Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to Him through God the Father. (Col. 3:17 ESV)

The color palette is right, but the painting, I am not so sure about. I’ve had this idea rolling around in my mind for a while. Today, I began to work on it, partly as an exercise to loosen up my mind to write, but also to show up for myself in My Create Space, a place I’ve designated for all creative projects. It is so easy to drift away into the flow of life and not give attention to the part of me that God created to be creative. Since my retirement from secular work, it was always my intention to give myself more to this creative side. I’ve done okay with it, but I still feel like it’s not the best I could do.

I determined some years ago, that I would not put myself under the pressure of being a professional artist of any sort. I’ve given it half a stab at it here and there, but over time, I came to realize that painting, drawing and making things is a gift I’ve been given to express myself and to honor God for the gifting. I do apply my creative abilities in so many other places of my life which has helped me in ministry and in my professional life, but the painting and drawing is a special communication between God and me.

Here is a reality many creatives face; we are our own worse critics and enemies to the process. If it doesn’t seem to be exactly the way we envisioned it or just like the thing we were trying to convey, we are quick to quit, speak negatively to ourselves, compare ourselves to others, and not continue to pursue the gifting, which quickly leads to creative block. I am just as guilty as many others. In the past few years, I’ve been reading up on ways to handle creative block, and the one theme that keeps recurring is, “just show up.” One of the most influential books I’ve read, reminded me that it’s not my job to be perfect, it’s my job to be present in the process and to let God handle the rest.

Today, as I was working the paint across the canvas, it slipped off the easel and hit the floor face down. I quickly picked it up and while the floor was just fine, the painting was covered with small specks of dirt and hair from the garage floor. It was a moment to decide to quit or to work through it. I decided to quickly brush off the majority of the specks and hair, smooth over the paint and let it dry.

This is the other thing about painting. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but it’s crucial to take moments to step back, to let paint dry and yes even let the mistakes become part of the overall product. Teaching myself to not be perfect has been a hard one. As I stepped back, looked at the color palette then looked at the canvas, I was reminded why I show up here in the first place, to give thanks to God for the way He has gifted me.

No matter what God has gifted you to do or be, I wanted to share this little story to encourage you, to just show up! Show up like you are presenting to the King. Don’t beat yourself down with perfection for this only One perfect being and it’s not you or me. Show up like it’s the last chance you’ve got. Don’t worry about the mistakes, they probably aren’t mistakes in God’s eyes but they are the things that He does to perfect our work. I am telling myself and I am telling you, “Just Show Up, Girl (or Man)”. You will never regret it.