Photo Props:

There’s a theory that what comes after the comma in our lives is who we are:

Stephen, the husband to Jackie or Stephen, the guy from Cross Point.

Identity is one of the most difficult things to live with for artists.

We too often fall into the trap that who we are is what we create or what we do.

It’s easy to imitate others or pretend to be something we are not; it’s very difficult to be uniquely you. I believe we’re on a journey to discover who the Creator created when we designed us – individually and uniquely – in His image.

We often try to fill these voids. We think money, power, hard work, and all these “Empty Promises” will help us become what only we can find in the Creator. Let’s be honest, there’s no amount of money, power, or work ethic that breaks you free from obscurity. Actually, obscurity increases when you’re in “the norm.” It takes courage, honesty, and risk to break free from obscurity and discover your DNA. It requires trying and failing, hope and hurt, lovers and haters. You have to live on the extremes a little from time to time in order to identify where you’re supposed to be. The middle is crowded, but those brave enough to take chances learn to live on the fringes – where we find out who we are and what matters to us!

You are a creative soul. God never intended for you to be “normal”. Your emotions fluctuate because you feel more than people understand. You’re responsible to be prophetic in your art. Don’t sell out. Stop trying to be normal. Avoid the expected. Don’t deliver what is anticipated. Be willing to do some things that may fail. And, in all of this, you will find who God created you to be: a unique, beautiful – sometimes misunderstood – voice of his hope and love to this world.