Art for Art's sake: musings on my planner

How do creative minds work? what makes them tick? how do you command a brain that has been wired for creativity to create at a precipice moment?

I don't have the answers for this questions, nor do I think anyone does. God has created each one of our brains is a particular way that is so distinct and beautiful it often robs me of words.

And I'm not only talking about marveling at traditionally creative people (painters, musicians), but also at mathematicians and biologists, and doctors and accountants. I see my brother solving math equations and transforming abstract numbers into tangible things and I'm mesmerized by the poetry in it. God gave him a mind for math, and seeing him use it for that purpose is seeing God's handiwork.

For me is beauty, I love creating things of beauty. and although my hands sometimes can't translate what is in my head, I have found ways around it. Photography is one, designing the Growth Planner is another.

Ahh, the Growth Planner, the subject that brings me to this pages today. And to start, let me just say that I will call it, for the sake of this post, my planner.

For you see, I have come to resent a bit the commercialization of what started as a way to bring order to the chaos in my life.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I have built a massive empire (I haven't) or that hordes of people demand that I output another one (it's more like, 2 people asking nicely). But all through this year, I have been haunted by the ideas and demands of other in respect to my planner.

"What do people want?" I ask myself, "what will be more popular", "how can I appeal to more people". On and on these ideas go inside my head about how to please people, ideas that build down to one dead end: "I don't want to please anyone with this, I just want to do it". I guess its part of being an obliger and the subsequent obliger rebellion. (if you haven't read Gretchen Rubin, I recommend you do. She has a great insight of how most people develop habits and respond to expectations)

For me, creating my planner is art, and I don't want to "live off" art. I don't want to worry about the bottom line, marketing, or if sales are up or down. I just want to make something pretty and useful, and if people want to buy it then Great! and if they don't, Awesome! this is a piece of me that I want to share, not market to you.

I want this planner to help me get closer to God and more focused on Him. And I want the same thing for you. I want the word of God to be present in our minds and to see the transformation he does in our lives.

I want to see your particular brand of creativity explode and be a testimony of God's power in your life. and you can't put a price to that.

So, what about this year's planner? right now is in my head and I am looking forward to putting it on paper in the following month. It should be ready for November. I won't "market" it or use Etsy or any other site. If you want one, shoot me a text, a call, a message, talk to me and I will sell you one. But not because you were persuaded by a marketing campaign, but because you would like a nice looking, God centered, paper planner to map out your 2018.

I have chosen to take a different road with my planner this year, and I'm ok with that.