SCL

Ha. Not surprised. It's from TED. Awesome!

then I shall watch it

This is one to watch periodically, to remember. A keeper.

Thanks Jon….I can only say….WOW!

WOW! Thank you so much. I needed this this morning to get me back on track. What incredible words of wisdom. Lots, and lots of stuff there to be explored and contemplated! Thanks, John for everything. OLE!

Smart! Loved this, what an extraordinary perspective, that instead of believing "the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you, but maybe if you believed they were on loan to you." Smart!

Ole'!! Love her, love this. It brought me to tears. Sweet relief! Thank you, Jon. Spot on as always, and perfect timing for me. This should be mandatory viewing for every human. It is NOT about ME.

oh my word. weeping.

thnx John, I have my answer.

I just wrote about this, this morning… seriously.http://traceysolomon.wordpress.com

Wow. That's beautiful. Really helps me answer a lot of questions I have about why so many creative people die young and seem to be so tortured, dissatisfied and unhappy. I just finished the study on the book, "Becoming a Vessel God Can Use". We are all God's vessels– vehicles to let His creativity shine through. Takes a lot of pressure off when you understand that. Thank you for sharing this–I really needed to hear it today because I'm stressed about a creative project I'm working on.

I'm looking forward to watching this video! I read her first book, and was hopeful that she would come to the right conclusion after her time in India. Some parts were hard for me to read because the "pray" part of the book wasn't about the One True God.

Thank you so much for this, Jon. I'm not a creative writer, but a research writer – studying archaeology at seminary. I guess I always thought that because my writing was based on research and fact finding, writer's block wouldn't be a factor. WRONG! I've had the worst case of writer's block ever for the last 6 months, and it's been frustrating and heartbreaking. Just recently I looked back at some of my old work and realised how elegant and creative it is – it's really engaging and filled with brevity and even humor at times. Not at all like the lifeless lumps I've been turning out lately just to get by. How funny to wake up and find this on your site today, because just yesterday, for the first time, I actually admitted to my advisor and to my accountability partner what's going on. And in the midst of that started to realise that it wasn't my writing and my control over my writing that was the problem at all, but the way that I was relating to God in my writing. Hmmm…. maybe He's trying to give me a little message about who I'm REALLY writing for. Thank you again and again…

for such a time as this.

it's not about me. I get it.

seriously bawling.

ps showing up for my part.

Ole!

Wow – Jon thank you – I needed this!

I found myself tearing up at the end at the reminder that all creativity comes from God – it does take a huge load of pressure off of us if we can merely show up and do our job and allow God to light up within and around and through us. Thanks for sharing it, Jon!

Thanks Jon. Great concept.

I just watched this last week and had the same reaction. What a relief! Very freeing.

I think there is a problem when you list the stoic Marcus Aurelius' Meditations as a philosophical favorite book. She uses "God language" but is lacking in God.

AMAZING. This is something that everyone who does something creative for a living should watch.

Ok, I watch, and read a lot from this blog and I always want to make a comment but I stop because everyone elses comments seem like one big inside joke, and if I am not one of those "inside the joke." So I thought my comment would get read.

But that video was awesome.. so "Ole"- I am gunna do it anyway.

This was perfect timing. The place I work, I am the person that thinks up creative projects for youth group and adults groups. I have had this really great idea, but as soon as the ends start to frey..I get that anxiety and give up. Then a few weeks later, the idea comes a long again and I try-fail. This video was very encouraging and thank you for sharing.

Wow…such a great message that every person that "produces" something needs to watch.

She makes very good points, but I did not enjoy the video.

It just hurts me to watch her and all of those people get sooo close to God with their words, yet miss Him completely.
I just wanted to stand up there and tell them all the truth about the Creator, his gift to us, and his accessibility, because THAT is something to get excited about.

I agree! I loved this so much. It takes all the stress out of writing and brings the joy back into being.

If she only new how close she was. As a creative person I can tell you that my creativity is all God. and he has never done me wrong ever.

YES! Also, maybe one of the best Ted talks I've seen. I read Eat Pray Love after seeing this TED talk, and loved the writing. I loved knowing her heart from this video as I read. It was great!
Thanks for re-posting!

Saw this a couple months ago. Phenomenal. Not only is it profound and sincere, but it's also really entertaining.

awesome

[...] If you want to watch Elizabeth’s speech click here. [...]

I "was" a creative person. my creativity "was" a gift from God. I am now a stay at home mom. It has been hard to find new ways to be creative in this seemingly uncreative roll that God's given me. I thought that the only way I could be creative was soley through music, art, and occasional writing (without the role of motherhood demanding me). But I see now, after watching this video, that I am still that same creative person. I'm just wearing a different hat at the moment. No wonder why I still get bound up into "mysterious" anxieties. I am now thinking it's because I've been trying to use my creativity through my work in the home, but just couldn't put a name to it before. Thank you for sharing this video. It has opened my mind. :O)

That's really wonderfully inspiring. Thank you for sharing it!

Excellent!

I think this has a lot to say for people in any walk of life. You don't have to do something inherently 'creative' to be a vessel through which God's creativity and wonderment shines. Just thought I'd throw that out there for all the regular people like me who had doubts about watching this because it was only for 'creative' people and I'm just a (fill in the blank).

Really? I thought that was awful…so sad that she misses it!

needed that…thanks so much..

Ole. thats all i can say. Allah. Yahweh.

Ole!

Interesting to watch people applaud an argument for against humanism.

So good.

Love this video! I've watched it multiple times now–and have assigned it as homework for my arts students to watch, too. So rich.

John…You feel like this after every blog post…don't you!

This video reminded me of when I heard N.T. Wright speak at a small bookstore signing at Gordon College… He was asked a question and he immediately looked to the table next to him covered with various books he had written as he began to answer. He was looking for *the* book where he had answered the question specifically, though after about 45 seconds (and explaining what he was doing) he told the audience that he hadn't yet written that book. It was as though the Divine Genie (to use Gilbert's term; we call him God) had already entrusted the manuscript to Wright though he hadn't yet been able to transcribe it yet. That was a great encounter with the Genius of God.

Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole! *Soccer song*

Thanks for posting. I finally got a chance to watch it this morning and I'm so glad I did. Imagine what our churches would be like if we all really believed that our gifts (not just creative ones) were on loan from God and our job was to just show up?

Reminds me of a time in college, during my flight from Christ, where I was beguiled by the Romantic poets and their hunger for the transcendent. Also reminds of Newton's struggle with the Trinity as written here,http://is.gd/bp3RY. We can say that the Triune God of the universe is of one substance (like Nicaea) but the poetry of scripture does so much better. See Hebrews 1: 2-3 "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power."

Good stuff… Love the TED Talks.

Loved it. Very insightful.

dang. i just cried. thanks for sharing. i'd heard about this video, but it's great to finally take a moment to drink in the madness…

Um. . .did you read Eat, Pray Love? In which a horribly selfish woman ditches her husband for no good reason that I can see, is self-indulgent in almost every imaginable capacity, and attempts to make her endless naval-gazing and hurtful actions okay by being self-deprecating and funny? Yeah, it was entertaining writing, but this lady is a total mess.

Whilst the insight that things go wrong when human beings are made to be the centre of the world is one I agreed with, I have to say there's not really much else to be 'tearing up' over or rejoicing over in that talk in my opinion. My main objection is that directing our gaze away from ourselves is not enough! It just happens to sound better to us than what it really is – looking for our god somewhere other than in Christ. I mean, the whole talking to an empty corner of the room reminded me of that bit in Hosea where people turn from God to cakes of raisins… it's crazy and I don't want to hold that out as a good suggestion to anyone.

GOD is the ultimate creator so thus the most creative… she is basically talking about God and how the Spirit inspires us… too bad she doesn't see that it ALL comes from God for us to express Him and glorify Him

I agree with Andrew Larson…she's so close to pointing out that the ultimate source of creativity IS outside of us…because it's God.

I think even people in non-creative professions need to take this message to heart. We think that we deserve all the credit for everything "good" we do, which sets us up for devastation when we fail; either we blame others or beat ourselves up for not being good enough. It's all about perspective. If you recognize that your skills are really just gifts imparted from the one who formed you, you are less likely to succumb to pride, and therefore are less likely to suffer from anxiety about not doing as well next time. Everything God creates—and anything we honestly try to create with the intention of wanting to express His desires for our work—is good. There should be no comparison between these works.

Also, her story about the dancers in Africa reminded me of something. Most dancers peak in physical skill by their twenties. The lucky ones will go on to be successful choreographers or teachers. Most math geniuses also peak in their twenties. Many of their dance and math students will be better dancers and mathematicians than they were. Some people handle this with (the) grace (of God), and others do not. But the rest of their lives will be determined by how the accept this reality.

I recently had my last dance performance ever, and I was struggling with the idea that if I ever perform again, I probably won't be as good a dancer as I am now. Fortunately, her talk reminded me to take comfort in the fact that even when I'm 95 and arthritic and my arms and legs and tummy are jiggling around, if I chose to dance God will see it and love it. And that's all that really matters.

Eat, Pray, Love was a phenomenal help to me spiritually. I can’t wait for the film.