Popularity and Substance aren't the same.

Popular isn't the same as Original. 

Our culture has fully embraced the mantra: "Fake it till you make it." But there’s two big problems with that approach.  

Some people see a puzzle as a jumbled box of chaos.  

If you’re wondering when to start that project you feel born to create, consider this.

So many headlines and social media stories begin with: "Experts agree that ..."

Rarely do they say who the experts are or how they reached that conclusion. Just that they are the experts and you aren't. So don’t ask questions. Just go with it.

In the choices you face, remember this: You don't need to prove yourself to others.  

The life you have with God while creating will determines the life of your art.

That's because true art is first relational. Not between you and a canvas, but between you and God.  

God is primarily a good Father who teaches his sons and daughters—not a teacher who occasionally fathers his students.  

When we get that mixed up, it muddies your view of God…and yourself. 

Home is more than where we were born.  

Rather than seek popularity, seek to make a difference.

Once our art is available, we long for others to discover it. But there's an earlier, more essential discovery stage. One that’s far more personal.  

We all long for our lives and our art to make an eternal impact. Yet often our best efforts burn bright for a moment only to burn out.

Be God’s fool. 

The phrase immediately causes us to step back and look for any other option. None of us want to be seen as foolish.  

Hitting a deadline with your art isn’t the same as offering a lifeline through your art.  

Does your art feel under attack? If that seems over the top, I’ll rephrase the question. Has your current project taken you longer and cost you more than you anticipated? 

The art of creating well begins with the art of living well.  

There’s a saying I’ve posted in my office with this simple encouragement: 

Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end. 

A really good prayer to start your week: 

Is your current project more for yourself or for others?