Stretch your creative wings today. Jump from the nest and catch a thermal of inspiration. The world is waiting for your glorious imperfection.
Embracing Imperfection Gives Wings To Your Creativity
TRANSCRIPT
Please note: this transcript is auto-generated so forgive any (or many) errors 😲 – click the timestamps to play that section directly in the audio.
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I think anyone who’s a speaker, a preacher, a teacher, generally has a few hobby horses that they ride on and certainly in regard to speak into the whole creative life and even the faith life, really one of the things that I often come round to speak about because I see so many people struggle with it, is the kind of struggle with imperfection or the struggle to try and be perfect. Now, obviously, in a faith context, you know, it’s not according to our works that we’re saved, but according to our faith.
00:00:44.690]
But bring that into our creative life. And I think that perfectionism is one of the biggest sticker’s for creative people. You know, it’s one of the things that stalls them in their progress. And it really leads to so many wonderful projects, never seeing the light of day, you know, that the creative mind, the creative heart, the creative motivation and movement, that creative momentum comes to a halt and we kind of end up just walking round and round the same mountain, like thinking that as we do so, we can make something so flawlessly perfect that it will finally be good enough to be sent out for the world.
00:01:33.840]
Applause. But the truth is, most of those projects never actually end up seeing the light of day because perfection is something that we might want to reach for, but rarely, if ever, will we attain it. And, you know, I don’t ever want to advocate not putting your best work out. I don’t ever want to advocate kind of slapdash compromise. But if someone is carving something and they keep whittling and whittling and whittling and whittling away, eventually you just end up with a little matchstick.
00:02:12.300]
Yeah, that there’s actually some beauty in the imperfections that exist in the things that we create. And there really does always come a point when enough is enough and we have to pack away our fears. We have to put the terror of rejection and people’s reactions aside and just let that baby fly. We’ve got to let it spread its wings and send it out into the world. And absolutely, Jim, and it can be a scary moment to do that.
00:02:45.110]
And there are many one star bruises that people bear that prove that point. You know, we’re not here to yet to guarantee. But, you know, if we put out our creative work, it’s never a guarantee that it will be embraced with the same passion with which we put it out to the world. But the truth is that the journey to that five star doesn’t often or many times doesn’t begin on the top of the pile. We have to go through some of the learning processes and the challenges of growing and getting better and improving.
00:03:30.700]
I mean, as in my publishing, for example, I’ve published hundreds and hundreds of books, but my early books, I mean, I’m embarrassed to look at them, to be honest. I think they should round back and redo much of what I did in the early days because they were radically imperfect. And certainly we’ve seen improvement, but we’re still you know, we’re still in that realm of good enough is good enough, you know, and for everyone, as I’m saying, we don’t always begin at kind of this pinnacle place that we would like to attain to.
00:04:12.320]
And if we wait until we get to that pinnacle before we put anything out, the likelihood is we’ll never make a move. You know, even the band U2, you know, Bono and the U2 crowd fill stadiums, you know, mega mega band. You know, they played to nine people in the back room of a pub in Dublin in 1979. We have to begin where we’re at. We have to fearlessly start the journey and refused to be discouraged because to a large degree, it’s all part of this creative roadmap that will allow you to grow, allow you to improve and allow you to kind of step out in creative ways without being.
00:05:00.420]
Exposed to the whole world and embracing imperfection, I think is an essential skill if we want to really flourish in the creative sphere, you know, the word imperfect, if you just jiggle it around and add a bit of a flourish, can actually say, I’m perfect. You know, I’m perfect as I am. You know, in all of my quirks, in all of my imperfections, there’s actually a perfection that comes through because creativity is never meant to be kind of just a cookie, a cookie cutter enterprise.
00:05:40.410]
You know, in the in a sense, we as the creative are the product that we sell. And, you know, unless we are unique in our approach, unless we come with all of who we are, you know, it’s really our individual individuality that allows our value to shine the brightest. I love in Ephesians 3:10, it reads to the intent now that unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be known by the church.
00:06:10.950]
That’s you and I, the manifold wisdom of God. And, you know, roll that back. Look at that in Strongs concordance. The word there in the Greek means much variegated and multifarious. Now, I won’t lie. I’d never heard of these words before before I looked in Strongs concordance to find out the kind of facets of that word that’s translated manifold in the King James version. But, you know, we we are each one of us is a beautiful facet of our father’s multifarious wisdom, a glimpse of his endless, variegated, creative nature glistening in the world.
00:06:59.130]
And, you know, your unique perspective isn’t designed to be squeezed into the world’s mould. You’re not intended to be conformed to look like everyone else. You know, we some people may call them imperfections. Let’s instead call them features. And as much as this is still a journey that I’m on, I’m learning. I actually wrote that I learnt this, but I think it’s more honest to say I’m learning to celebrate my quirks, to actually accept and be content with who I am and the fact that our differences make our voice stand out in some way.
00:07:47.070]
You know, if we were all the same, where would the interest be? Where would the colour be? Where would the nuances be? Where would the life and the flow and the joy be in this world? God did not make us all the same, you know? And, you know, we can look and we can think, well, someone else has already done what I’m doing or somebody else has already done what I want to do.
00:08:12.720]
But the fact is, you haven’t done it. You are the ingredient that no one else can copy. You are the secret ingredient that makes what you bring different and valuable in its own unique way. And so, you know, allow your mess to become part of your message. The world really is not waiting for perfection. People are looking for something and someone that they can relate to. You know, they’re scanning the horizon, looking for a brave soul that they can look at and say, wow, if they if they can do it, surely I can, you know, of course, put your best self out there.
00:08:58.680]
But but put yourself out there in an honest, authentic way that gives permission to others to do the same. And then, you know, when they will feel released to stretch their creative wings and have a go, just like you do, just like you are, just like you have done. And, you know, we want to and I’ve heard it said that, you know, the baby eagle gets thrown out of the nest and kind of falls from the tree flapping its wings desperately does not look graceful at all, does not look in any way close to perfection.
00:09:38.580]
Yeah, but in that flapping and falling and fumbling and figuring out that bird eventually finds its rhythm. And with every beat of your creative wings, you get stronger and more confident. You know how I’ve put here that your beak may be wonky? Your plumage may be a little wild in places, but my dear friend, my brother, my sister, you are flying in a stretch. Your creative wings jump from the nest, catch a thermal of inspiration, and just let the world enjoy your glorious imperfection.
00:10:21.490]
Well, thanks for listening. Hopefully it’s been an encouragement to you today. If you want to connect any further, you can do so through my website at Davidleemartin.com. Have a great day.