Creative Honesty (Plumb: Lord, I'm Ready Now)

This song is honest. It's raw and real. There's something inviting about it's genuineness and openness that resonates with my own heart. Lately, I've been exploring my creative side (something I have not done in many, many years), reminding me of my university days at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I remember it being a chaotic time of self exploration and discovery. A time full of loud music, raw emotions, drugs and lots of drinking. I was in pain and sought to both numb this pain and to express it through music and art. 

I've always believed that artistic expression should come from the deep places within us. Art should express who we are at that moment in time because creative art often involves the retelling of specific moments and narratives from our life. This is why I believe that true art is honest. I remember sitting in a drawing class critique session and one of my fellow students showed one of his art piece and the first thing he said was that he really didn't care about what we said because the piece didn't really mean anything to him. I remember the whole class unanimously responded by saying "well, if you don't care about your own work, then why should we. If you're not emotionally invested in your work, then we're not going to be either."

Art is about the process. If we realize it or not, each moment of each day we are changing and growing. We are ever in process. Our interactions with people, the things we watch and listen to each day, the organizations that we are a part of, the different cultural expressions we encounter, our life experiences all have the power to impact us in transformative ways. Sometimes they go by seemingly unnoticed. At other times, we are deeply moved and changed. A wise person once told me, "Gerry, always keep creating. Let your art be an expression of your process." 

Because process is often messy and can be volatile at times, even chaotic. There is the temptation to wait until one has finished a season of process to create because it is more comfortable to create from a place of greater clarity, understanding and peace. But, I would encourage you to create both after you're done processing and while you're in those messy, volatile and chaotic times because I believe people are not only interested in seeing both, but can also be deeply blessed by seeing our process. But this will take courage, vulnerability and honesty. 

So this is my prayer: That God would give you the courage to create from the deep places within you with great honesty and inspiration.