Stories, Purpose, Vision

Happy 2018!

The new year is a great motivator for many to bring back the spotlight into unfulfilled projects and blank canvases, tap into unspeakable resilience and jump forward full speed into the unknown unafraid, and for others, cleaning out drawers of kept lies, filtering out voices of uncertainties and doubts.

Here are some recent videos I came across which have been encouraging to watch in my pursuit for all things music.

Here are two personal stories from singer-songwriters, Jonathan Ogden (from Rivers & Robots) and Kristene Dimarco (from Bethel). I hope that as you watch and listen to their journeys, you will be encouraged and find that spark inside to hold on and to keep pressing onto that very thing you are pursuing. God’s eyes are on you and has never left you, and He is rooting for you. Do what makes you feel alive.

Jonathan Ogden of Rivers & Robots’s on his creative endeavors. 7:51 minutes

“…Every time I was on my own at home I’d just sit at the piano with an old hymn book and sing songs and worship God and they were really special times and I think it was there that I learned to connect with God’s heart in the place of worship and I would just sit there and sing songs and sing Bible passages and come up with new song ideas and after awhile I started to get my laptop out and record some of those songs and eventually that process of worshiping at home and recording them became Rivers and Robots.” -Jonathan Ogden

Kristene Dimarco shares her journey with overcoming fear, brokenness and finding purpose through God. 23:24 minutes

“…I started seeing the kingdom of heaven everywhere, just because of the name of Jesus. Just because I found something that was above everything else. So, if I clung to that name, I clung to what he did, I couldn’t be touched. And that changed my entire experience in the city, hope for the city and hope for anybody I saw.”
-Kristene Dimarco

I hope these videos left a mark on you in some way. Be encouraged and keep going.

The three most common thieves that prevent you from committing to stewarding what makes you feel alive:

One. Fear of failure: This is a mindset and as long as you’re stuck in this mindset, you’ll never have the freedom to walk out in the area that God has designed and gifted you in. Take this mindset and surrender it to God. Ask God to reveal to You His faith and assurance to overcome and to create from a place of boldness. Not striving for acceptance in your work, but creating from a place of being comfortable of who you are in Christ and what you have to offer.

Two. Comparison: This is poison to your creativity process and may put an immediate halt to you even starting your endeavors, or you’ll create from an unhealthy and resentful place. Surrender that heart and know that every person has something unique to offer. There will always be someone better at what you do, but what every person has to offer is valuable, it has a different voice and color, story, perspective, and people will always appreciate what you bring. Own it.

Three. Excuses: As long as you don’t commit to prioritizing whatever it is that you want to do, it’ll never get that attention and it will never get done. Treat what you love to do as “work” and commit to doing it ‘x’ amount of hours a day. Excuses will forever paralyze you from ever going forward. Make it a goal to set new goals and priorities and cast vision. Find yourself a friend who can hold you accountable to see you through your commitments and/or engage in an online/outside community to be engaged in your field.

All of these things handicaps you from moving forward to doing what you love.

2018, you’re going to be my year of adventure.
What are some things you are pursuing and hoping to see fulfilled in 2018?

Kristene Dimarco’s music > Here
Jonathan Ogden’s music > independent and band

Visit here to read my other post on Jonathan Ogden > Bloop!
And for exclusive artist interviews > Hoorah! and Doh!