Unlocking Our Creativity with Aeron Brown

Today, we have a powerful message for all creatives.

In this interview, Aeron Brown shares his journey of unlocking his creativity through God’s power. Listen and be inspired.

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Unlocking Your Creativity

Shelley: Today I’m rolling out the red carpet and inviting you to join me for this expert interview with Aeron Brown. Welcome, Aeron.

Aeron: Hi, it’s great to be here.

Shelley: I’m so excited to have you. You’re such an inspiration.

I first connected with you because we’re both going to be leading workshops at Gathering of Artisans this year. Then, I started watching some of your live videos on Facebook, and I was like, “Woah, this guy is just a well of encouragement and inspiration for creatives.”

Aeron: That’s awesome.

Shelley: I just wanted to have you on the podcast to share a little bit about what you’re doing. Let me share a little bit about you, and then we’ll hop right in because I know you’re about ready to bless a lot of writers today.

Aeron: Wonderful!

Shelley: Aeron is an art gallery owner, a contemporary visual artist, singer, songwriter, worship pastor, guest speaker, children’s book author, and a father of three with a passion for city transformation through arts. He lives in Redlands, California. His website is AeronBrown.com.

Aeron, you’re this well of creativity and inspiration, but you didn’t always just flow out of your creative gifts, did you?

The Voices in Your Head

Aeron: No, I was really locked up. I had some spirit of religion on me, and I thought that to be a worship leader you had to hold an acoustic guitar. You couldn’t play an electric guitar back in the day, and I thought that there were no Christian books that were not about Jesus, had little robes, and had angels dancing around at the time.

There was nothing that I found that was hitting both the Christian and the secular realms, and that was a frustration for me. I just believed that I couldn’t be an artist because artists don’t make money, they don’t have healthy families, and everything society kind of puts on you.

Then, the liars in your head that you – honestly, it’s not even just the voices around you, – it’s the voices in your head that say, “you’re not going to make it.” You would never walk into a room with ten people berating you and telling you you’re stupid.

But we do it every day. We live in the room of our mind and let those liars of our own thoughts speak to us and define who we are. It’s taken years, and it’s still a daily practice, to shut down the critics in my own mind and those around me and go on the journey and be brave.

I love the Bible. The Bible says, “the righteous are as bold as lions”.

Man, I refused to have nothing less than fruit in my life, and have boldness in my life, and I’m just sick of being bumped around by the Devil. I just want to live and thrive.

Shelley: Yes. I was just at an artist event last night, and I came home and all this “Stinkin thinkin”, whatever, the things you’re talking about, came into me like, “Who am I to be doing this? All these other people are better than me,” and all this stuff.

The Lord was like, “Shelley, you’re living in a box. That’s what you can do in your own strength. But I don’t want you to have any limits. I want you to live without any limits. Realize what I can do.”

You’ve talked about some of the limits you had in the flesh, didn’t you have dyslexia or something like that?

Aeron: Yeah, even in high school I could barely read. And the way I got through high school was doing extra credit art programs. So, I designed the book cover of the yearbook, designed playbills for the different plays that were going, musicals and stuff.

I designed logos for skate shops and all these things in high school. Just to get through high school, I did all these weird extracurricular projects for teachers all the time. If they needed a poster made I would do a poster, and that got me through high school because I could barely read.

It was through the efforts of my wife and later on being at a conference where I had a supernatural encounter with God that washed over me like barrels of hope, life, and truth. After I went home, I started ferociously devouring the Word of God, and I couldn’t read at all before then. I was able to supernaturally read, and I read book after book. I have books and books on my shelf.

I never thought I would be able to write a book. Let alone reading, I didn’t have good grammar. I still don’t have the best, but the Lord said, “I want you to write a book,” like a children’s book.

So, I made this children’s book and a lot of people say, “That’s not a children’s book, that’s more of an adult book.” But, I placed it in a way that it can be for adults and children, so they can connect together and share moments together.

Now I have a children’s book, and I would never have thought.

Shelley: Wow. Yeah. It’s so inspiring, the fact that you could barely read and now you’re a published author. You probably have other books that you have in you, right?

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect; It Has to be Real

Aeron: I do. One year I was at a place where all these bands were gathering, and I was watching a show of musicians play. I had an open vision of a march table, and the Lord said, “Aeron, you’re going to have booklets and booklets, and they’re going to be volumes and volumes.” It’s so cool.

I self-published this book, and I already have some publishers looking to help me out for my next ones. It’s so cool. I’m the least likely person to ever write a book, and it’s so encouraging.

What helped me was the idea of making, and to make things raw. Even if you feel like they’re never going to be finished stop trying to make them perfect and make them presentable before people. Even if it’s a special edition of 100, put them out there.

I know with me if I don’t ever do it, I don’t ever do it. My friend said the most profound thing the other day; he says, “Aeron if you do it then you will do it.” That hit me so strongly; it was so simple but true. So, I have this little key I wear on my neck that says, “Do It,” on it.

Every day when I come to the gallery my biggest trouble is I think too much. It’s the paralysis of analysis, and I get stuck there.

I analyze everything and how everything is going to be, and because of that I never do anything with it.

So, the Lord told me to release my book. I did, and there were a bunch of errors and stuff in it, but then it was like I had free editors that came. They were like, “This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong.” I was like, “Great, thank you! These are invaluable things.”

I took that back and did my second edition. I’ve been selling hundreds of copies, and it’s been great; even with the messes.

Some people like that, because what it does is allow people to be a part of your creative processes. You’re building a culture and a community around what you’re doing, and they’re creating with you. This is an amazing thing.

People are so tired of people that have it all together too. They want real people that they want to follow and be a part of what you’re doing. Sometimes we just don’t allow people to be a part because we want to look a shiny, gleamy, and smart. Those are boxes that we put ourselves in, just like the boxes of religion that we were talking about earlier. We place ourselves in these boxes of our own mind, other people’s minds, how it should be, and how it should be exhibited.

There is something about making that raw product and putting it out there before people, then developing it in time, and how you won’t ever do it if you don’t do it.

Wherever creativity exists walls fall down, and boxes are exploded. If we want – really, really want – to live a creative lifestyle, we have to be willing to let the walls be stretched out, the tent pegs stretched out, the walls to come tumbling down.

I love how it is shown in the Bible, how the walls of Jericho come down; not by swords and spears, and the forces of warriors, but by the sound of a trumpet. It’s a creative expression. I really believe we’re walking into this generation and that we’re going to stand up, rise up, and we’re going to lift our trumpets of creativity in this generation.

We’re going to see walls of religion fall down and will help draw us into a relationship. We’re going to see walls and boxes of old thinking crumble, and it’s going to draw us home to the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord, He is God, and that there is one hope and one way.

It’s going to be powerful, and it’s the artisans that are going to get rid of all these weird facades that the churches have built. And it’s going to turn the church back to God.

We don’t need a new church; we need to destroy the church. We need to take the church right now, that’s happening right now in the earth, break down all the walls, and bring us back to Jesus. I really believe we are the instruments of that change.

Shelley: Do you think that’s why there is so much resistance and opposition when you’re seeking to really use a creative gift?

I know, I felt that. I know the writers I coach feel it, too. I think it’s a common thing with creatives. There’s just so much resistance and opposition. Do you think that’s one of the reasons why?

Creativity is a Seed

Aeron: Absolutely. There is so much war against the creatives because it’s a seed.

The creative offering is a seed; it’s like the Word. It’s like the Word of God on the earth. If that seed is aborted, then it will never have fruit on the earth. And the enemy knows that if he can abort the seed from developing and being cultivated, and from growing into fruit.

So, the enemy is always trying to abort the seed of our creative journey. We see in nature all these aborted babies. Can you imagine all the creative babies that we’ve had this generation?

The Lord prevailing and longing for sons and daughters to rise up that looks just like Him in creativity? The manifestation of creative sons and daughters are about to break forth in the earth. They just need to know that they’re allowed to be that.

[The enemy] has been stealing from Him. Can you imagine what it’s going to look like when the body of Christ says, “I want everything the enemy stole from me in creativity, and I want it ten times fold,”? Can you imagine when it starts breaking forth and manifesting in this generation?

It’s going to be mind-blowing what’s going to come out of the church in the next few years. It’s not going to be the simple things we’re always seeing in the church like paintings of lions and doves.

We are going to see creative expressions that will cause people to wonder. They’re going to be filled with amazement. They are going to cause awe to rip through secular universities, through societies, and it’s happening already.

I’m hearing reports of it all the time. God is changing the way we think because the sons and daughters are arising.

Shelley: You have just said so much goodness. I hope those of you listening are taking notes.

I know you do paintings in many different settings, in churches but also weddings, live paintings, and then you have paintings you paint in your studio or whatever.

Can you tell, maybe, a story or two of how a painting has resulted in something that God has done in someone’s life? Can you share a testimony of your own of a story that has happened with one of your paintings?

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Aeron: There are so many things. The first thing that comes to my mind is that I was commissioned for a painting for a family because one of the family members knew that the Lord was on my life.

It was such an incredible gift to be able to say, “I know the Lord is in your life, will you paint my family a painting, and paint whatever the Lord tells you?”

So, I paint this gigantic oak tree over a vineyard, and in the oak tree is angels descending through the light beams of the oak tree. I drew the family approaching the light of these beings that were erupting through the light beams of this tree; I drew the children, the different generations.

This family was in a feud, and there was a lot of divorces in the family. Different families that were connecting, and frustration between that. There was a lot of broken hearts and hurting. This painting helped put them all in one frame, in one context, that said, “You are one family and you are going in the same direction that is towards God, towards the light, and there is fruitfulness over your vineyard.”

It literally got them in one room together. The painting was presented, and tears flowed through that meeting, healing, and unity, a binding of one hope through Jesus Christ was formed. It was just through one painting.

I’ve had people come to my art gallery. I had a dear friend of mine, that she was a lesbian and she wouldn’t mind me telling this.

Over the course of a year, I was just spending time with her, just creating a non-religious space for her to come in and talk about creativity, music, worship, and love of God. She said I don’t need being a lesbian to make me feel whole anymore. That was just an incredible gift from the Father, just how the community of creativity brought that out.

I’ve seen people standing in front of my paintings weeping. I’ve seen how it’s helped people in sex trafficking, through molestation and broken hearts. It helped create a narrative for people in their secret place.

I can’t tell you how many times people have said, “Aeron, you painted the exact thing that the Father has been speaking to me in this season.”

So, the Lord keeps saying, “Will you be a timely voice to the body of Christ? Will create out of the season of your life and be a prophetic voice?”

Many times, it doesn’t look like lions and doves. It looks like a little bird carrying a house, or a bear carrying a sail ship. It looks like children breaking chains, or hummingbirds breaking chains. It can be this weird symbolic imagery like oak trees filled with light.

These things minister to people, and that’s been my process so far.

Shelley: I think pictures and stories, they open people up in a way that just preaching and that sort of thing. It’s different. It’s such a way to present a story or picture, and a lot of people listening are writers and a lot of them are also multitalented artists as well.

It’s just so important to not hide that gift, to let it come out and to listen to God. Just like what you were saying, “What is it I’m to paint for right now and in this season?” He’ll give it to you. He’ll show you. I just love that.

Something else that I love is as I was watching one of your live videos, you were talking about your latest album, which I bought. If you guys want to be blessed, go buy it, it’s amazing.

Aeron: Praise God.

Shelley: Is it called Father’s House?

Aeron: Yeah, The Father’s House.

Shelley: The Father’s House, yes. Go get it, it’s amazing. I’ve listened to it a lot.

You were talking about that, and first of all, I love the fact that you said you recorded it in your friend’s closet.

Aeron: Right.

Shelley: You didn’t wait for perfect conditions, but it sounds like you were in a studio.

Let Your Light Shine

Aeron: It’s weird. It’s been a long-time process. I love the thought that a picture is worth a thousand words.

One day, I was in my journal that I call Messy Journal. I was drawing out of my devotion to the Lord. I keep that regularly and allow myself to make some mistakes in that journal. It’s where I keep all my brainstormed ideas, and I do that regularly.

A picture came out of that of a father carrying a bag of stars, bringing it home to his little home. The only response of this little home was a plume of smoke from the chimney in the shape of a misshapen heart.

I feel like that’s the story of the journey. I don’t have anything really beautiful to bring, but all that God has brought me is just a universe of beauty. I can’t help but respond.

So, the artwork becomes a response, and my music has become a response, from knowing my Father and having encounters with him year after year.

I never felt my songs were good enough. I never felt like they were ready enough, and I would always tell myself, “One day I’ll release that album when I’m mature enough to release it.”

God loves us in our process, and I thought I had to be some theologian to release anything worthy into the earth. But the Lord’s like, “No, I like your song. The weird things about you that only you can do, it’s my fault, I put it on you. I will shape you, and you will grow, you will become something new in every season.”

To hear him say that His hand is there, even in my process of immaturity, that really helped validate and call me into service, because I never felt like what I had to say was important enough. It’s not necessarily that it’s his fault, but the things that I like and that I enjoy is His fault.

He loves what we have, even in the season that we have it. Maybe it’s not all articulated or shiny, but He said to never put our light under a bushel or place of hiding.

He said, “Let your light shine before men that they may glorify God.”

We have, for so long in the name of religion, said, “Let’s glorify God, but this is how you glorify God; don’t’ show your face, don’t show your name, don’t show your uniqueness. Bring all your attention to God.”

But it’s the opposite. When you are truly who you are, you stand in your name, you stand in the place the Father has given you, and you let your light shine, there is a powerful synergy that happens.

It doesn’t say let just let His light shine. It says, “let your light shine before men.” When you let your light shine, it releases a uniqueness that nobody else can release in the earth.

I had all these songs in my secret place and just stored them up. That was another thing that I chose. Even though I did one thing really well, or even when I was hiding my light, I stored my light, and I didn’t let it burn out. I held onto it.

It was like when it says, “Mary treasured these things in her heart,” referring to Jesus and the things He spoke that she didn’t quite understand. She still treasured them in her heart.

I became a treasury of the Word of the Lord in my life, and the creative ideas, and stored them up. So, when my friend was like, “Let’s record all your songs,” I had so much.

Shelley: You were ready.

Aeron: I have so many more albums because I created a lifestyle of being in the presence of the Father. So, I have so many things more that I can’t wait to share with people in the years to come.

Shelley: Awesome!

Aeron: Yeah.

Shelley: This was really an album, from your testimony about growing up without a father and learning to come into God the Father and come into Him. I remember you saying you had wanted to produce this album, or have this album since you were almost 18 or something like that?

Treasures of Creativity

Aeron: Yeah, I have. When I was a little boy, my father died at the age of 3. Like any boy wants to do, they want to get to know their father, and I wanted to get to know my father. The way I did it was, I went after his paintings, his sketches, and his writings because he was an artist too.

Shelley: Wow.

Aeron: The only way to do that was to break into what I call my mother’s grieving closet. He passed away, so she kept all his belongings in a closet under lock and key. When she would be out of the house, I would break into this closet to be with my father. I was a latchkey kid and I’d be alone quite often.

I really believe that God is raising up an army of people that are about to break into the closets of their lost Father and they’re going to unlock the treasure trove of the nature of Abba.

I did that in the natural with my earthly father, and there came a point where I burnt out because the grieving wasn’t helping my creative process.

See, death never produces life. If you keep pursuing death, you’ll only get death. The moment I started pursuing God as a father, man it unlocked a treasure trove of things.

I used to literally go into my natural closet and light candles in my closet. I would spend time with Abba in the closet, worshiping with my guitar. Or, I’d turn a bathroom into a closet and spend time with Him there, anywhere I could be in the quiet and stillness and unlock the treasure trove, sometimes my garage.

There are closets all over the earth that are about to be unlocked. We’re living in this generation that we get to go before a Living Father, we get to go before the Living God and unlock the treasures that have been waiting from history past until this very moment.

We get to do this, it’s incredible, and we get to find creative thoughts in His heart. We get to express them through our uniqueness. If you like unicorns, then paint unicorns. If you like stories about unicorns, Jesus likes stories about unicorns.

You know unicorns are actually in the Bible, and people don’t know that. If you look in certain translations, there are unicorns.

I’m just saying all that to say that there is so much more creativity than what we’ve given our religious boxes credit for. Wherever creativity exists walls will be falling down, doors of these closets will be ripped open, and treasures are going to be laid before our eyes.

Shelley: That is so, so good. We have talked forever, I’m just like, “preach!”

Aeron: I get excited

Shelley: I know! I’m excited too. I’m over here like dancing. I just feel like it would be such a blessing if you would be willing to pray over the writers and creatives who are listening right now.

Pray for those that are blocked, those that are outside that locked closet, or have those walls that need to come down. Pray that the creativity that God gave them will be used in amazing ways. Maybe, just pray over them right now and bless them in that way.

Prayer for the Creatives

Aeron: Yeah.

“Abba, Daddy, I thank You for the finished work of the Cross and our inheritance in You as the sons and daughters of a Living God. Right now, we declare, in the name of Jesus, that prisons are opening, closets are being unlocked, that walls are tumbling down, that our messiness is ok for You. You’re not afraid of our messes.

You say errors are the portals of discovery. Right now, over this generation, those portals are starting to open up all over the earth as we are speaking these things, creativity, of new life, unlocking treasures in the secret place, God. There are reservoirs in your heart that are just waiting to be, just to fill your sons and daughters for such a time as this.

New ideas, new thoughts, new creativity, and some of it, even old creativity with our spin with our uniqueness that makes it brand new. Lord, I just declare, and decree by the blood of Jesus, the sons, and the daughters are arising for such a time as this, such a time as this. Just like Esther of old, Lord, where she just rose up with her spirit of creativity and beautified herself and saved a nation.

God, I just declare and decree that we will be just like David who basically changed warfare in one generation through bringing a sling into the scenario. God, I just declare and decree that creative ideas are starting to come like slings and stones, like makeup of Esther, like beautification, that is going to rip pathways and new ideas into the earth, that people are going to jump on the trains of some of the people that are listening to this very podcast, that they’re going to be inspired by their work, and it’s going to be like an avalanche of creativity that’s going to flow.

We declare that your children are not defeated. They’re not depleted and they’re not burnt out. I declare that they get to make a mess, and be raw in their creativity. That we get to make in the raw, we get to be flexible and willing to change, and willing to open our minds to new things and our hearts to new things with you.

We declare that you’re not boring, or angry. You’re in a good mood, and you have so much to give. I thank you, for Isaiah talks about how you earnestly, expectantly look and long just to be gracious to us.

Right now, I release the Father’s blessing of graciousness over these creative minds and hearts today that they might be encouraged to write today like they’ve never written before. It’s through the seasons of their lives that you’re unpacking their unique wording, unique creativity, and unique thoughts through this season that they’re standing in right now.

I declare that through the pain, through the discouragement or encouragement, or through the mundane, there is a color, there’s a word, there’s a shape, there’s a fragrance, and a dance to everything that you want to release right now.

Just sculpt them in this season and let them not kick against the hand of the potter, Father. Just take them on that journey. I just declare and decree blessings in Jesus’ name.”

Shelley: Amen!

Aeron: Yeah. It’s so good, right?

Shelley: Awesome!

Aeron: Thank you, Spirit.

Shelley: I love it. I just so long to see creatives freed. To be in that freedom in the Holy Spirit, and a relationship with Jesus, and identity as his sons and daughter that they will be free to create. I just see so many blocks unlocked.

So, I’m just believing with you that prayer will touch so many people. As we come to a close, is there any thoughts or encouragement that you want to share to writers that are listening?

Take Aways

Aeron: Just to believe that you’re infinitely more capable than what you really feel at this moment.

Artists, one of our greatest gifts is that we feel so deeply. Don’t let your feelings control your output and control your cultivating of the seed. If anything, uncover the seed that you are a creative, and hold onto that and cultivate it. Develop that, and then you can distribute it.

If you don’t start somewhere, by cultivating, you’ll never be able to distribute anything.

So, go cultivate. You know what cultivating looks like? It looks like tilling up hard, rocky soil sometimes, and there’s emotion involved. But you put your foot, one foot after another. It’s a moment by moment process, and your Daddy isn’t scared to let you learn how to walk for the first time into your creative calling.

He’s so happy you’re doing it. He’s got a grin from ear to ear, and He’s smiling at you. He’s only speaking positivity over you. Now, if you’re hearing something negative, it’s not from God. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but God has come to give life and life more abundant.

That is your portion today. Lay hold of your Father’s smile, lay hold of his positive words and affirmations of your life. Walk into it. Walk into it today.

Now is the time. Not tomorrow, not later on in your destiny. We always want to say, “One day I’ll be a creative.” Today is the day to be a creative. You’re born for such a time as this. Not for tomorrow, not for yesterday, just now, just live it.

Don’t think about the past, don’t think about the future. Just think about now. Live in your moment with your Father and the creative process, and do it day in, day out, and you will just find you are standing on mountains that you would never have even dreamed.

I’ve seen cities transformed. I’ve seen the city of Redlands transformed. I’ve seen how the city of Banning has been transformed by taking one step after another, validating artists, validating business owners, and encouraging people.

If you refresh others you, yourself will be refreshed. Be violent and say, “I’m gonna make art or I’m gonna die,” because this part of you will die. That part of you will die if you don’t cultivate it; that seed will die.

Don’t let the crows stand over your seed, and don’t live in the shadow of the crow. Live in the shadow of the Almighty. Let him speak the mighty truth over you, that you are the sons and daughter of a Living God, and you can create with him.

So, hey man, you’re going to do great. You’re going to live, you’re going to thrive, and the journey is just starting, don’t despise the days of small beginnings and just keep going.

Just keep going.

A Great Time to be a Creative

Shelley: So, if people want to connect with you further and just see more about what you’re doing, but also receive the encouragement that you give to creatives, what’s the best way for them to connect with you?

Aeron: Facebook is a great tool. Instagram is a great tool, and then I’ll also be at The Gathering of Artists in October with you, and it’s going to be wonderful.

And you can go to my website, but the best way is to just keep in contact through Instagram or Facebook.

Shelley: Awesome.

Aeron: We’re living in the greatest moment of history to be an artist because of the internet. There are so many open doors to thrive, and you don’t have to be the best artist in the world.

You just need to go out there, take one step at a time, and you really can impact the world. It’s incredible how the gates are all wide open right now.

Shelley: I was just saying that to some artists last night because my visual art is just exploding. I’ve been an author and a writer for a long time, but my visual art is just exploding.

They’re like, “Shelley; we see you doing all these things, etc.” I’m like, “I’m just putting myself out there.” I know I’m not the best artist. I’m still improving my craft, I’m still improving my skill, but I’m putting my stuff out there.

And people are buying my art, they want to know more, and they’re commissioning me for things. A lot of times we just aren’t putting ourselves out there and allowing God to open those doors.

My friend sent me something for my birthday, and it was a little lock for a gate, and she said, “Shelley, I’m praying for all the open doors for you this year.” I was just like, “That’s for all of us.”

When you were saying that I was like, “That’s for all of us.”

There are so many doors that God has for us if we will just take those steps. One after another, day after day, as you were saying. Sometimes you don’t feel like it. I don’t feel like it every day.

But day after day after day after day after day, and it’s like, “Woah! look what God’s doing.”

Aeron: Right.

Somebody right now, that’s listening, needs to hear this and repeat after me, “No limits”. Then, they need to say, “No Boundaries.”

Some of you need to say, “My creativity is going to broaden”. Some of you need to say, “New mediums are coming. New mediums and new types of ways of creativity are coming.”

See, some of us never thought, I never thought, I’d be into jewelry, but some of you may be into jewelry. I never thought I’d be into mask making, but all the sudden some of you are going to say, “Oh, I’m into mask making.”

I never thought I’d be a guest speaker. I never thought I’d be a children’s author. I never thought I’d be a painter, I never thought, even at one point in my life, that I’d be a visual artist or a musician, or a songwriter.

I’ve been able to lay all those things before the Lord and just continue to say, “I’ll do whatever. Every gift that you’ve given me, I want to cultivate.” Then, the Lord will raise up, in seasons, certain parts of those creative gifts. And He’ll help fund you monetarily.

One of them may be more of a ministry gift to people, and one of them may be more of a monetary blessing, and multiple streams of income may come through all those things.

Then, we’ll go, “Man, I’m so glad that I didn’t just cultivate just one, because in this next season I wouldn’t have been able to help myself through this financial difficulty, or this other season.”

So, use all the gifts that God’s given. Don’t limit yourself to that box. Wherever creativity exists, walls must fall down.

Use Your Gifts

Shelley: I was just talking to my friend Angela Myer just yesterday, and she was sharing a quote from the book Steal Like An Artist. I just want to share it really quickly, because it goes right with what you’re saying.

He says, “If you have two or three real passions, don’t feel like you have to pick one and choose between them. Don’t discard, keep all your passions in your life. The thing is, you can cut off a couple of passions and only focus on one. But after a while, you’ll start to feel phantom limb pain.

I spent teenage years obsessed with songwriting and playing in bands. But then I decided I needed to focus on writing. So I spent half a decade hardly playing any music at all. The phantom pain got worse and worse, about a year ago I started playing in a band again, now I’m starting to feel whole. The crazy thing is, rather than the music taking away from my writing, I found it interacting with my writing and making it better. I can tell the new synapses in my brain are firing and new connections are being made.”

So, he talks about not amputating any of your limbs.

Aeron: Right.

Shelley: You have so many gifts and so many things to give. Not to just say, “OK, I have to put that over there, or shove it under here.”

There are seasons for things. But, that’s where we come to life when we’re really using all the fits. I found that it’s just been two years since I started this whole journey of visual art, and in those two years I found that I’m coming to life in a way that I’ve never come to life before. I’m like, “I didn’t even know this was in me.” I had no idea.

Aeron: Yeah, and then that whole picture is worth a thousand words, and you look at the picture you created, and more words come.

It’s like an avalanche. You put one thing out there, and it inspires another thing and another thing. It’s addicting.

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on”. I think Albert Einstein said that. Albert knew what he was talking about, you know?

We need to realize that this thing, you’re never going to get into the flow if you don’t start making something. Thank you so much. It’s encouraging just to be here on this podcast.

EndNote

Shelley: Thank you so much for being here. I just encourage all of you to go check out his Facebook, Instagram, connect with him, go get his album, and check out his children’s book.

I know you have so many more things coming. Thank you so much for being here.

And thank you for being with us. I hope you were inspired and you got so many good things from this episode.

Until next time!

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