We are writers - all we do is write.
We are creators - all we do is create.
We write our texts.
We write our emails.
We create our photos.
We created content for the world.
We don’t stop. We don’t rest.
We perform all the day long -
on every communication channel
with the chance to be judged
as our work hangs in front of the critics -
the world.
If we stopped,
Would we be better writers?
Could we be better communicators?
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: Focus in. Slow down. Be honest. Write. Create.
The theme of creativity and what it truly means has resurfaced many times in my life, especially recently. So in this post, I’m going to tell my story as it relates to creativity, and then I’m going to help you tell yours. Here goes--
In November of 2010, my freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to attend the World Creativity Forumin Oklahoma City. This is a world-renowned event, where creative minds from every possible walk of life come together once a year to share their stories and do their part to advance society as we know it. This event can be adequately described in one word: braingasm.
The World Creativity Forum, coupled with a recent discovery and mild obsession with oft-denounced Christian thinker, Rob Bell, made me realize something: I am so deeply compelled by these people who consider themselves “creatives” that I must be a creative person as well.
I didn’t really stop to think why I connected so well with these people. I just knew I wanted to be like them. It’s like we spoke a common language that went deeper than words. Their vibe was electrifying.
So, a year later, convinced of my creativity, I “created” an event at my university called the Oklahoma CreativityFestival (über creative, eh?). That kept me on my streak of “creativity” for a good while.
Fast forward to now, and this small-town Okie has found himself in Los Angeles, the most creative city in the world. I work for the world’s largest and arguably most innovative automotive company, Toyota. In the past few months, we have released the world’s first publically sold fuel-cell powered vehicle, we’ve announced our goal to only sell fuel cell vehicles by 2050 (basically, it’s an electric vehicle, but the electricity is provided by hydrogen which can be extracted from virtually anything that exists, and the only emission is pure drinking water), and we have invested $1billion in two new facilities where we will partner with Stanford & MIT to research artificial intelligence and autonomous transportation with the goals of eliminating fatalities caused by traffic accidents, as well as giving senior adults the opportunity to age at home with their independence and dignity intact.
Pardon me while I wipe the sweat off my brow, because my head is spinning from trying to wrap my head around thelife-changing creativity that surrounds me.
The flow of creativitysurrounding me doesn’t end at my profession though; my church, Mosaic, is situated at the end of the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard, and the mission of this church is to help people understand the critical connection between creativity and spirituality. To paraphrase the pastor, Erwin McManus:
“This is the intersection of creativity and spirituality—humans materialize the invisible… Humans create futures. No other creature has this power. The creative act is proof of the soul. We breathe; therefore we create. Jesus said we are salt of the earth and the light of the world. With those words, He illuminated the potential in us that we so often doubt.”
Why am I telling you all these details about my life? Because I want you to understand the extent of aninternal dilemma I recently faced: I call myself creative, I am drawn to creative people, I drench myself in the creativity of others… but I’m not really all that creative.
When I realized that, I felt defeated. So I began to process it, and I came to some conclusions about the truth of who I am: More and more, I realize that I am so compelled by creative people because I am actually not naturally like them. I’m really pretty boring by nature. It’s the same reason I am drawn to really liberal people: at the deepest level, I lean to the right, even if I don’t say it. That’s just who I am. But I really, really appreciate who other people are as well, and so I just want to get in their minds and live in their shoes sometimes.
Once I accepted that I’m drawn to creative people because I’m not that creative, I decided to dig even deeper into what creativity means, and when I did that, I came to an exciting conclusion: I am creative. I can create. I can take a thought and make it into something, even if it’s just words. That’s creating something, right? So maybe I’m not creative based on my former definition of creativity, which basically equated creativity to artistic expression. And while artistic expression is almost certainly one of the highest forms of creativity and beauty, that definition is also quite limited and narrow.
Here’s the lesson: creativity is not just art. Creativity is an acknowledgement within our souls that there is the potential for a better world, which can only be brought about by the unstoppable force of love. Beneath every riot chant, every protest song, every vulgar painting of war, death, depravity, and nakedness; beneath every poem of heartbreak, every euphoric dance beat, every tattoo, every Excel spreadsheet, every Powerpoint presentation, every cooked meal, every speaker’s message, every. single. output. that. we. make… is an acknowledgment--conscious or subconscious—of the existence of love. Not just brotherly love. Not just erotic love. No. Agape love. The love of God.The force of all that is good.One might argue that some create things that are meant to be evil or even just pointless. But evil and apathetic can only exist when there is love. And there is always love. There always will be love.
I’m not about to tell you that I plan on singlehandedly saving the world by turning Toyota into the PeaceCorps2.0. However, I plan on pouring my energy, life, and love into making the world better, using the auto industry as a vehicle (pun 100% intended). I live by the Frederick Buechner quote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” The world needs clean transportation. It needs the ability to safely transport goods and services around the world. Automotive is such an enabler of good… the possibilities are endless. I didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity to work in this industry, because it’s exactly where my gladness meets the world’s needs. It’s the place I can uniquely take love to people. It’s where I can most naturally create.
And therefore, I say to you: create. Create anything. Create the most abstract, indescribable thing you can think of. Because you are powerful. Whatever it is that you create was once invisible. It was a thought, an idea. And you are making it real.
Find what makes your heart the most glad, enter that space, and create within it.
At one time, you were merely a thought, an idea. But God created you into flesh & blood. He created you. And He saw that you were/are good. You are His deepest gladness. In His infinite power, He imprinted His own likeness upon you so that you too could create.
We are not gods, but we are God’s. And we are like God, who is the definition of love. So be like God and create. Do it out of and for love. Your creativity is eternal.
-Bryce
Bryce's Note: Creativity is essential to your existence as a human; you have the ability to turn the invisible (thought) into reality (action).
This was a guest post done by my good friend, Bryce Rowland, out of California. He's got some big things ahead. Shout out to him for taking time out of his busy schedule to contribute to Cliff Notes.
For a long time, I've really enjoyed writing. It was my favorite subject in school because I was never any good at math or science, and it opened the door to creativity for me. I always enjoyed taking boring research papers and trying to turn them into something my teacher would actually enjoy reading. Writing allowed me, a quiet introvert, to express my thoughts and emotions in a way that didn't draw a lot of attention to myself, and it became a platform and stage I could be myself on. Writing is like the introvert's Madison Square Garden; it's a stage you can perform and be yourself on without anyone watching you.
I love the creativity of writing, too. I enjoy listening to stories and the ancient art of storytelling, and I love how writing can appeal so greatly to one's emotions. Why else would 75 percent of social media now consist of sharing articles full of inspiring stories and thoughts on life and how to live it? Writing puts letters together to form words and words together to form sentences and thoughts that match emotions and experiences. Writing is life-giving to me, and it's something I'm passionate about and love sharing with others. Hence, this blog.
As of late, however, it's become too easy for me to exchange my passion for success when sharing my writing with others. I've fallen into the trap of experiencing a taste of successful writing and trying to pursue that, rather than pursing the passion for writing. I've become more worried about what will get the most "shares," rather than focusing on being inspired by what I see, experience and feel. I've slowly drifted into the dangerous waters of pleasing others, rather than pursing passion. I started Cliff Notes in August so I could begin to write on a more 'professional' level and begin to take my passion for writing more seriously. Cliff Notes started to follow a dream, not to get shares.
A few days ago, I wrote a post on why dreams are worth 30 minutes a day. I wrote this, not only as a motivation for others to follow their dreams, but also as a motivation for myself. Those who follow my social media, may or may not have realized I've been writing and posting a lot more over the past couple of weeks. I've written a lot more as of late because I'm trying to pursue that 30-minute/day goal and follow my dream. I want to be a writer, and to write for a living requires writing every day. Being a writer would be a dream come true.
With that, I've set a goal to post 100 blogs in 100 days. In order to make this happen, I'm asking for a lot of help. I'm asking for help from friends to write guest posts and I'm asking for accountability to keep writing. You see, I don't just want to write in order to "post 100 blogs" or clog up everyone's newsfeed, and I don't want just my voice heard. I want to write and share writing relevantly, and I want to write quality content that inspires, reflects and challenges myself and others. The last thing the internet needs is more "content" that just takes up space. Writing is a gift and passion God has given me. I want to steward that gift well, and I want Him to be glorified through that gift.
So here's to 85 more days of writing, and cheers to you if you've been reading and following Cliff Notes. I truly mean it when I say that every time you read a post or give some feedback, you're helping make my dream come true, and I can't thank everyone enough for that. It's like my own, personal Make-A-Wish foundation. It will be interesting to see how this season of writing evolves, but you can be sure to expect to hear from some other inspiring writers, as well throughout the process. I couldn't be more stoked.
Let's make a deal. If you keep chasing your dreams, I'll keep chasing mine.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: Writing is like the introvert's Madison Square Garden; it's a stage you can perform and be yourself on without anyone watching you.