Okay. So, by all accounts, it seems the world has lost its collective mind. I don’t have to give you a list of examples; you have a list of your own. Despite all the madness, though, I want to encourage my fellow creatives to dig deep; creativity is still there.

Hey, I know what it’s like to be a moody artist—meaning you feel like you have to be in “the right mood” to create. I’ve had to fight that for a long time. What finally broke me out of that thinking was not getting anything done. My projects would get put on hold indefinitely while I sought that all elusive “mood” or creative “zone.” Too often, I had to wait for a long time for that perfect state of mind to come. Oftentimes, it came but was far from perfect.

In times like these, you really do have to dig deep and keep creating. It’s not just for yourself, either; the world needs its creatives now more than ever. Whether you’re a writer, a musician, a singer, a dancer, a model, an actor, a filmmaker, a sculptor, a painter, a digital artist, a photographer, a culinary artist, a crafter, or whatever you do to create art, you have talents, skills, and abilities that our hurting world needs. Don’t bury your God-given gifts under the same anxieties that are keeping everyone else so distracted and in despair.

Without you, people will only see darkness. Now is the time to remind them of what is beautiful, excellent, good, profound, valuable, and really worthy of their attention. Throughout human history, when civilizations were in upheaval, the thinkers and artists were the ones to either hold everything together or usher in a better age. Be that person today. The rest of us need your vision and your inspiration. Whatever creative thing you do, be your very best at it. God gave you talents and dreams for a reason. Do your best to use them in a way that will make this world a better place. We need that so badly right now. So, dig deep, my fellow creative. When you push yourself into that “zone,” you’ll feel like nothing can stop you…and you’ll shine like you were meant to shine!  

Writing Update

Are you inspired? Good! Now, I’ll give you a writing update. Planet of Eden is coming along very nicely. I’m wrapping up the final edits of chapter 30 in the 36-chapter novel. As I said in my last blog post, it’s a page by page, line by line, and word by word process. The job is grueling, but this is my last chance to get everything right before publishing, and I want the book and story to be perfect for you.

If you do any writing at all, I encourage you to check out ProWritingAid for your editing software. This has been an invaluable tool for me and worth every bit of the annual subscription. Whether you’re writing books, articles, screenplays, scripts, school papers, letters, or memos, this app will help you become a better writer and communicator. It even integrates with other writing apps like MS Word, Google Docs, Scrivener (my favorite) and pretty much anything online. Check it out.

Along with editing, I’m also working on a marketing campaign for Eden, and I’ll probably be developing a crowdfunding campaign as well. The crowdfunding will help with building the digital part of the project, which is really its core. I’ll have more information on all that as it progresses. For now, just know that I’ve been taking my own advice—staying active, positive, and creative.

Thanks for following, and keep in touch!