My creative manifesto, part 3.

 

"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage (pleasantly, smilingly, *non-apologetically*) to say 'no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside."
- Dr. Stephen Covey

Both Chel and Mer shared this quotation during my giveaway week, and it gets the ball rolling nicely for #3, be a steward.

I want to be a steward with my gifts.

As Amelia shared in the comments recently, gifts are given through us not to us.  I believe that.  I believe I've been endowed with a specific set of gifts and it's up to me to find a way to honor this glorious life with them.  Not hide them under a bushel.  Not horde them for myself.  Before writing this post, I skimmed some of my journal entries of the past few years (which really only means about 10 pages).  A common theme is:  am I doing enough? am I doing right by all I've been given in this life? am I ignoring a big yes or just feeling guilty?

I mentioned last month that I've been doing a little bit of this & a little bit of that for years.  (In the past week, I face painted at our school carnival, worked on a logo for a program at our church, washed dishes at the cub scout camp-out, finished up a quilt for my nephew's graduation, and made cards for our choir directors.)  But for awhile now, I have felt a bigger 'yes' burning inside.

I generally find myself using my creative skills to do things for others like in the list above.  Lately I've been wondering about the other gifts I have.  As Terry commented last week, we only have so much time in a day after all. 

What if I used my creative gifts to refill my pitcher so that I could use my other gifts in the community?  I love libraries, I can strike up a conversation with just about anyone, I'm pretty good with primary age children, I like teaching adults...I am thinking about a big yes that acknowledges my creative drive, but incorporates these other gifts too.  Or maybe I should use all my gifts at once by doing more teaching. 

I don't mean to make this a treatise on all the ways I give or the guilt I have about not giving enough...I do remember that a simple smile can go a long way (who knows how far?)...but rather that stewardship is an important consideration in my creative manifesto.

Incidentally, I have been gathering enough new quotes over the past couple of months that I think it is time for another series of handwritten-quoation-posts in July.

Comments

[MelissaPete]

I am frequently overwhelmed by all the good things there are to do in my life. A stake president once told me that the Lord gives us too many good things to do on purpose so that we may learn how to prioritize and choose. I would rather it be more black and white, but this has helped me get down to what is really important and meaningful, and I try to make decisions based on that. Our time is so short, and there is so much to do! I'm loving your manifesto pieces. They are making me think a little bit about my own. :D

[sharon stanley at farm and fru fru]

gina...i love what you wrote today. an artist friend and i had this conversation recently, feeling guilty, not doing enough. your points are valid and well said...i like too what melissa above said about choosing and prioritizing, i never thought about it that way. i love these posts and they are truly making me think...well written too...uh oh, another gift! thanks for today's lesson.