Make it Personal. Don’t Take it Personal.

You walk into a meeting and are getting ready to present your new idea. As you step into the room, you may start feeling a little anxious (or excited) about your new ideas that could revolutionize your team’s trajectory. When you share your idea, you exude enthusiasm and confidence. After you finish up your proposal, you look for nods of approval and validation and all you hear and see is the deafening silence. -

This sounds like every creative’s worst nightmare. When we create things, we invest time and energy into making sure we create well. Some of us live our whole lives comparing ourselves to the top creatives in our industry. For some it’s the accelerant that produces stronger drive and vigor; for others, it’s the smoldering weight of anxiety and fear. In a time where we are told that everything we do will succeed, crushed hopes and dreams can leave us questioning our ideas, our co-workers, and ourselves.

We fail to realize that we are not our ideas. Instead of seeing ourselves as humans with a creative gift, we live as if we are the creative gift who also happens to be human. We have restructured our lives to find meaning and value in what we do, rather than who we are created and called to be.

Here are three quick truths that will truly revolutionize your work-ethic and life:

1. You Are Valued.
   When we work, we work hard and well. Take ownership of the project as if was your own. The value you provide will only be put into the project if you really dive in — understand the project and don’t hold back. At the same time, learn that your value does not come from having the best ideas. When you hear “you did a good job”, it can be easy to believe that your identity is in doing a good job. But true value is not about having everyone’s approval in the room. True value is a quality that all humans have, including you.
2. You Are Not Alone.
   You have a team. Lean on them. If you’re having trouble developing ideas, talk to your team. Brainstorm together because everyone is working to the same goal: to create and push ideas forward together.
3. You Are Free to Create.
   As creatives, our identity and value must be rooted in something outside of our own desire for validation. As one creative said “If you live for their acceptance, you’ll die by their rejection.” So when you create knowing your value and leaning on your team, you can realize the immense freedom to not only create great things, but the freedom to enjoy it.

The content of this article is featured in an episode of the Yellowbox Creative Podcast, currently available through the following outlets:

iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Buzzsprout

If you found this article informative and helpful, please share! And don’t forget to keep a lookout for incoming resources for churches and ministries from Yellowbox Creative.

Do you need help:
(1) Launching a church plant?
(2) Designing your church series?
(3) Nurturing a creative community?

At Yellowbox, we empower churches and ministries with the tools, coaching and resources they need to reach real people. With that creative support, church outreach is no longer intrusive — it becomes a catalyst for community.