Creativity and Public Speaking

366 Days of Building Creativity Week 42 in Review: October 14th-20th

Where do you allow yourself to be creative?

I realized this week that I had certain places I allowed creativity and then in some areas, I was still relying on my the old constructs of perfectionism I had constructed to try and keep me safe from criticism.

​Public speaking was one of those areas.

I had the opportunity to be a part of a wonderful marriage event for couples. I was also the last presenter of three, and I got to watch two magnificent public speakers go before me.

They had no notes. They were engaged and funny and vulnerable. They were powerful.

I have to admit, it took everything I had to stay out of comparison, and even then I was only moderately successful. 

I got up there and I had my notes I referred to and I gave my gift of giving the couples an activity to help them communicate better.

​But afterwards I kept thinking about the experience, and I realized, I wanted my part to be perfect. That's why I had the notes. Because I had come up with sentences and examples and I wanted those exact things to be said.

What I've learned through this daily experiment in building creativity, is that there will always be something there for me. I trust it now. I trust myself now. I'm often amazed at what is created because I had no idea.

I have released control in that area and I am trusting myself and the process.

And that surrender is making it abundantly clear the areas that I haven't done that and that I don't quite trust it will be or I will be enough.

It's one thing to prepare and practice, but it's another thing to perfect.

Next time I speak, I want to trust myself and be more in the moment with the people to whom I am speaking. I want to be open to the experience and not worry if I forget something or don't say something quite right. I want to let go and let God. 

I want to be open to the creative process in all areas of my life and allow space for whatever God may have in store for me.

Days 288-294

Day 288
"No attachments. And no expectations for how you want it to turn out. The second we begin to attach a 'perfect' plan to our paintings, is the second our creative spirit is no longer free to play with abandon."
​-Kelly Rae Roberts

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Day 289
"The art-making process can be mysterious but it can also be somewhat controlled. You can set a wakeup call for the muse if you give yourself a predictable program, an armature to build your work on."
​-Danny Gregory

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Day 290
"Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before me, I make an arbitrary use of color to express myself more forcefully."
​-Vincent Van Gogh

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Day 291
"I Heard: 'INCREASE, INCREASE, INCREASE' 'It's time to give new things a go!' Deep healing, deliverance and freedom was coming upon the people of God as they moved in His creative flow! I felt the Lord say, 'I am taking back the mountain of arts and media.' The world is going to begin to see FROM THE PEOPLE OF GOD a NEW and FRESH level of creativity. There is a CREATIVE EXPLOSION upon the Body of Christ RIGHT NOW!"
​-Lana Vawser

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Day 292
​"And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the MAGIC of beginnings."
​ -Meister Eckhart

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Day 293
"My choice of colors does not rest on any scientific theory, it is based on observation, on feeling, on the experience of my sensibility."
​-Henri Matisse

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Day 294:
"Take time to notice the things that other people are overlooking."
​-Jeff Goins