this episode can be found in our show notes. Thanks again, and we'll see you next time.