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This one’s for the poets among us…

The poet stared at her screen
words trapped on her hard drive
incarcerated in fancy-bound notebooks
scrawled on scraps of paper
It’s time for a jailbreak said one poem to another
and the revolution began
and they ran
all the way to the sales page
urging the poet’s hand to set them free…

Do you want to finally publish a book of your poetry?

How about you do it by Christmas in plenty of time to give them as gifts?

I’m running a live mini-workshop on Monday 11th November at 6pm GMT and you are the first to know about it.

In the workshop I’ll show you a super simple method to collect your poems, format like a rockstar, create a kicking cover, and actually publish that baby to the world – and it will not take you days or even hours to do it.

And yes, there will be a replay recorded so even if you can’t make it you won’t miss a thing.

Give me 90 minutes and you’ll have all you need to your poetry book a reality.

Your amazing poems are planning a jailbreak, are you going to join the revolution and set them free?

Check out my Publish Your Poetry (by Christmas) mini-workshop and get the early bird buyers’ price of just $29.

Have mercy on your words, open the gates, and let’s have some fun!

Register now…

https://publish-your-poetry.teachery.co/go

Any questions, shoot me a reply.

Looking forward,

David

PS: If you jump on board for this poetic adventure you’ll also have the opportunity to have your poems featured in an exclusive anthology that I’ll be creating.

Everyone in the group can contribute up to three poems. We’ll get this special book designed and published within a few weeks of the workshop. Even if you’ve just got a few poems, this means you’ll still be able to see your words in print and share them with the world.

Momentum is essential in the creative life.

Without momentum, forward motion takes effort.

Let me share 3 keys that will help you keep momentum in your creative projects:

1. TRUST God

I won’t lie, the creative life can sometimes feel like a lonely road to tread. In moments of discouragement or lack of motivation lean into the Truth that God Himself is in a creative partnership with you.

You are His workmanship created in Christ for the works He has prepared for you to walk in. Don’t doubt Him. He won’t leave you hanging.

Wait patiently in His presence for direction, and when you feel the nudge, move with it without second guessing.

2. TRUST Your Self

The Bible speaks of the human heart as being like the soil of the field. Soil produces. Our nature as children of the Creator is to create. It is not unusual it is expected.

If we trust our heart to do what it is designed to do, creativity will naturally (and supernaturally) flow without strain or stress. Don’t doubt yourself. You are an inexhaustible well of creativity.

Although seasons change there is never a time when the heart will fail to produce. Don’t doubt yourself. Place a demand on your inner man to produce and you’ll be surprised at how on demand your creative flow is!

3. TRUST the process

Presence and process.

God’s presence in you and with you.

Your presence in the moment. Not lamenting yesterday’s decisions (or lack of them), not fawning for a future tomorrow that never comes. Right here, right now devil butt kicking present!

Awareness of who God is in you and for you (to be clear, He is FOR you!), awareness of who you are and the wonder you bring to the world (even if it seems small, so what!!!)…

And from that place of presence, trust the process.

God is at work in every season. We work out what He is working in.

Creative life is not just about outcomes, it is about the inward transformations that occur as we take steps of faith. Everything in Christian life is relational. It is all about who God is becoming to us as we walk with Him, and the magnificent joy of getting to know Him more intimately as we navigate the peaks and valleys of life.

Don’t get too hung up on outcomes and destinations. Keep your heart grounded in the moment and trust the process. Don’t doubt God’s intentions, and certainly don’t doubt your ability to come out victoriously in every circumstance.

TRUST God, TRUST yourself, TRUST the process, and DO SOMETHING!

Finally, trust me. Trust me when I say you are far more powerful than you realise. Keep moving toward your goals. Turn the wheels and let your ideas take form. Don’t be fearful; step forward in faith. Even a small daily step will feed the fire.

Trust underpins thrust.

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5 NKJV)

So much truth skims the surface of our understanding.

We hear it with our ears, but it fails to make an impression. We don’t ‘see’ it.

God’s Word is intended to open our eyes to reality.

My Bible School (https://spiritlife.teachery.co/enroll) begins with a short lesson titled, “Informed or Transformed?”

The Bible is so much more than a book. It is an unveiling of God’s heart and mind to yours.

He wants to show you wonderful things.

For many years my prayer has been, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18 KJV)

As Paul said, “mere knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor 8:1)

Knowledge of God’s Word, apart from revelation, is like the air that fills a balloon. The balloon may look big and impressive but underneath, there’s not much substance.

Revelation, not information, is what we require.

An unveiling of truth to the heart, the inner man, is what changes us.

Today, as you approach the Bible, don’t just come with your head – come with the eyes of your heart wide open, ready to see what He wants to say.

Are you carrying baggage or luggage?

Is your load dragging you down or equipping you for success in your journey and arrival at your desired destination?

Jesus spoke the following famous words:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29–30 KJV)

Notice that the yoke He spoke of related to what He taught.

His early-century Jewish audience would have understood this. Taking on the yoke of a chosen Rabbi meant holding to their disciplines. If you took on a Rabbi’s yoke you tied yourself to their teachings, determined to live out their truth.

What teachings then do you embrace? What doctrines have you tied yourself to?

Do they bring rest to your soul or agitation?

Are they easy and light to carry or burdensome and grim?

That’s a great test to ascertain if you really understand what the Bible teaches. If it weighs you down you probably need to take another look.

Religion and the world will fill your bag with rocks if you allow it to.

That’s baggage!

Jesus came to set you free from all of that nonsense.

In Christ, we travel light.

Luggage, well curated, only carries what’s necessary for success.

Be careful what you carry.

Open your case today and make sure you’re not carrying yesterday’s rocks of shame, guilt, or glorification of self. Dump your fear of failure and hunger for recognition.

Ditch the desire for other things and tuck yourself comfortably under the yoke of your Teacher, the Holy Spirit. He will not lead you wrong.

In life, in business, in all things related to existing on the planet and beyond, He has the blueprint. Let’s set our hearts on Him and journey with peace as our umpire.

Today I want to let you in on a secret.

YOU are the secret!

The ingredient that transforms ordinary into unique is not outside you, it’s in you and is you!

Don’t miss this.

Let’s make truth personal (because it is).

“For YOU are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that YOU should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)

The more comfortable and confident you become with being yourself, the more powerful your testimony.

Showing up is half the battle won. Stepping out and treading on your insecurities is all part of the creative life and journey.

When you step out, God steps in

And with each step, fumble, falter, win and triumph, you grow.

So what if no one reads your blog post? The important thing is you write it.

Your book not selling like gangbusters? No sweat. The important thing is you published it.

Your podcast broadcasting to an audience of one? Keep speaking, sister!

Detach your sense of self-worth from outcomes and keep going. Keep writing, keep recording, keep showing up.

As you continue you inch closer and closer to the essence of who you are. This walk is not an easy one, no one ever said it would be. It’s vulnerable, exposing, sometimes embarrassing, and prods every hole in your soul you can think of.

And that’s precisely why it’s important. Those holes are the entry points for healing if you allow it.

The creative life exposes our woundedness, our worldliness, but also our wonder!

The creative journey is one of discovery.

And the greatest discovery you’ll ever make is YOURSELF!