Creativity is a Journey

Creativity Is a Journey—Here’s How to Walk It Well

Creativity isn’t just about having good ideas—it’s about knowing what to do with them. Inspiration is everywhere, but if we only collect ideas without applying them, we risk creative clutter—an overwhelming library of unrealized possibilities.

The key? Balancing chaos and structure. Creativity flourishes when we learn to:

✔️ Store ideas with intention – Keep a sketchbook, voice notes, or a digital archive to capture insights, but don’t hoard. A system like the Zettelkasten method or a simple “Swipe File” can help.
✔️ Filter inspiration wisely – Not every idea deserves attention. Ask: Does this excite me? Does it align with my creative goals?
✔️ Process through practice – Creativity isn’t passive consumption; it’s active experimentation. Try combining old ideas in new ways or setting creative constraints to force innovation.
✔️ Recall and remix – Revisit past ideas and connect them in fresh ways. Many breakthroughs happen when we revisit unfinished work with new eyes.

When we stop fearing failure and see creativity as a process of discovery, not perfection, we move forward instead of staying stuck.

💡 Try This: Today, take one unfinished idea and do something with it—write a paragraph, sketch a rough draft, make a prototype. Creativity thrives on movement.

Climbing Volcano Pacaya

Creativity Is a Paradox—Here’s How to Embrace It

Creativity is fluid and structured, wild and disciplined, profoundly personal yet universal. It flows like a river, giving life to those who engage with it, but if trapped in self-doubt or overthinking, it stagnates.

The truth? Creativity must move. It must be released.

Why tension is necessary:

It must be practiced, but not over-rehearsed—too much control kills the magic.

Creativity exists between the heart, mind, and spirit. It’s emotional, but it must be shaped by skill.

It thrives on contrast—knowing when to trust intuition and when to lean into discipline.

Enjoy the Journey.

Climbing Volcano Pacaya

We never fully master creativity because it isn’t a destination—it’s a pilgrimage. Every time we think we’ve arrived, a new horizon appears.

💡 Try This: When was the last time you created something just for the joy of it—without an agenda or expectation? Set aside 30 minutes this week to create something that feels free, experimental, or even absurd. You might surprise yourself.

Enjoy the journey. Keep creating. Keep discovering.

🚀 What’s one creative challenge you’ve overcome recently? Share in the comments!

#CreativeProcess #StayInspired #MakeBreakRestore #CreativityMatters

Climbing Volcano Pacaya

Questioning Reality

I knew this day would eventually come. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. But I could never wrap my brain around why. Perhaps I was just scared. But today was the day.

Micah came home from school today and explained that kids at school said he was adopted and had another mother. He asked us if that was true.

We have always told our sons they were born in Guatemala and celebrated their heritage. But for the past couple years, they thought everyone was born there. We repeatedly explained that we weren’t born in Guatemala, but it never sunk in. According to Micah, “even Jesus and Santa Claus were born in Guatemala”. That was his perceived reality … at least until today when he was told by his peers that he was different.

My first reaction was anger and sorrow. I was angry that these kids might have told Micah this information to be mean to him. I was sad that they might have hurt his feelings because they didn’t know the truth about adoption and his story. And of course, there was the fear that somehow my son would view us as people other than his parents who loved him. We planned to have this conversation with our sons eventually, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. At least we had read a lot of books that prepared us for the question. I kept my thoughts and feelings to myself as we ate dinner.

After dinner, Amelia and I explained how they came to be our sons. In short, we told them that their birth mother (tummy mamma) loved them very much, but that she could not take care of them. She loved them enough to give them to us so we could care for them and become their “forever parents”. We explained how Amelia and I tried to have babies from Amelia’s tummy but couldn’t and that we were very sad. But God had different plans. He gave us the gift of children through Micah and Elliot. And even more, we believe it was God’s plan all along. We told them that adoption is not second best or less special than being with a tummy mamma. God chose to give them to us and we are so thankful they are our sons. We were proud of their heritage and story and loved them both so, so, so very much.

We talked for a long time and explained our story in several ways. We even used Kung Fu Panda 2 as an example of adoption. I could see the wheels turning in Micah’s head. His eyes told me that he was contemplating this information. Then, he asked us the name of his tummy Mamma … And suddenly, after years of wondering when it would happen … It was happening …

… and then just as quickly as he asked about his tummy mamma, he began talking about a video game …

Maybe it sunk in. Maybe it didn’t. We gave Micah and Elliot hugs and encouraged them to ask us questions about their story whenever they had them in the future. I am sure there will be more questions. Maybe it will be tomorrow. Maybe it will be next week or next year. But the questions will come, and we will answer them when they do.

For now, I know this: our sons KNOW that we love them and we are one more step further into our story together. It wasn’t a bad day after all.