25 Sep Creating with the Creator

Creating with the Creator

“You’re doing it wrong!”

No one likes to hear that. But what you do next can make all the difference.

When I was in High School, I remember struggling with the idea of how to express my faith and art. What does that look like? Endless drawings of Jesus, and crosses? Of course, at that time, I had a very limited idea of how faith and art intersected.

While I’m much older and wiser now (hopefully), sometimes it’s still easy to get tripped up at the intersection of faith and career (and for me, that’s still art). I’ve had seasons where I’ve mustered all the strength I could, and set out to execute my brilliant creative ideas. And failed miserably. I had gone to the proverbial mountain, created my “masterpiece” and descended to bring it to the masses. I had been attempting to do it all in my limited resources. (You’re doing it wrong.)

And I’ve had seasons where I essentially asked God for breakthroughs and miracles without me showing up to do the work He called me to. And, again, I failed. (You’re doing it wrong.)

Surely, there had to be a better way.

I grew tired of creating, launching, pivoting … rinse and repeat. God has gifted me with creativity, and talents, yes… they just needed to be aligned with the correct mindset.

God has called me to partner with Him.

For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building. - 1 Corinthians 3:9

Creating with the Creator

While I continue to create new art and have a “portfolio” approach to my work, I START by asking God to align me with His plans and purposes. I pray for insight and wisdom to know what projects I should be moving forward with. I pray that He would guide me to create work that would fulfill the needs of the people around me. I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me with ideas and messages. I recognize that He is the source of all things. And while I’m praying and seeking, I’m showing up to take the right next step.

The other part for me was to really understand what my driving purpose was. I love to connect with people, and every act of creating, every piece of art, is a vehicle to do so. God set this in my heart at a young age. Some of my earliest memories are of creating greeting cards for family members. I would see their faces light up when I handed them the cards I created just for them. It solidified in me that I could create something that could make an impact on someone else.

And that’s still what I do today. My art isn’t just for me. It’s for them. It’s for you.

My own journey has taught me and brought me to the place where I know that part of my work is also to help other creatives produce the work they should be creating. I want to redeem my story and journey (even those dark and difficult parts) to help others.

Here’s how I talk about what I do:

I am creator and communicator, telling stories on pages and stages. - Mike Brennan

Sometimes I create visual art that takes the form of graphic design, illustration, and live event sketching. Other times I create things like podcasts episodes (check out my new podcast “Creative Chats”), online courses aimed at helping fellow creatives, and speaking about how to develop a daily creative habit (a journey I’ve been on for the past seven and a half years, without missing a day.)

My creativity moves in and out of a variety of expressions. It’s the beauty of letting God lead me (all parts of me) to be used for His purposes. When I’m aligned doing what He has called me to in the right way, I feel energized in what I’m creating, others are blessed, and God is glorified. (That’s doing it right.)

Can you see yourself working with God for in your own creative process? Leave a comment below 

Mike Brennan’s childhood dream was to be a cartoon. (Zoinks!) When he realized that wasn’t possible he became the next best thing – an Artist. He loves sharing experiences and making connections through his art, and helping fellow frustrated artists and creatives establish a daily creative habit of their own. Take your creativity to a new level through the help of his course www.YourArtistJourney.com and experience Mike’s art at www.MikeBrennan.me 

Connect With Mike Brennan

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