Doesn't Get Much Better Than Now

I don't know about you but the least sexy, the least adventurous, the least exhilarating mountain-top engaged spiritual writing experiences have yet been some of the most fruitful and rewarding.

When I set out years ago to discover the writing habits of dead authors (and some living ones too) I had in mind images of authors spending weeks by the ocean, skipping meals, writing by candlelight, sucking down coffee by the yak-load, and finally emerging from the shadows with perfect manuscripts ready for print and universally cherished by their editors, publishing companies, and even themselves.

Turns out I was a little off the mark with that assessment.

Don't get me wrong. There are some incredible works produced through some incredibly quirky circumstances, but for the most part, the longest lasting, timeless, most endearing, impactful, ultimately memorable contributions have been the result of people simply putting in the work despite their circumstances. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike by the ocean, they simply made time to recreate the ocean in their mind (or whatever their muse-like inspiration was), sit down, then bring it life several hundred words at a time until the work was done.

And then rise and do it again.

And again.

And you know what? Some of the shine can wear off in the process.

By the time the seventh draft of chapters 17-21 are complete, the adventure can feel more like the end of a long road-trip in a broke-down station wagon running on fumes and without AC in the throes of an Ohio summer in August. Right? Know what I mean? Deadlines and personal accountability and healthy habits and alternate projects and jobs and family routines and running out of coffee or toilet paper... real life in the valley consumes the mountain top high of a fresh work in progress.

And, yet, at the end of it all, the fruit of a project well produced in the slog of a daily rhythm is undoubtedly better than waiting for the beachfront property to come available for that three-week personal writing fest that never actually materializes. And the stories you write in your mind, at your desk, each and every day, word count by word count... these are the products that you not only build one day at a time, but products that build you into the writer, the creative who out-creates the one still waiting for the perfect circumstances to create.

Listen, sometimes, for some authors past or present, those whimsical beachside, mountain-top, foreign-culture writing fantasies become real writing experiences. Awesome. But for most of our favorite authors through time and space, they simply clocked in at work then came home, shared in life with their families and, when time and space allowed, sat down and wrote after the kids went to bed. Sexy? Nah. Fruitful? Absolutely.

Knowing Our Strengths Affords Us the Freedom to Work Beyond Them

So, it's safe to say that I'm a fan of creating healthy creative habits. From discerning and shaping the environment to quantifying how much you plan on creating each time you sit down to create if at all humanly possible. And, if you've watched any TED Talks, or gotten sucked into an article on neuroscience and habits, or have done any personal growth work from StrengthsFinder to EQ, you know that the mind is an incredibly designed bio-computer ready to be shaped and molded.

However...

And this is a huge, however.

There are two pitfalls to rewiring ourselves according to the zeitgeist of the neurosciences. Pitfalls, traps, distractions, cautions... not causes to abandon growth.

First, progressively slim-focused on personal strengths, or what some call, calling, to the detriment of on-going discovery in other areas of life.

Two, the abandonment of creative whim for the routine of routine.

What do I mean?

To the first, I simply mean that when we discover where we land in the world of StrengthsFinder or Meyers-Briggs, we may very well be tempted to blow off any opportunity or adventure beyond these walls. Rightly so when we're talking about long-term careers. But maybe not so much when we ignore that inkling to create at odd hours and in unique settings simply because it isn't how we're naturally wired.

Which bleeds into the second, that is, maybe don't abandon the rare and unique and beyond your comfort zone simply because it's beyond your natural creative zone.

So that basement studio you work in for a few hours each day... yeah, maybe grab some gear to go and sit at the park, or hit a co-creator's home studio for a different vibe, or go ahead and put a little cash aside for that long-weekend writing trip in that cabin on that lake. You know, the thing only wealthy and successful and full-time creatives do. Maybe you do it. And maybe you do it simply because it's your adventure.

This isn't a call to be immature and careless and irresponsible.

I'm convinced more than ever that Creator-God has made us in His image, the Imago-Dei. The image of a thinker, doer of right and good, parent and protector, gentle shepherd and bold warrior, reliable leader and wild adventurer, speaker of truth, and curious creator.

As co-creators in this intentionally created world, let's lean into how our minds are wired to become the best version of who we're designed to be. But in doing so, let's be sure to leave room for the metaphysical, the indescribable, the mysterious, and whimsical, the miraculous, the supernatural, and the down-right Divine right here in the flesh.

Truth is, once you know how you're wired, the parameters that shape your creative movement, you'll be able to push those boundaries safely and joyfully for even more grand adventures.

The Specialized Generalist Approach

No, I'm not suggesting we specialize in generalities. Though there is something to say about a general handyman or woman.

Specialized Generalists work to grasp a particular skill with a particular set of tools.

But they don't stop there.

One of the notes from the ancient apostle, Paul, if I can borrow from the context for a minute, was a call for his followers, those who chased after the way, life, and truth of Christ, to "become all things to all people."

This wasn't a call to shift identities and claim titles and roles they didn't have, but instead, on a deeper level, to mourn with those who were mourning, to celebrate with those who were celebrating, and to teach those who were hungry to learn, and to eat with those who invited them to meals, and to work as craftsmen alongside those who were craftsmen, etc.

Yet through it all, they were to be specialists in regard to evangelism (messengers of the good news). To own their craft of teaching and equipping well. And then, on top of that, to generally understand how to meet people where they're at.

Artists? Studio musicians? Singer-songwriters? Authors? Designers? Engineers? Own your craft well. Know it inside and out.

Then learn the tools and skills just beyond your field that might be helpful to others looking to grasp your work.

Then step out even further for a healthy grasp of the social, organizational, relational, and professional tools and skills that will not only help you connect with others but build others up as you go.

Are you a Specialized Generalist?

It's not too late. Take one step deeper into your craft. Then take one step further afield. Then repeat.