Archive for December, 2006

Inspiration Comes In Many Forms

Thursday, December 7th, 2006 by Alyice

Throughout my life, I’ve been inspired by many people—people who’ve conquered all odds and survived to tell about it; people who’ve lived ordinary lives, yet stood out from the crowd; and people who’ve dared to step beyond their comfort zones to change lives—one reader, one viewer, one listener at a time.

It’s those people and those stories that I’ve wanted to capture in my writing and my photographs. But it’s those stories and those people that I continued to let slip away while I pursued things I knew would make money and pay the bills.

Then I met a woman, through a book I read this past week, who sounded very much like me. So much of what she said could be attributed to my own life and so many of her insights on living a more fulfilled life are how my husband and I try to model our own lives.

But what inspired me was the way Tasra Dawson, author of Real Women Scrap, kept nudging me—her reader—to get creative.

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Somewhere, some how, I lost my creativity and while I had longed to get it back, I simply continued to put it on the back burner.

“One day when things settle down a little more, I’ll get serious about my photography and storytelling ideas,” I’d assure myself. Or, “I just don’t think I have another ounce of energy left to devote to anything else. I already run a magazine, freelance write, and spend my time creatively marketing my business. If it isn’t producing some form of immediate result, I just can’t give it the time of day. If I’m going to spend my time away from kids and hubby, I must make it count,” I’d scold myself.

Then as I read her words, I suddenly realized that God was speaking directly to me through her.

“I felt an odd mixture of defeat and relief. The feeling of defeat was expected, too much to do, too little of me to go around. The feeling of relief was that my list confirmed I was indeed stretched too thin and wasn’t inventing my feelings of being overwhelmed and always tired,” thought Tasra as she looked at her completed “to do list”.

I can’t tell you how many times I ended the day feeling depleted. I knew something was missing in my life, but I just couldn’t pinpoint it. I had a great husband, two wonderful kids, a thriving business, and a relationship with God.

“What more could I possibly want? Why am I not satisfied?” I’d gripe.

I’d browse the Christian self-help aisles asking God to direct me to a specific book that would help me understand what was going on with me, but no book appeared. After a half hour, I’d head over to the photography section where I’d browse the pictures and marvel at the artwork. And for awhile I’d escape the stress of my life and dream of doing something spectacular with my time. Sometimes I’d walk out with a book or magazine about photography, scrapbooking, altered art, collage techniques and the like, but most often, I’d put the book down; thinking, “Who am I kidding? I don’t have the extrovert personality to pull that off.”

But the more I read Real Women Scrap, the more I realized that God hadn’t been directing me to a book. He’d been directing me towards a creative life.

What kept me from pursuing art and photography was the learning curve—there’d be so much learning to do and so much time to commit that I didn’t think I’d have anything extra to give. But through Tasra’s words, God reminded me that I don’t have to tackle art or photography as another thing on my “to do list”. I simply have to take the time to breathe life into an area he’s calling me to explore and enjoy the process. If a professional photographer or artist comes from the process, great. If not, I’ve wasted nothing but found a hobby that fills my days with joy.

What about you? Have you slowed down long enough to hear God’s gentle whispers? What’s He trying to tell you?

Let’s make an impact!