Three Ways to Grow Creatively and Spiritually

We are just going to launch right into the three ways that you can grow creatively and spiritually. I think it’s important to be open to the direction that the Holy Spirit is leading you, so in essence these three areas are what the Holy Spirit has been showing me and teaching me lately.

Community

The support of others in invaluable for bother the Christian and the Christian writer. We are created for community and to be in community with each other and in additional to fellowship with each other, praying for one another is a great way not only to encourage your own growth, but the growth of others as well.

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another Proverbs 27:17 NIV

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV

A special note for writers: I recently have had the privilege to work with a few women that have made the decision to share their story. This is a great thing, to take the first step in writing out our story, but it is also jus the beginning of refining and reshaping your story to make the greatest impact on others. As a writing coach, I challenge my clients to dig a little deeper into their story to provide additional thoughts (what were they thinking and feeling in that moment) If you’ve even experienced a painful memory that you wish you could just forget but it still keeps coming up, then you understand how it can stir-up some emotional responses that you weren’t quite prepared for, or you thought you dealt with to events in your life that are hard to talk about, let alone “live through” again.

For this reason, I encourage my clients to gather their support system as they write their story. You need your people to encourage you as you take this brave step in sharing your story, as well as be your prayer warriors and stand in the gap on your behalf. This support system can be made up of family, friends, your small group from church, other writers, (me!) and a counselor or therapist. To have your own army to rally around you and beside you is an important part of any writer’s journey, especially for those that sharing their testimony.

Creating

Drawing. Painting. Coloring. There is something about using the creative side of our brains that activates a whole other side of us. As you are reading through your bible and a picture or image comes to mind, I encourage you to take a moment a draw out whatever that looks like for you. Yes, I know, it will feel awkward and weird and you will be judging what you are creating the entire time, but try to push through it as much as you can.

You know when you sing during worship, and it just pours out of you? Think of the creative expression (playing with different colors) as the same thing! Allow yourself to freely draw or color or paint much like you would unconsciously sing your heart out during that time. Worship is the outpouring of our heart and creating is just another way to be able to worship our Creator in a new way.

Hint: need a verse or idea to get started? I get it, creating and asking you to pick up colored pencils and paint if you dreaded art class as a kid is a tough ask. Here is a verse (or couple of verses) to help you get started, hopefully getting those creative juices flowing!

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5-8 NIV

A special note for writers: draw what you are going to write. I know it sounds crazy. But an artistic interruption to your daily writing routine WILL do you some good. Especially if you are trying to process emotions, thoughts, feelings related to sharing your story (or even creating a character is you are writing fiction.). For non-fiction writers as well, (I’m speaking to my fellow self-help and teaching friends here) It can be hard to visual how a “How-to” book can contain veiled metaphors and imagery to enhance the message we are sharing, especially if is seems so cut and dry at first. In this case, I recommend just picking one or two topics or points that you are making in your story and as you think of an example, try to also include a metaphor or visual illustration. (Don’t worry this is more for you to help you continue unravel your creativity as you are writing and less about it looking perfect.) And whatever you do, DO NOT judge your drawing or painting or your creativity as you are doing it! (Again our goal here is not a perfect finish product, but to embrace the process itself.

Co-working

There is something powerful about connecting with other people to work on projects or tasks that you keep pushing to the side. Accountability is HUGE for us as we seek to deepen our relationship with God, that’s why bible studies and small group are so important to help nurture our spiritual growth.

I’ll even take it one step further, What if you met online with a group (or even just one other person) and you guys studied your bible, read your devotional, did your study book questions together, but apart? Just knowing that you are working on developing habits and practices, and even through the silence of working over zoom, there is something to be said about encouraging one another to grow in our relationship with God. Just knowing that you are all there, looking at each other’s faces on your computer screen, sharing what you’re working on and being encouraged knowing that there really is power in numbers when it comes to studying the word of God, and spreading the good news of the gospel.

 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

A special note for writers: (or anyone that has a writing-related task or project that they would like to work on)

Announcing the Writing Power Hour a 8 week cowriting group that will meet together starting MAY 24!

Meetings will be held over zoom on Tues and Thurs from 10-11 AM weekly. We will meet and say hi and name what we will be working on, I will share a tip or encouragement and then pray as I send everyone off to work on their writing project during the POWER HOUR.

At the end of the hour, we will come back and note how it went for us. We will ask ourselves if we were able to manage our time and stay on task, or did distractions derail our focus? While it is tempting to want to use metrics to evaluate progress, I lean more towards looking at how easily you were able to achieve, maintain and get back into the writing flow rather than your word count for the hour. We will discuss other ways to measure “progress” during our meetings together.

There are days when we show up and it just pours out, and there are days that it is much harder, but the main thing is we keep showing up and during this 8 week session WPH (yup, totally just made that up!) we get to show up together! To sign up email stephanie@butterfly-beginnings.com.

Blessings, my dear friends!