many helpful, a few bizarre, and one that couldn’t get past your grammar glitch on page 74.
We tend to base our art's worth on the reaction or reviews of others. But do you regularly ask God what he thinks of your writing?
He is, after all, the ultimate Creator. That’s the way he chose to introduce himself to us in Genesis. We discover him joyfully and extravagantly speaking light, oceans, mountains, and creatures into being – not in isolation but in fellowship within the Trinity.
But he didn’t stop there. Before we were born, he knit the gift of storytelling into our DNA. And his primary motive?It is so we can co-createwith him. When I say “with”, I mean actively, intimately entering into the story process together. Writing at his pace. Listening to his ideas. Breathing life into worlds through words. Allowing him to shape the Story you’re living knowing it will enhance the story you’re writing. Infusing your imagination with the eternal.
Then, once the story is done, let him be the very first one you turn to for a reaction. This is more than a prayer to God. It’s a conversation with him. Listening more than talking. Hearing his thoughts and his heart for your story…and for you as storyteller. It will be intimate and holy.
Once you’ve heard from God, all other feedback can follow – and be taken in the right perspective.
If you’ve never experienced the beauty and power of this, try it now. Tune our every other opinion and ask, “God what do you think about my creativity?”
TWEETABLES
Allen Arnold is the author of The Story of With, an allegory that reveals a better way to live and create through the doorway of identity, imagination, and intimacy. His mission is to help people actively pursue and transform their talent by discovering how to pursue it with God. As the founding Fiction Publisher for one of the world's largest Christian publishing houses, Allen oversaw the development of more than five hundred novels. He knows first-hand how common it is for creators to become disheartened, overwhelmed or burnt-out–as well as what it takes to help the dreams of writers become reality. In his current role at Ransomed Heart, he oversees content from the mountains of Colorado for the ministry. Before becoming a Board Member for ACFW, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 for his substantial contributions to the world of Christian Fiction.
Thank you for this post, Allen. It was exactly what I needed to hear today. Sometimes I get distracted by what everyone else thinks (or what I think they'll think) and forget that this is the story He asked me to write.
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