When watching Tv shows as a kid or even now, it was easy to see which person in the group of friends or on the show was artistic. They were strange, eccentric, and said things like "The inspiration just came to me!". It's goofy and comical, but it's kind of how it is, at least for me. My preference is to write on topics that inspire or drive me. I don't like publishing something unless what I'm writing moves me because if it doesn't stir my emotions, how can it draw emotion out of someone else?! I've published articles and rewritten them to please whatever direction the editor or publisher wanted to go with. When I did it, not only did I not like it, but I noticed that those were the pieces that didn't get a lot of traction. I felt like I couldn't win. I'd either write what I love without knowing who has read it or if it's any good, or write what others wanted and feel like I was just filling in words on a page and nothing more. It can become disheartening to even keep going. I've found myself in the state of writer's block, wondering if what I'm writing or doing is worth it.
This mood got me wondering: What made the writing so different? A conversation I had with a friend Monday morning got me connecting the dots. We were talking about people, life changes, and the noticeable difference between living by other's standards and living by who God made us to be. Each one of us is unique, different, and with an authentic purpose and personality to match. She had mentioned how someone told her how at peace and happy she looked in her Facebook photos in comparison to when she knew her back in the day. Thinking back on my response, I feel like I may have unknowingly answered my own question.
"The thing is, even though the Bible compares us to sheep, which aren't really all that smart, people are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. They know when you're being real or when you're trying to pitch something you don't live or believe yourself. Most people know how to spot a fake."
Whether you realize it or not, people can tell the difference between you trying to fill a need and the God-given passion that is inside you. There's power in the spark that has been placed in you. It's the difference between someone who writes as a vocation and someone whose heart is all in. Someone who has a good voice and someone whose passion is song. We were created with many talents, but I feel like we are each given a gift, something that we can do or bring that no one else can to the table. Once people see that in you, they'll know when it wasn't done in the fullness of your passion.
There may be a million writers, artists, speakers, singers, and so on, but only one that brings words to paper like you or speaks the way you do. Your unique life perspective through your spark is what will make people stop and look at your work or listen to your songs or read your writing. You may become famous, seeing the people you influence through your passion. Maybe you won't know who or what you have affected, but I pray you keep going anyways. People who need what you have to offer, and the way you speak, write, sing, etc could be what resonates in them, making a lasting impact on their life without ever knowing it.
Your talent, gift, spark, passion, whatever you'd like to call it, matters. Don't give up on it, even when it's hard and it doesn't go the way you would've hoped. Keep doing what sparks your passion and ignites your soul. I'll be sure to do that same.
That's all from me! Hope everyone has a blessed week and try to stay cool!
Remarkable , you wrote a incredible post inspiring others to be their true self in their own way so others can see their passion!