So a couple months ago, Mark Lee (from Third Day - who played two nights ago on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) made a great blog post entitled “There isn’t a statue of a critic.” Here’s some of what he said:

“Look for the good in the world and talk about that. Be an encourager. Take risks. … Try to make the world a better place. … Avoid being a critic at all costs. It’s no fun, and it brings people down. I’m going to say it one more time: find the good and praise it. If it’s not there, make your own.”

 That’s great advice! I also love the well-known lines from Theodore Roosevelt on the subject:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

For some reason, I’m often drawn to point out the exception, to play the devil’s advocate. I don’t care to be argumentative, and I actually don’t often look to start or join a debate. Maybe it’s just that I think bringing in another view is just part of the process of seeking out truth. Or maybe it’s the exception that proves the rule! :o) Often, it’s not as much a matter of one thing being wrong and another right as finding an additional consideration.

This said, let me point out the one place where a critic adds value. If you are the “doer of deeds,” you must view your own work with a critical eye… at least at some stage in the creative process. This could extend to those near you as well. What about with friends of yours that are also producing art of some kind? All of us are probably pretty fragile in some ways - though perhaps we’d rather not be (and I think it’s good for us all to have at least one friend who think everything we do is great). However, it may be helpful to have some friends who are willing to chime in with other thoughts as well.

Do you think there is a place for critique among friends? If you’re specifically asked to give input on a work in progress, that seems like a pretty clear opening, but even these times should be treated carefully. Where and when and how do you think critique can be a good thing? Any suggestions on how to do this best?

Oh, and Mark… when I was looking on SXC.hu for a picture to use with this post, I couldn’t even find a *photo* of a critic… :o)

-= another Watercooler Wednesday post =-

I’ve been reading some good books on songwriting lately. The Craft and Business of Songwriting by John Braheny states, “In order to operate at peak performance during the creative process, you should be motivated internally by the spirit of play and exploration and forget about what anybody else might think. You’ll have plenty of time to worry about others’ opinions later.”

I have to agree, and it seems that this truth applies equally to almost any creative pursuit. We should be careful to guard against motives that distract us and keep our hearts from enjoying the process of creation. If we start to work from other motivations, we can short-circuit our creative mind. Enjoyment in the process helps improve the outcome, helps intensify our creative abilities. Of course, there are later parts of the creative process that require discipline as well, but if we do not allow ourselves to play for the enjoyment of the creation, we could limit ourselves and stifle our work.

Come to think of it, keeping an attitude of play is important for many areas of life, or perhaps all of them. :o)

What are some of the creative pursuits you enjoy? Are you able to keep a playful focus for your initial efforts? Any tips for the rest of us on how that works best for you? Also, if you’d like to check out some other great posts on arts and culture, head on over to Watercooler Wednesdays on Randy Elrod’s blog.

Hey there! Here’s another post that’s part of the Watercooler Wednesdays discussion on arts and culture.

Thought I’d try to start a conversation about heroes today.

Do you have any heroes? People who you look up to who have done something great to impact the lives of many or to impact the lives of those closest to them?

Rich Mullins has been a hero and role model of mine, and I’m really glad that he chased after what he was made for. He lived a passionate life of sacrifice and service, doing the things with excellence that had been placed in his heart by God. Like his Creator, Rich also created beauty and spoke life-giving words.

What do you think the world would be like if your hero had never lived or had left their work undone? I know that without Rich, we’d be missing a lot of really great writing and music, and I think there are quite a few people who would have gone without a pretty special friend as well.

How ’bout you… Do you have an idea of what you were made to do or how the world will be different if you don’t follow through?

I believe that there is a purpose God intended for every part of His creation, and that if we don’t fulfill our purpose, other people lose out. On the other hand, if we live life with passion and go after the purposes that God made us for, imagine how the world will be different once we’re done!

Today is Sunday and I got to thinking about being involved at church and in church-related organizations.

Those reading this who attend church regularly know that you can get very busy with church - even to the point of having practically no time left for anything else. I’ve grown up my whole life going to church every week - usually twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday evening. For a good chunk of that time I helped every week with the music, and that means getting there early for every service as well as coming in for a practice on another night during the week. (Sometimes Sundays don’t end up seeming very restful.) On top of that, if you’re in a Bible study or small group of some sort, there’s another night of the week that you’re busy with church folks. You could join the men’s or women’s group or a leadership team of some sort, add in another Bible study or small group for good measure, and have five nights of the week absorbed within the Church. I’ve been almost that busy with church stuff before. Sometimes you can become so surrounded by the church that you are effectively isolated from everything else.

There’s quite a contrast between that and my current situation here in Seattle. Not that it was a huge shock; God let me know before I got out here that this would be a time of clarified focus, with many of my normal activities trimmed out. The church I’m going to has a single service that is held a couple of times during the weekend; my roommate Scott and I tend to go to the Sunday evening service. Just one service a week, and I’m not even helping with anything at church. Given the fact that I often have to work or be on call on the weekends while I’m out here, it would be difficult to make any commitment at church anyway.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love being involved with the worship team at church back home. I love the small group I’m part of in Michigan; the people there are such an encouragement to me, and I miss them a bunch! We always meet with God in such a special way, and I look forward to that evening so much. (Earlier last year, I actually cut back from being involved with *four* small groups - they all had people I loved to see and share with - but that was a little excessive!)

Here’s another take on the church thing. Dr. Lance Wallnau (LanceLearning.net) talks about something he calls the Seven Mountain strategy. Historically, a large majority of Christians have focused on and centered around the organization of the church - either by vocation or avocation. Even those of us not working directly for the church often spend much of our time and energy at church or on church-related activities. On top of this, we tend to almost belittle other pursuits - thinking that going into full-time ministry is following the highest possible call. This mindset seems to be at least partly responsible for the position we find ourselves in today, where Christians have little voice in politics, news, entertainment, and a number of other areas. Lance talks about what could happen if each of us pursue the talents and dreams God has given us - outside of the church. Of course we wouldn’t want to swing from one extreme to another… However, he goes on to outline seven areas of influence that shape our culture: Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts and Entertainment, and Business. His advice is to become an expert in your field, a leader in your sphere of influence, and then use that platform - once you’ve earned the attention and respect of others - to change the world around you. I’ve tried to think about what this would mean - what this would look like - for a Christian musician, and it’s not an easy question. As with many other questions and balancing acts in the Christian life, I think it’s something that each of us need to seek wisdom and revelation on from God.

Anyway, what do you think? Should we be mostly involved with the church and church culture, or is it better to have more availability to be involved in the world outside those four walls? Though I personally suspect that the right level of involvement varies from person to person or even for a particular person at different stages in life, I’d really love to hear your thoughts on this!