Panic/Creativity

It’s been about four months now that I’ve been self-employed. And I find myself waking up frequently at odd hours of the evening – when I should be sleeping soundly.

I’ve noticed two things wake me up in the wee hours. The first is a spark of creativity. An exciting idea. I hop out of my bed, grab my iPad, and tap the screen until my idea is translated to digital ink. These are wonderful nights. I love these nights.

The second thing that wakes me up though, is a moment of panic. I wake with the “sudden” realization that an advertiser might not come through with the check I need tomorrow. I might not be able to feed my wife. What if people start hating me because I rely on money from my sites to survive. Fear. I hate these nights.

Those nights are when I realize I’m not trusting God. I panic and try to figure out how I can fix the problem instead of leaving it up to God. I’m not proud of it…but it’s the honest truth.

But I’ve been expirementing with something. How can I turn those moments of panic into moments of creativity? How can I capture a bad moment and let God use it for good?

So this is what I do. Next time I wake up seized by fear…I hop out of bed. Immediately. I splash some water on my face. Then I start working on that project I’ve been wanting to get to during the day but didn’t have the inspiration or time for. I give my panic to God…and let Him take care of it. Then I use the sudden burst of energy to be creative.

It’s a brand new experience. Much of the devotional for creatives I’m writing will be a result of this experiment.

I’ve found good things come from this new perspective. I’ve found new clarity and inspiration…and trust in God.

Will you join me in this expirement?

In your moments of midnight panic, will you choose to trust God? And turn that moment into a useful moment of creativity…