As an artist, your imagination has a built-in need to be stimulated. I am convinced that the artist’s mind keeps the on switch to “on” when it comes to mentally seeking and “downloading” stimuli to fuel your imagination.
This is the reason that we artists love the movies, tv shows, magazines and now video games that we do. We are the die-hard Trekkies, Jedi, comic “Fan-boys”, “Losties” and World of Warcraft gamers of the world because our imagination appreciates the creativity that these works express…so we feed off of that expression.
The Danger:
There is nothing wrong with being inspired by the creativity of others. It’s actually the way we’re wired. The danger is when more time is spent taking in what others have created that it eats away at your time to create something yourself.
I have found myself guilty of sitting and watching hours of my favorite sci-fi shows…and then realizing that it’s much too late to finish working on my own sci-fi product. It’s like a painter that loves to paint. He can be so awestruck and inspired by the paintings of other artists that he may spend more time as a viewer of those paintings and less time creating his own.
The Solution:
A good thing is a good thing when it’s taken in moderation. Just like anything else, you must guide the way your time is spent. Block off time and schedule when and where you plan to complete your own project. Set goals. We’ve said it here before that a goal is a dream with a deadline.
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I remember sitting in front of the television (Tell-a-vision)for hours watching my favorite animated movies or going online and searching for hours for artist whose style matched my own.
An hour would turn to three and then I found myself stealing tomorrows mercy for yesterday’s disobedience.
At the end of every night of admiring the accomplishments of others, the art God placed on my heart would never be conceived.
I immediately began to confess this short-coming to the Lord and ask Him to forge in me Christ as my determination to create.
Devin asked for scriptures that speaks on this principle.
The Lord has led me to two scriptures that really sobered me up to get moving.
1. Eph. 5:16…Redeeming(buy back)the time; because the days are evil (deceptive). Meaning, each day comes with the assumption that you have time, but you don’t. So Paul encourages us all to buy back the time by walking in the will of God (v.17).
2. Rom. 13:14…But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill lusts.
My lust is to procrastinate, so I put on the Lord (the One I have to give an account to) in my mind…and reverence (not fear) gets me moving.
I pray this helps.
This is a wonderful issue to address.
Most definitely. More and more I’m realizing that without deadlines, it’s hard for me to take anything seriously. Is there a scriptural principle for this?
so true!!!