How to Avoid Distractions and Resistance to Your Creative Self
We really have no idea how each day is going to unfold or better yet—how our creative life will unfold, or the challenging tests we have to overcome.
For example, if your married with children, your day may start with striking your snooze button ten times before you make the effort to lift the bed covers off your body, place your feet onto the floor, stand up, then be alerted you’ve awakened ten minutes later than usual. Now you’re faced with the reality of choosing to wash your hair or leaving it as you’ve lost precious time, and you still have to awaken your three children ages, 7, 10 and 14. Not to mention the 14-year-old has to be gently awakened or you’re faced with someone you don’t even recognize.
You conclude washing your hair is no longer an option, quickly take a shower, start the gentle process of waking up your teenage daughter while you awaken the other two, ensuring their clothes are not inside out and they don’t drip toothpaste down the front of their tee-shirts, and again, trod gently into your teenage daughter’s bedroom relieved she has one eyelid open, satisfied she will soon rise and have the bathroom all to herself.
You manage to dress yourself with the bedroom door slightly ajar to keep an eye on your two youngest ensuring they don’t start a food fight in the kitchen as they grumble over having oatmeal again for breakfast and whining as to why they can’t have Fruit Loops instead.
You take a deep breath, reminding yourself you love your children and despite waking up ten minutes late, you’re on schedule to now gather your three lovelies, escort them into your vehicle, wishing your husband had a job near home instead of away in camp.
After the children are safely dropped off at their designated schools you continue your drive to work only to be stuck in traffic due to an accident, which now makes you ten minutes late for work.
When you arrive at your office, you’re slightly frustrated as you glance down at the black pleated skirt you pulled out of the closet to wear and confused there are no pleats in your skirt because you absently forgot to put the skirt on and, in fact, are only wearing your black slip. Thankfully, you have an amazing assistant who is only too pleased to leave the office to purchase you the proper piece of clothing you need to be prepared for a meeting you have to attend in an hour.
This, of course, is an example of how a day may start. But things may change mid-day or in the evening as what happens in a day can be mixed with distractions and unexpected occurrences.
Some people think life is predictable, and for some that may be true. They get up in the morning, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, and go to bed. Then out of the blue something changes—the unexpected distraction that takes you off your normal routine.
My point is—you never know what will happen in any given moment.
We get caught up in our daily routine and are not prepared for the unexpected distraction, and when it happens, it’s like a domino effect.
I’m at a place I never expected. A major change where I’ve had to learn new skills. To reach this point I had to accept the unexpected events/distractions, look within, and trust in God’s plan and purpose for my life.
But what do you do when your faced with distractions from people you love. Like a partner who plans the day before you’ve even awakened, taking you away from the mental plans you made the night before, or a family drama that makes your head spin, or being a young mom, without support from a partner. These events can swing to solutions to appease everyone, and the person left behind, is you.
It's repetitive distractions that can leave you exhausted and question God’s plan for you. But ask yourself these three questions...
If I put my creative plans on hold, how will it impact my relationship with God?
When you consider not pursuing the creative gifts God gave you, how does it make you feel?
How would this decision affect the path God chose for you, a path built up in His Son, and rooted in His strength?
God created everyone with a creative purpose.
One goal in my life was to be a professional photographer by the age of 25. But I became a mom at 24. I was faced with a decision—put my creative self on hold or find a way to pursue my creativity and be a mom. I decided to put my son first. It wasn’t a decision filled with regret, as he needed me. However, I made this decision without giving my photography career a second thought. I believed it was a sacrifice to focus on my child.
But when you have a creative gift, God will remind you with subtle suggestions your creative purpose.
When my son was an adult, the spark to pursue my creative self, returned. I wiped the dust off my camera and began to shoot.
Within a year I opened a home-based photography studio. For 10 years, I operated my studio, and to this day, I cherish the memories of providing a service that made people smile.
My other goal was to write a book, and this came to fruition in 2016 with a self-published contemporary romance novel titled, Oceans Apart. Writing this book was one of the most passionate moments in my life. I always loved to write, however, when I began the journey of writing this novel, I couldn’t stop, the words kept flowing onto the page. I found pausing to eat and sleep a distraction. It was an exhilarating experience, I’ll never forget.
Although, these chapters in my life are closed, my creative aspirations remain strong. God continues to use these gifts to spread His word in writing this blog that initially began with the truth of new age culture but has evolved to writing content to encourage Christians in their walk with Jesus.
God also guided me to use my creative and writing skills in creating Prayer Journals to help Christians build their relationship with the Holy Trinity.
To date, I’ve created 3 Prayer Journals on different themes:
The first Journal is based on Matthew 28:30, “I Am Always With You.”
Designed as a devotional tool to spend time with the Lord in quiet solitude. A time for you and Jesus to be alone. It’s personal, filled with sentiments, and the trials and tribulations of life. A beautiful memoir of your intimate relationship with a Lord who is with you always.
The second focuses on John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
This journal delves deep into recognizing your desires, repetitive behaviors, and sacrificing all to the Heavenly Father. To rise above the temptations of the flesh and blood by allowing the fire of God to move in and through you. It’s adapting the verse John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Words spoken by John the Baptist identifying His role in paving the way for Jesus that had to diminish for Jesus’s ministry to grow.
The third is a focus on worship—Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!”
This journal is to rejoice the Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus. Listen to the whispers of their words through the Holy Spirit, understand the vastness of God’s love, so you can shine in His glory.
When the door opens to new ideas, like the Blog and Prayer Journals did for me, it’s a choice to take the step and share your creative purpose or close the door.
The question to ask, are you willing and ready to let your creative self shine?
God gave you a gift. A gift to bring joy to hundreds, thousands, or millions of people. It’s a part of who you are that can’t be denied unless you choose to resist the calling.
Resistance is the closed door. It can squeeze every ounce of happiness from your soul.
I know what it’s like to resist to embrace your creative self, as I was in a place of feeling like a victim. But even then, I didn’t give up on writing or learning different ways to promote my contemporary romance novel, Oceans Apart, photography, blog, and Prayer Journals.
I always persevere as it’s the core of who I am. However, resistance has been a constant companion and challenge, as I question if my time and efforts are worth it. But I can’t walk away, as I know if I do, then I walk away from God’s purpose. I continue with faith, that my creative self will inspire others.
The question, how do you nurture your creative self, when you’re tested with resistance.
Resistance comes in the form of procrastination, finding other things to do when your creative self encourages you to explore that creative idea. It can also be fighting the call, as you don’t want to step out of your comfort zone, even if it makes you unhappy. It’s the testing ground that can either push you further away from your god given gifts or stay stuck where you are.
Fear is just as crippling as resistance. Like the second hand on a clock, or watch, that never moves—a place where your creative self is held in limbo.
Fear can take on many forms...
Approval
Rejection
Failure
Support
Success
Yes, even the thought of success can make you run to the hills.
The best remedy—cutout the noise in your mind. You know, the noise that keeps you in resistance and fear. The chatter that repeatedly knocks you down, doing it’s all time best to convince you to walk away from your creative self. The judgement voice, telling you what you have to offer is garbage.
The pursuit of your creative self doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. But it can be with self-sabotaging thoughts from the enemy.
This is where the enemy wants to keep you—not living your true purpose and serving God through your creative self.
The sad truth, the person we treat the worst is ourselves.
The person we think of the least, is ourselves.
We’re famous for allowing the enemy to create an inner war with self-destructive thoughts, where rising above it feels like climbing Mount Everest.
The other truth—you lean more towards the negative, as it’s easier to believe then believing you’re an amazing, beautiful person, capable of expressing creative ideas, concepts, or works of art, that light up others and make you dance through the grace of God.
To break free of these self-sabotaging thoughts, journal to release the negativity behind the words and place these words at the foot of the cross.
Journal first thing in the morning, if you’re able, to release thoughts having a party in your mind or pray for Jesus to cleanse your thoughts with His blood and to...
Accept the beautiful creation you are.
Allow God to create through you.
Leap forward with trust and faith.
To follow the path of your creativity, is a gift. Not everyone is creative; however, not everyone is logical. Each of us has our own set of skills that God has imprinted on your heart. Don’t let the enemy prevent you from being the awesome creative you are by placing doubts, resisting the call or being sidetracked with projects that take you away from your true purpose.
When my creative purpose was confirmed in prayer through the Holy Spirit, I felt lifted in God’s grace. I was overjoyed to know God’s purpose for my life, specifically with the Prayer Journals, designed to help with answers to questions, as you devote time in quiet solitude with the God the Father, His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
My journals are available in my ETSY Shop at Archway Designs by CFC Studios.
They’re available as digital downloads. Easy to receive and print pages as you need them. Grab a copy today.
They’ve been instrumental in building my relationship with the Holy Trinity. The words of encouragement and God’s immense love has touched my heart in so many ways. I know without a doubt that God loves me, flaws and all. He knows my purpose and my creative self is open and willing to follow his lead.
In closing, my prayer for you...live your day like it’s your first and the last. Stop asking the why and start asking God, how.
God Bless,
Hi, I’m Cathy.
A blogger, photographer, writer, passionately driven to pointing people away from new age indoctrination to find redemption in Jesus Christ.
I’m a mixed blend, excited to share all I offer...
Blog-Twisted Roots
Do you find yourself asking questions about new age, whether the practices and beliefs are leading your soul to redemption?
As a reformed new ager, I was saturated in the belief I could co-create with the universe and manifest a life of abundance. But I was deceived. This blog is to point you to the truth of God’s words and how He perceives the new age indoctrination. It also highlights other areas to inspire and encourage Christians in their walk of faith.
Prayer Journal
To help you in your journey, I created a Prayer Journal, to build a closer bond with Christ Jesus.
As you grow in your faith, it’s important to dedicate time to be with God in prayer, a quiet space to meet with Him, and invite Him into your daily thoughts. In doing so, you will experience His peace and presence in every aspect of your life.
Fine Art Photography
I always dreamed of being a professional photographer when I grew up. It was a journey to reach this goal. When the opportunity presented itself, I knew it was time to fulfill my dream.
I owned a home-based studio for over a decade but have been shooting images for two decades. Now, semi-retired, I have a collection of my most cherished images of landscape or fine art available for wall décor.
