INVESTMENTS ALL CREATIVE SHOULD MAKE THIS YEAR

Words: Beth Kellock

Being able to align both my “creative” and “businessy” sides has been the greatest delight, and I love being able to bring hope to biz owners by making marketing simple.

When we hear the word “investment” we often think of big bucks, big spending and big stacks of cash we don’t have. But I’m here to challenge you to not just think about money when the word “investment” comes along.

Whilst financial investments are beneficial, I’m not here to tell you how to spend your money. However, I do highly recommend you invest in three key areas of your life - no matter what kind of creative you are.

You are the greatest investment you could ever make. Your skills, talents, gifts, abilities and professional development are what is going to help you grow, and to set you apart. Think about what ways you can invest into your skills as a creative, to hone in on your gift, to update your materials or to free-up your time so you can invest more into your practice.

The team of people you surround yourself with will shape the world in which you live. Choose wisely your friends, mentors, housemates and partners, and invest into them as well! We are all called to spur each other on in the gifts we’ve been given to go out and do good deeds (check out Hebrews 10:24), so invest your time into building-up those around you as well.

You may be a creative by trade or are dabbling in it outside of your paid work. Regardless of your circumstance, find ways to invest into your vocation and career. How can you be more creative at work? How can you invest into your professional skills to help you excel in your career? How can you invest in your gifts and talents to better serve God’s kingdom? Whether you’re new on your creative journey or are a veteran, you still have skills to use, adapt and grow in an ever-changing world.

Words: Kmy Denton

If I had to pick a meme to best portray what life has been like in recent weeks, it’d be the “when life’s testing you, but you’re trying to stay positive” one starring that sweet golden retriever. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go ahead and pop that into your browser and have a giggle cos, gee, it’s good! I should preface this by saying that I am genuinely doing okay right now, but my goodness life can get a lil cray sometimes, (YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYIN!?), and these memes—well they just have a way of getting us through the times.

This story begins a couple of days after Mother’s Day, as I found myself at the grocery story with a semi-well baby girl. We’d spent Mother’s Day evening in hospital due to her distressed breathing, and it had been a sleepless few days off the back of a sleepless and sickness-filled few weeks. Braving my way through the aisles, I stealthily managed to balance every single item either in or on the pram itself—no small feat and certainly nothing short of Rocky’s “Eye of the Tiger” moment in Rocky II (ya feel me?).

Alas, as I made my way up to the automatic doors, I inhaled the faint aroma of victory knowing I was almost to the car when my leaning tower of groceries came instantly crashing down. Grapes filled the entry way in what can only be described as pure carnage. That golden-retriever meme I mentioned earlier? It hit full throttle at this point with only my self-respect keeping me from sprawling across that exit and devouring the chocolate I had purchased moments prior.

It was here that I heard a voice say, “Aww, that’s Kmy”. I looked up, hands full of soiled grapes, to lock eyes with a very beloved couple in our church, Terry and Julie Scott. I hadn’t seen them, but they had obviously seen me in my distressed state and immediately began picking up grapes and putting things back in my pram. They helped me up from the floor (lol), and they asked if I was okay.

As I gave a quick summary of the week we’d had, they asked where I parked and continued to listen as I spoke. They told me how sad they were to hear that we’d had such a rough couple of weeks, and they continued to encourage me as they loaded the groceries into my car. They let me know that they’d be praying for me. I thanked them, and waved goodbye.

As I sat in my car, I realized I could no longer feel the breaking point looming over my head. The burden I had been carrying was lighter. Why? Because of the encouragement I received from people of faith at just the right time. God knew I needed to come faceto-face with people who were ready to speak life into my weary soul. It didn’t take much time but simply the intentional sowing of kindness and love. My faith was waning, but my spirit encountered Holy Spirit through them, and it was all I needed to energise my soul.

Our gifts and talents are special, and they make a difference in peoples’ lives, but it’s the art of human connection that reminds us we’re not alone. Being in a healthy community of people who genuinely care for one another has got to be one of God’s greatest ideas, and it’s one that we better be about. Cos if God’s all about people, then people really are all that matters in this world. Spilled grapes and all.