Episode Transcript
[00:00:21] Speaker A: Well, hey, I am so glad you're here. This is Shannon Williams, and this is the Grace and Grit mindset podcast where we talk about all things related to grace and grit in our lives. But really that's in connection with our walk with Christ. You know, it takes both grace, obviously from him, which is that empowerment that we need, that we can't do things apart from Him. He gives us that grace. But there's the grit of, okay, sometimes I'm gonna have to push through this. There's some perseverance. Right.
And so that's where that name came from.
And we've been in a series recently. We've been talking about.
[00:01:06] Speaker A: Yeah, we've been talking about. Had a little blip there. Sorry about that. We've been talking about Created to Create.
So the first week, we talked about spiritual creativity as part of our DNA.
And we went through some really kind of foundational truths about how we are created in God's image. And he's an artist. And so just because of that, we have this creativity inside of us often locked away.
And we think it looks a certain way, but it may not. It may look a little bit different than what we thought. And then last week we went into the more like physical and physiological part of creativity and what it actually does in our body and how stress melts when our hands move. I really encourage you to go back and listen to that, because that's probably the most scientific I've been. But it's. It's just kind of the culmination of research that I've been doing, and I'm actually writing a book, and some of that information is going to be in the book.
Talking about creativity is a form and a way that we are able to connect with God, but also kind of reset our nervous system.
So again, if you are a person who struggles with anxiety and stress and overwhelm and all that stuff, go back and listen to it because I really think it's practical for you and very useful. But this week we're gonna talk about.
[00:02:32] Speaker A: The Created to Create.
But our title has to do more with the spiritual side of it and the decide that, okay, how is creativity worship? Because it is.
Creativity is a form of worship. And I think a lot of people don't realize that. I think most of us probably just think, oh, you know, some. Some people are creative. They do. You know, they write songs and. And that's worship. And some people. Have you ever seen those people that dance? You know, they're really phenomenal. And they'll have. Have Them do specific beautiful dances at certain times of the year or in the worship service or some people go up and paint and it's beautiful. And so we're like, oh, okay, well that's worship. But I'm going to tell you that worship and the creativity of worship is so much bigger than that. And it's not about what you do on a stage.
It's about encountering and engaging with the Holy Spirit and as a form of expression, expressing worship to Him.
And it's also about co laboring and creating with Him.
That is also worship. There's so much to dive into.
So just take a deep breath here and settle in if you're driving. Just, just kind of just settle in and just try to wrap your brain around the fact that creativity is, is something that God has placed inside of you as a way to connect with him and in a way to worship and to partner with Him.
So, you know, we're going to talk about moving beyond identity and the nervous system regulation and into that spiritual purpose of creativity.
I love some of these scriptures that I have pulled up for you today. And this one here in Colossians 3 says that whatever you do, do it from the heart as something done for the Lord and not for the people. Knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: So even when you're doing these things that you wouldn't consider creative, just know that the heart of it is, the posture of it is really what makes it worship. You know.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: I think, I think about Jesus and I wonder like, you know, because God sent him into the world to be a carpenter, of all the things he could have been, he was a carpenter. That's a skill, but it's also an art form. I mean, if you've seen any good carpenters, it's like to me, I am just amazed by some of the things that people can create with wood with their hands, you know. And I mean, like some people look at me and go, I don't know how you write songs. I could never do that. Well, I look at people who can do carpentry work and I don't know how, I'm like, how did you do that? Like you, you look at some of the stories in the Old Testament when God is telling them how he wants the tabernacle, but then they, you know, it's a replica and they go to build the temple later and everything has to be perfect.
The way the curtains look, the colors, there's certain ornamental things on the curtain, certain Color combinations, there's certain wood they have to use and all of these things. It's. It's like people had to be artists in these ways because they had to be able to create what God was showing them. And that's really what we do when we create with him, is not only is it this form of worship where we are saying, okay, here's my gift, and I'm going to use it to honor you. Really, that's what we're doing, right? So if your gift is to write, you write. And in that writing, you feel this joy released in this worshipful expression. And it's not even about, is anybody going to read this? Am I going to be famous? Whatever, who cares? It's about that intimate connection with the Father when you do these things. As a matter of fact, you know, I've had these moments in my life where.
[00:06:31] Speaker A: Because of what I've been through and there's. There's so much trauma in my music endeavors and kind of that calling and some church hurt and a lot of things that happened as I walked through the calling on my life that in those seasons where God was really pushing me more into worship. And so, you know, I would think, okay, that's what this is all about.
And I would write songs, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking, is this a song people are gonna like? Is this a song that, you know, would it go anywhere? Would churches sing it? And that is such the wrong approach to have because that completely made it not worship. Like that scripture I just read, whatever you do to the Lord, you know, that is. That is what becomes worship.
Whatever you do, do it from the. The heart as something done for the Lord and not for people. Yes, people may enjoy it, but first and foremost, it is this art form unto God in this worshipful place. And so I took a long sabbatical from Stan stage, quote, unquote, where I came out of. Of losing a record deal. And I saw. I thought, well, okay, I'm just going to keep serving at the church and serving and serving, serving, serving, serving. And I did. And I constantly, you know, would be in.
In the ministry at church, but, you know, I would do some stuff on the side and. And there would be times when I thought, okay, well, maybe God has called me to become like a worship leader here at this church or some other church. And that would get blocked and I would get so disheartened. And this went on for years where I just really kind of lost my identity and my connection to the Lord in This artistic worshipful way was really impacted. And so finally after kind of fighting or just suffering with that for several years, I, I, I think it was like 2000.
[00:08:28] Speaker A: I don't know, 18, 19 maybe somewhere in that, that, that place I just decided I'm done with being on stage in a worship environment. And not in a bad way, but just I needed some, I needed some one on one alone time. And so I just decided to pour myself into worship in for the audience of one to use the gift he had given me to just, to just only get, give that to him and not care about people pleasing and trying to be special and trying to be noticed and all these awful things that were going on in my heart. And I'm telling you that season that followed over the next several years were some of the best songs I had ever written. And a lot of them I didn't even record. They were just saying at I became involved with a worship and prayer intercessory room, prayer room that was pretty close by where I lived. And we would get, you know, we would have these long two hour sets and several a week and there would only be like four people there, sometimes three people and but man, the revelations that God gave us and the songs that he would give, they were so amazing and they were just the most beautiful things I had ever written. I did get to record a few of those and if you have YouTube or Spotify or anything like that, you should be able to find or Apple, any of those places are going to have my songs. But like Lead Me to the Wilderness, if you've listened to that, that came through that season, probably 2021.
[00:10:07] Speaker A: Dead bones, which is the last one I released last year, was probably written in 22 or 23. And then I also had, oh, there's one more called Holy Fire is also in that group of songs. So those were all during that time of just not writing for other people, but literally just writing and only caring about what the Lord and I were, what we were conversing about, our conversation that was happening in my spirit. And so as I began to do that, it began to heal me. And so, you know, as my hands played, as I sang, my heart began to catch up with what it really was that was inside of me that needed to come out. And it was just kind of this place of complete surrender and in a joy in just playing for him, just using this stuff to minister to the heart of God. Have you ever thought about that? Like these priests in the Old Testament, they actually, their only job was to Go in to the holy place or the holy of holies. Only the high priest could go in there once a year. And they were considered to be ministering unto God. And they were.
The things they did were only for God. And it was in this hidden place. It was in this, you know, tent of meeting. Well, tent, the holy tabernacle that they had built. Nobody else was seeing this. It was just, you go in, you change out the showbread, you make sure there's oil constantly there.
You make sure the light is still going, the menorah lamp is still lit, you know, all the things that they would do and then the outside in the courtyard, all the things that need to be tended to there. But it was a very hidden thing, but it was still worship to the Lord. And I just want to say that these beautiful creativity things that he's given us, they don't need to be necessarily public, you know. Can they be? Yeah, sure, they could be. They could be public as an overflow. But really.
[00:12:20] Speaker A: I encourage people all the time that maybe I am counseling or just God brings into my life. You know, people say things like, oh, I'm too old to take voice lessons. I'm too old to learn how to play an instrument. You know, X, I'm 55, I'm 44, I'm 38. Or, or I'm too young, my kid's only 8. Whatever, none of that matters. There's no age limit on creativity. There is no age limit on this beautiful gift that God wants to give you.
[00:12:54] Speaker A: So here's some things about how creativity becomes worship.
So when you make something with intention and openness, it becomes devotion unto the Lord. So it's as simple as you saying, lord, I just want to. I just want to create this as a, as a devotion unto you. So whatever that is for you, I don't even know. I have no idea what kind of creativity you have inside of you. Mine is, is not just music. It's a lot of things. Maybe, you know, there's some days I just write poems and it's prophetic. Sometimes, like he is, I hear him saying these things and I write them down.
Or sometimes it's just me expressing, pressing my heart to him. And maybe they'll never get published. Who cares? I didn't do it. I didn't do it for that reason. I did it because it was just worship unto him.
[00:13:45] Speaker A: I love this too, about creativity. When it's worshipful, creativity creates room for the Holy Spirit to speak without noise or distraction. I can tell you that this has Been one of the most beautiful things that I have uncovered or discovered, rather, about creativity, when you're doing it as a worship form to the Lord, is that it gives the Holy Spirit room to speak.
So there's been times. I probably mentioned this before. There's been times I didn't really know what was stirring inside of me. I just knew I needed to get to the piano. I needed to get to my journal. I needed to do something with my hands.
I needed. There was this expression that I needed to release. And when I would do that, it's like the Holy Spirit would speak and he would teach me things.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: And I think that's one of the really cool things about creativity. When we're talking about worship and expression, is that God will use an art form to teach you more about him. I think I mentioned that probably in the first episode, but some. So, you know, like, with Jesus being a carpenter, Did Jesus learn things? This is crazy. But the scripture does say that he had to learn things. You know, isn't that crazy? But did God purposefully make him a carpenter because he wanted to teach him things through being a carpenter?
[00:15:13] Speaker A: Does God have you in some specific type of art, artisan form? You know, maybe it's. I know somebody that makes jewelry. And I think that's the coolest thing ever.
[00:15:26] Speaker A: To be able to, like, be a silversmith. And I. I really am. Like, man, I wish I could do that. But I'm scared, you know, I'm scared of how hot the thing is, you know, I think I can do it, you know? But for me, it's like. So I wanted to make soap, and I didn't really know why. And maybe underneath it all, there's, like, this underlying thought of.
And I know it's true because it's all about the vine and the branch. Because our business is called vine and branch, apothecary and woodwork. So.
[00:15:53] Speaker A: I just had this expression of worship that. And I felt like God wanted to teach me, through creativity, more about him and how he's the vine and where the branch is. And I couldn't let it go. And it's like. It's this beautiful, fun thing where I'm like, okay, what are we going to make now?
And in this place, it's like, I get to learn something about him that maybe I didn't know before. As a matter of fact, right now, I'm kind of on an herbalist journey. I'm looking at getting really more educated in that herbalist field. Because I feel really strongly in my spirit that.
[00:16:36] Speaker A: As the world becomes darker and darker and you've got what I believe is the beginnings of the, the one world government system and the, which eventually is going to, you know.
[00:16:50] Speaker A: Result in a dominating world system that strips it's, it strips its people of their rights and takes control of everything. Kind of very socialistic and, but also with that you have the mark of the beast. At some point I hope that we're gone. Who knows if we will be. That's hotly contested and debated, but I personally think we'll be gone. But I still don't want to be dependent on a world system that I know is quite wicked and deceptive and is crumbling all around us. And I'm thinking, and it's just like stirring in my spirit. I'm looking, I'm like, God created this world for us, right? So in this world he created remedies that are in nature that can heal.
And I feel like one of the things that creatively and worshipfully I want to do in my contribution to the people around me that I love and the people that maybe God brings into my life is to help them with these natural remedies and to teach people that we don't have to live, you know, taking these toxic chemically processed things that are killing us and causing diseases and all the horrible things that they do and we're getting poisoned every day. And so I just had started having this burning desire, this just recently, within the last six months.
And it's something I've never been interested in before. So I know that God is teaching me through this creativity of exploring this and creating.
[00:18:26] Speaker A: Recipes and creating apothecary type products, which I already did with the soap and with the body butters, you know, that came about because I didn't want to continue putting toxic products on my body. When you look at what is on the back of a soap package or lotion, I mean there's stuff in there, there's like 50 ingredients and you can't pronounce them. And I'm thinking there has got to be a better way than this. You, your skin is your largest organ in your body and people don't think about what you're absorbing through your skin is actually getting into your DNA and your bones and it could be causing cancers and all kinds of terrible things. And I just had this, I don't know, epiphany of I don't want to put toxic stuff on my body anymore and I don't want to put it in my body. But that can be tricky because we Live in a world where, you know, unless you're growing your own food and got your own animals, it can be difficult to.
[00:19:23] Speaker A: Completely and solely 100% live off grid, you know, so that's a work in progress. But I think with one of the things that I could control was I could make my own products, and I could actually also make them beautiful in a way that, you know, using natural substances like clays and things like that to color the soap, and trying not to use artificial things, trying not to use a lot of artificial fragrances, but more essential oils, which also have amazing properties like lavender. And some of the other oils that I use are just amazing. And infusing the oils with chamomile and just all kinds of fun stuff, y' all like, this, to me, is just so much fun because I'm taking what God already put here, and I'm. I'm just putting together these recipes and these combinations that bring healing to the body. And I think it's amazing.
And through that, God's just teaching me, like, I mean, it's the whole concept still of he's the vine and we're the branch. Like, he's already given us all this stuff. I don't need. I don't need this fake stuff from the world.
So that was my worship. And the creativity expressed through that back to God was realizing some of these things. So, you know, I mean, maybe you're not, like, there. Maybe you're not, like, I don't really care about soap and herbal remedies and apothecary and whatever, you know, But I have friends who make their own bread, you know, and we do too sometimes. Actually. My husband makes. A lot of times when he has time, we actually grind up our own wheat berries and make bread. And it's amazing.
And it's actually healthy. Like the gluten level of really unprocessed wheat berries. It's so much better for you. I mean, our food here, our bread is, like, not even allowed in other countries because it's so unhealthy and a lot of our products are so bad. So this is. I feel like this is one of the ways that Satan is attacking our civilization is by convenience.
And.
But he's robbed us of what it really means to be alive, to be connected to what God made. And I feel like we have a connection through God, through nature, through what he's made, because he made it for us. And not in a weird, you know, way like some of these new age people that worship nature. I'm not Talking about that. I'm just saying, like, okay, God made this specific plant, and how can I use it to bring healing to my body? Because that might be the route that God wants to heal, is through the plants, as opposed to a, you know, just a physical.
[00:22:04] Speaker A: Miraculous healing in one. One instant. It might be a process of, okay, you mix these plants together, you create this remedy. You put this on, you drink this, whatever, you know, I think it's amazing.
I really do. And I didn't mean to go there for so long, but I just wanted you to give. To give you a real life example of what I'm talking about.
So, you know, God speaks through these creative processes. Like I was just saying, for me, it's been the vine and branch. And sometimes. What does that look like for you? It could be just. And I don't. Because I don't want to make this over spiritual for you, but you. But it could just be a gentle impression. Like, what do you have just kind of this little nudge to do in your spirit? Like, you're like, you know, that sounds like fun. Like, I've told you guys, I also want to do pottery. I. I can't explain it. I just. I want to do pottery. And there's something he wants to show me about it. It's a creative expression, and it's a way I can connect with him.
It could come through an idea that comes unexpectedly.
It could be through memories that he heals. Like, you know, he may decide to heal you in a specific way, and it's some kind of creative thing. I've so experienced that I just. It's a whole other world, y', all, that I feel like nobody's tapping into. And I. I'm so, like, I'm so excited about it because I told you, I live in this creative space with him. So for me, this is all the time. I am always caught up in this other world with him, and I absolutely love it. And I cannot wait till someday that that is my reality all the time. I'm always in this place with him in heaven someday with. Where we're just walking around and he's showing me things, and we're just doing stuff like, you can have this. You can absolutely have this.
And so some other ways that he speaks through that creative process is through quieting the mind, quieting of your mind so you can finally hear.
You know, I think that's that scientific side of what we were talking about last week. Like, that repetitive motion oftentimes quiet your mind because it pulls you out of fight or flight. And you can actually hear him. There's so many ways that God can speak to you through this creative process.
And then also, you know, looking at Holy Spirit as a co creator, he's creating with you. He's not watching you from distance. He's not just saying, okay, you can, you know, go see what you can do here, you know, I'll grade you on your assignment.
And I'm thinking about all of the world music, the entertainers of the world. And so many of them, most of them probably like 99% of them create apart from God. And you can even feel it in the tone of the music. The, the, there's something underlying that is either most the time it's, it's dark and it's, it's almost like they created with a spirit other than God. They co labored with something demonic or something. Well, there's either demonic or it's God, right?
So you can definitely feel it because there's, there's bright light around someone who has created art with the Holy Spirit. There's like this purity about it that's just pulls you in and you feel like you're surrounded by light and beauty.
And so what we have in the world is.
[00:25:24] Speaker A: Just very dark or disgusting and vile interpretations of music that even in the beat of the music you can feel like that feels very demonic or sexual. And there's an energy there that is not godly for sure.
[00:25:43] Speaker A: So when you work with the Holy Spirit.
[00:25:48] Speaker A: He doesn't take over, but what he does do is he nudges, he inspires. And I think that's the number one way he, he works with me is he inspires me. I just have these random things where I'm like inspired by usually some attribute of him or an idea or a phrase.
I, you know, I released a podcast episode a few weeks back called Stop, Drop and Roll. And it was about how to take captive.
How to take thoughts captive before they become a wildfire. And you know, the inspiration, after I wrote that episode and released it, I thought, I think this will make a really good book.
And so I'm working on it. And it was that inspirational spark because I just felt like that phrase God had given to me, stop, drop and roll. If you want to deal with how to overcome, you know, how to, how to stop these wildfire thoughts from spreading throughout your body and taking over. You having a complete meltdown or a series of meltdowns, or a really bad year or a really bad decade, you know, it's, it's Learning these concepts that I teach in that book. Because that is what he did with me. This is how he changed my mind. It is the story of how he changed my mind.
And so he inspired me with those thoughts. And he's been collaborating with me and just. But it's gentle and it's, it's kind. It's not like he's arm wrestling me, you know, I submit, surrender, and if I feel. If I write something that doesn't quite feel like him and then I back up and I erase it and I do it again with him, you know, so it's a partnership. It's definitely not a port performance. He's not like going, okay, that's terrible, Shanna. That's terrible. That's just not the way he works. And I think that we look at him as some kind of judge.
My husband and I have been watching.
[00:27:44] Speaker A: It'S like the Hollering Holiday Baker Baking Championship or something like that. I think it's on like HGTV or, I don't know, some. Some channel that has like.
[00:27:56] Speaker A: Food cooking contest or whatever. And so there's these like ruthless judges and these people, they work so hard on their cake and there will be like one tiny thing that nobody else in the world would notice that's a little bit of, you know, a mistake or it's not quite perfect. And those judges rip those people to shreds. And they always notice that one tiny thing that honestly, to me, it's a little bit of a flaw, but it's what makes it human, you know?
And so that is not how God is looking at these creative expressions that we present or we co create with him, rather. He doesn't go, oh my gosh, what you do is so terrible. There's just one awful thing over here. I'm just so glad he's not like that. I've often said that because the picture I have in my head of God and the way that he sees us is like a child. And it's like my little grandkids, you know, one's two, one's four, one's almost two, one's four. And when they make stuff for me, little papers that they colored, I do not pick it apart and say, this is horrifically awful. Like, you are not in the lines. What is this exactly? This is terrible.
That's not what I'm doing. I am just thrilled that they created something for me. I think it's adorable. And. And you know, I'm going to put it in a picture frame and hang it up on my wall and look at it all the time. I think that that's how God feels about our creativity with him. And the things that we release that are just, you know what, they might look amateur and childish to a lot of people, but he really likes it. He really likes it.
So I just want to encourage you with that. Like, do it because your father likes it, and it's a place for you to heal. You know, creativity is a safe place for your soul.
And we talked about this last year, last year, last week, rather. But it's like a sanctuary. It slows your thoughts, it softens your emotions. It gives your heart a place to settle. It opens space for God to comfort and heal. And that is something I found so true about writing and music and some of these other things I do, is that I feel like it's a place where God comforts and heals me. And I love it. It's just.
It's so beautiful to me. So I don't know if this.
If this is catching you in a place where you're like, you know what? I think I'm gonna start being more creative. Or you're like, she's crazy. That's cool. Whatever, you know, I mean, there's got to be somebody out there that this is just really speaking to you. So, like I've said, I've. I've enjoyed a lot of examples of what I'm talking about, whether it be a season of songwriting, which. Which was phenomenal, one of my favorites, and there's been seasons of blogging or journaling that. That have been really healing and therapeutic. But also, you know, I mean, some of them. Some of the journaling entries are. Man, they're rough. I mean, they weren't good days for me, but it was still a way that I could.
Could release, even artistically, something I was feeling.
And.
And God was able to comfort and heal me through that. And of course, the apothecary side of what I do is definitely bring. Has brought healing and just joy into my heart and connection with God. So it's offered me stillness in chaotic seasons as well. You know, just needing that stillness when everything was out of control.
So if you're in a season where everything feels like out of control, one of the best things you could do is use your creativity as a form of worship.
So.
[00:31:37] Speaker A: I don't know what that looks like for you, and I'm not going to try to tell you how to do it, but I would just say, you know, what your creative thing is, and if you don't do some exploration, Decent, fun exploration.
Ask the Holy Spirit, what is it that you have wired me to do? Creativity. Creativity?
Yeah. Creatively? Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. What is, what have you wired me? What can we do together? How can we co create?
What is it that you put in my heart? Inspire me with something, Lord. And I'm telling you, he will, he absolutely loves to create.
I have known him that way so long and I can just see like this smile on his face when I'm walking up into the throne room and I'm saying, okay, what are we going to do now, Lord? Like, what do you want to create? I want to do something fun with you. And he's like, oh yes, let's do it. You know, he's like the best art teacher ever.
So I hope that you will jump on board with me, start creating. I would love to know, like, what are you doing? Like, like, email me@shannashanna williams.com I so want to hear all about anything you might be doing creatively with the Lord and what he's showing you.
Just remember that you, you got to see creativity as, as like Sabbath rest. It's meditation, it's worship. It's a rhythm for soul alignment. It's prayer and it's absolutely beautiful. And Psalm 16:11 says, in his presence there's fullness of joy. And when you, when you're creating, you're definitely in the presence of God and you can sense that fullness of joy there. So I hope you hang with me. And for the rest of this series, I think I have about four or five more lessons coming to you about creativity and just some different aspects and things to help you grow in that area.
Also, I want to say real quick, I am doing a 25 Days Advent series. It's called 25 Days of Emmanuel. God with us in the waiting. You can find that on my YouTube channel or on my Facebook page. Shanna Strange actually is my Facebook page.
You can look me up that way and you'll find me. You can watch those. Every day I release a short, quick four or five minute devotional just to help us get centered on the reason that we celebrate Christmas. Us draw us close to him, which is always my heart. And I think that's it for this episode. And until then, I pray God's blessings and get busy creating. Have a good week.
[00:34:28] Speaker A: It I know the cloudy shifting.
[00:34:33] Speaker A: He'S bringing the light.
[00:34:38] Speaker A: And no hate.
