Embracing the Changes

So you’ve probably noticed that over the past few weeks, the number of my posts here has been dwindling considerably. I generally try to get over here at least three times a week, but lately I’ve been fortunate to post once a week. A couple of weeks ago, I simply asked a couple of questions, and the comment section ended up providing enough content to do us all for a month! 🙂

But there is a reason for the reduced posting. I’ve been working on some things on this end, and now it’s time to let you know what I’ve been up to.

As I said a couple of months ago, I’ve marked a distinct change of direction from deconstructing what has been wrong with my church experience, into living positively in the change that has been wrought in my life. Part of that process has involved using my writing skills to cover the local music scene here in Denver, which has produced a lot of good fruit so far. It’s also involved involved rekindling my personal creativity in music, which is going well, also. However, it’s also been a time of exploring, of putting a lot of feelers out there to see which direction to go. Besides writing for Examiner.com, I’ve taken freelance writing assignments as they were available, started a new music blog, and I usually attend at least two local music gigs per week. Going in so many directions, it’s been hard to keep enough focus in one direction to do anything really well–I’m stretched too thin, and now it’s time to narrow it down, to determine where the wind of God is blowing in my life, and go that direction.

That said, I’ve noticed that just like on this blog, when I say something encouraging or instructional on my music outlets, I’m getting good responses from people. I have discovered a heart in me to genuinely help music artists in particular polish their skills and succeed in their efforts. I suppose it’s that pastor’s heart in me finding a voice in a broader environment outside the trappings of religion.

So enough beating around the bush: here’s where I think this is taking me.

I’ve spent the last few weeks developing a new blog concept–a blog dedicated to artist development, to providing meaningful advice, encouragement and resources that will genuinely benefit independent musicians. I’ve spent hours setting it up, and this week I finally rolled it out: The Developing Artist (http://artistdevelopmentblog.com/). The initial response from the local community has been very good (although it isn’t just for Denver musicians), and I think this is going to be a key not only to contributing meaningfully to the creative community, but also my own path in the process. This is where I think the wind of God is blowing right now, and I have to be faithful to that impulse and begin making that my primary focus in blogging.

So that’s where I’ve been. And that’s where I’m going to be.

My other writing outlets will stay in place for the time being. This blog isn’t going anyplace, because there is a lot of meaningful conversation here that I believe will help others along their journey. I’m not saying good-bye. I’m just embracing the change. I just won’t be on this blog as often as I once was. When I feel I’ve got something to say on the issues of rethinking church and faith, you can bet I’ll be here to say it. But if I’m going to be effective with the new blog, I have to give it the same level of dedication I gave this blog when I first started writing it. And that means I just can’t spend the same kind of time here that I once did.

But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Those of us blogging in this vein have been doing so to process the changes in our minds and hearts, to process our deconstruction and to be honest about what has been hindering us in the old structures. But at some point it becomes time to stop talking about change and start living it. That is where I am now.

While this has been a largely personal blog, the new blog has a decidedly different tone. It’s about offering direct input into the creative community, and I believe it’s an important next step in the process of living in this new sense of mission. I wish I could convey the excitement I have about it. I cannot wait to give it my full attention.

So…it’s time to embrace the change. Keep me in your feed readers, and keep checking back around. And I’m not leaving the blogosphere; if you want to know more about what I’m up to, and the writing here becomes more sparce, you’ll probably find me at my new digs at The Developing Artist.