Are You Creating Something?

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

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“Are you creating something?”

The news screams about scandals.

Facebook promises an easy laugh.

NHL.com makes my heart skip a beat.

Lost in the midst of the noise is my calling to write.

Are you creating something?

That is a question that came to mind a few weeks ago. I wrote it down in a few places, and it has helped me cut through the distractions and focus on my work.

I used to tell myself that checking my e-mail or Twitter was important for networking and staying organized. This question has forced me to face the truth: I seek distractions in order to avoid creating.

In addition, there are two kinds of creating I do: one is for business clients and one is for my own projects. The faster I accomplish my business work, the more time I can devote to writing and editing the books, book proposals, articles, and blog posts that I long to create full time.

Last week I had a really productive run where I knocked out my freelance business work quickly and editing work was scarce. For a few blissful afternoons, I created ideas for future book projects.

As two new projects took shape in my mind, I felt something come alive inside of me. It was like some force within me started shouting, “This is what you were made to do!”

When I ask myself, “Are you creating something?” I’m driving myself back to that centered place where I’m tapping into my calling—the stuff God made me to do.

“Are you creating something?” isn’t a guilt trip. It’s about freeing myself to focus on what I care about most. It’s a reminder that I was made to do something important and that distractions can send us off course if we don’t stop them with the truth: we were made to create something.

4 thoughts on “Are You Creating Something?”

  1. “As two new projects took shape in my mind, I felt something come alive inside of me. It was like some force within me started shouting, “This is what you were made to do!”

    I feel that way when I write, as well, but find that there is a big tension with balancing responsibilities and organizing time. Maybe there are other moms out there who can do it but I find it very difficult. Just as I get settled in to write, something always comes up–my kids fighting about something, one needing a diaper changed, they both want a snack or drink, they want to go outside, they want to come inside, etc. It can sometimes take days to write one blog post.

    I am most productive in my writing when there is silence, but those minutes are few and far between.

    Sometimes I do waste time on FB or Twitter–I never really thought of it as seeking distractions, but maybe that is something to think about.

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    1. Thanks for commenting Kelly. I suppose the key is whether that time online is intentional. Speaking for myself, I wander online, and that’s where I have my problems with seeking distractions and deviating from my calling to write.

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  2. Sometimes it is intentional, sometimes not. I don’t really follow many people or blogs but I like to see what is going on. I think partly it seems as if I do that more than write because if I have 5 minutes to do something, it’s a lot easier to see what’s happening on FB or Twitter or read a blog post than it is to write anything. As you will find out, writing with kids around is not as easy as it seems!

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