Chapter 6 – Breathing Out – Part 2

Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3 NASB

Exercise 2: What are You Afraid of?

Indicate which fears apply to you:

1.      Fear that my family life and social life will suffer if I spend time on my art.

2.     Feat that I’ll seem self-indulgent to others if I schedule and protect my artist time.

3.    Fear that it will seem arrogant for me to think I can produce anything “good enough”.

I don’t think the people who know me well enough would think me arrogant. And most people wish I would produce more despite my modesty and lack of confidence.

4.    Fear of calling myself an artist.

We call all kids who attend school “students” whether they are good students or bad students. I am an artist because that is what I do.

5.    Fear of loneliness as friends assume that I’m too busy “acting like an artist” to do things with them. I’d like to rephrase this so that it is suitable to me. Fear of loneliness that my artistic tendencies prevent others from choosing to be friends with me.

My artistic tendencies attract some of the best friends. The rest can remain acquaintances.

6.    Fear of rejection if I submit my work for publication, exhibition, or sale.

God has been training me for rejection the hard way. If I can deal with the rejection of those closer to me, surely I can deal with the rejection of people I’ve never met.

7.      Fear of spending time and money on my art that ought to go to other more “responsible” things.

8.   Fear that I don’t have enough talent.

I have enough talent for what I do. I am busy enough. Now if I could just get paid for what I do ;)

9.    Fear that others will think I’m irresponsible. (Because I get carried away.)

People should appreciate the childlike, fearless, indestructible qualities that I hold onto.

10.           Fear that people I respect won’t like what I produce.

There are more people in this world who like what I produce than there are people I respect. So I win anyway.

11. Fear of my own tendency to quit before I finish something.

There is a time for everything. I have put the work into it and I can always return to it at a later date.

12. Fear that I’ll be just adding another source of stress to my life.

Now turn those fear statements into positive statements.

I don’t know that I have actually turned the statements into positive ones. It would be infinitely easy to write paragraphs as to why I am the way I am or feel the way I feel. But that would do me no good. It would just further imprint my problems.

Truth is I am good enough for what I do and accomplish. I’ve been steadily busy for about eight years. And no one has suggested that I stop. It matters little that I don’t get paid for what I do. I seriously would pay to get to do it. I beg. I’m scared for it to be taken away.

And God has plans for me. Plans for good and not for disaster. I am where I am because He placed me there despite the battle I provided. I still stare in disbelief at how it has all worked out. I am blessed beyond anything I could have imagined for myself.

And here I am with this new lovely computer. The feel of the keys alone is exhilarating. I’ll have to take a picture. All I can think is “PRETTY” when I open it up. I must protect myself from being drug into it. I was up late as it was.

Now let’s see how superfast I can upload this and even post it without ever reaching for my iPhone! Oooo. I need a white iPhone now to match! Who ever would have thunk it.

Thank you Heavenly Father!

Commend what you do to Yahweh, and what you plan will be achieved.

Proverbs 16:3 NJB

There is no Obadiah 4:13