Freelance Week #39

Hello. Let me begin with an apology for my lengthy delay in these posts. I have received nothing but wonderful feedback from you guys and I just want to express my deepest gratitude for your continued support and encouragements. Hearing the impact it has on you really motivates me to keep writing. Now only if I could figure out how to slow down time or add more hours in a single day. But I'm not complaining, I'm just learning how to manage my time better. So without further ado here are some things I've learned lately:

On Work

Work is good. Sometimes it doesn't even really feel like work. That is one of the biggest blessings about what I do. The fact that I can draw things and design things and people want to pay me is amazing. I was having a conversation with a friend this week at lunch and he was saying that even though he may complain about taking pictures of lawyers he was still done with work by noon. I love that positive mental attitude. Because I know good and well how easy it is to complain when our work turns mundane and not really that exciting. You see, I have this theory that all of us (creatives) have a life-long struggle with contentment. We can't help it. It's in our nature to always want something more than what we have. We always wish to be somewhere else we're not. We always strive for the best and are the first to criticize ourselves when we're not. But the truth of the matter is that we just have to keep making. The second we put our pencils down is the same second in which we start to get frustrated. I can only speak for myself here, but the seasons in which I neglect my creativity is the same season I feel most discontent with everything around me. Creating is about more than just the finished product, it's about the journey of self-discovery through the creative process.

On Life

Learning to separate life and work is a daily challenge. It's more than just the time away from home and the number of hours I put in everyday, it's also about how much time I give thought to work even when I'm at home. And I think this is why I've been truly blessed with friends who don't do what I do. Whether I go spend time with Jason, Keith or Tim I know that we can still connect on a level much deeper than what either of us do for a living. But there's also a reason I have friends like Matt and Brenton who are very creative and share in my passion to always be pursuing the next best thing. There is a balance to everything in life. We can't be too far one way and neglect the other side. Things aren't black and white in this world. There are a million different colors in this world and it takes a heap load of grace to see them all.

On Faith

If faith without works is dead, and if we receive salvation by faith not by works, where does that leave us? Could it be that we're called to a place of rest now? I remember writing about this before earlier this year, but one of the best ways I can explain this is from a conversation I had with my friend Ben Pasley. He explained in a very simple way that we work because it's something God called us to enjoy, not to merely provide for ourselves. God is ultimate provider, all things come from Him, and all we have to do is trust Him. But all this talk of trust and rest can be quickly taken out of context. The promise of rest God offers us is one that speaks to our identities in Christ, and frees us up from striving to make people like us. So then it doesn't matter what we do, how good we do it or whether or not it's better or worse than the next guy. It's always been about doing it for the glory and honor of our Heavenly Father. That's the kind of faith I want to live in.