1. Ork Posters // Ork Posters has been printing these lovely city prints for a number of years. The Wife got me one of Seattle for Christmas.
2. Joshua Longbrake Art // We’re saving up for a large canvas print of Joshua’s beautiful image of Seattle below for our wall. You should too. Or ask to buy one of his other gorgeous images.
3. Bucky // I like it dark when I sleep. Really dark. I’m going to enjoy sleeping in one of these when it arrives in a few days.
4. New Projects // Per my 3 words for 2010, I’ve begun collaborating with a few friends on a new venture. More on that soon.
5. LCD TV Consumer Reports // For my 30th, friends and family contributed to the “Replace Blaine’s TV From College (The One That Shuts Itself Off Whenever It Pleases) Fund.” It was a great success and I’m now in the market for a reasonable flat screen TV. I’m scouring Consumer Reports on the Vizio 40” LCD to see what people have to say. What do you think? I’ll gladly take your suggestions (and donations).
I mentioned things like how I thought you seemed ever so slightly more settled than 29 and how I thought that was a good look on you.
I mentioned how excited I was at the potential of making less mistakes now - or at least at the possibility of not repeating ones I’ve already made.
I also pointed out how grateful I am for the incredible gifts of a lovely wife, a job I enjoy, and a community of friends and family who love me in spite of the previous 29 years.
However, instead of completely overwhelming you with all of my melodramatic thoughts regarding this slightly dramatic change in age, I will simply tell you this:
Lately I have been repeating the following phrase: “Somewhere during the last 16 months I’ve lost my ability to contemplate.” Melodramatic as it may seem, I’ve believed it to be true until a friend pointed out that I haven’t really lost anything at all. Instead, he suggested that I had purposefully dismissed my discipline of contemplation and merely replaced it with something else I thought would more easily fit into the organization. Not easier for them mind you. Easier for me.
Huh.
By saying you’ve “lost” something of who you as a result of your environment releases you from having to take responsibility for something you stopped doing. You’ve let yourself off the hook and made it about them. They should change, not me! They’re the ones who’ve created this crazy place, not me! (Insert org. here) is where artists/innovators/entrepreneurs/super smart people go to die!
Sound familiar?
Whenever you join a team, you want to fit in. At least I do. But when that “fitting in” means you become less of who you really are, you’ll eventually find yourself doing some pretty sideways things. At least I did. When you don’t bring your full self you’re not only hurting your organization you’re hurting yourself. And when you don’t take responsibility, you’re missing out on a pretty amazing opportunity to grow.
Take a moment to consider the following: What are those things you’ve been saying you’ve “lost” (my ability to contemplate; my life as an artist; my creativity; my hope, etc.)? Are they more about your organization or are they more about you? Perhaps more pointedly: Have you dismissed these parts of yourself because of fear? Are you not being your full self because you’re scared of what might happen? And perhaps most detrimental of all: Have you found yourself blaming your employer for not allowing you to be you?
I have been doing this. I hope to stop. And I hope you do too.
Instead of blaming your organization from preventing you from being who you really are, why not start showing up and see what happens? You might get fired or something even better…perhaps you might finally let your organization be what it should be - a laboratory for your transformation, not theirs.
A mentor mentioned the following poem to me today and I can’t stop thinking about it.
What does it really mean to stand still? To be here? I think I’m slowly learning this. But only very slowly.
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you.
I don’t usually promote events on here, but I simply had to for this since it is literally taking place down the hall from me here at Willow.
March 26th, 2010 - Catalyst One Day features Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel in 4 sessions on the topic of momentum, and includes Q and A with leaders in attendance, as well as interaction between Andy and Craig around current leadership issues in a unique back and forth dialogue/exchange. The smaller environment allows for a completely different experience than the larger Catalyst event context. This is a unique opportunity to hear from two leading voices in the Church today. Seats are limited and this event will sell out.
You can get in for just $99 by using the rate code “BLOG” and registering before January 28th. If you happen to attend, I’d love to say hello.
A few months ago I led our community (and Story 2009) through a time of confession. I’ve been messing around with plexiglass since seeing this Bright Eyes video a number of years ago, although I had never tried it live until recently. While the medium has adapted over the years, I find that there is something interesting and sacred about not using your voice. Especially when speaking your heart. Dan Allender often says that you you can’t taken anyone farther than you’ve gone yourself - so, this is my confession.
Mike is the head of Ethur, a non-profit organization developing initiatives that promote social and cultural change. His projects include Deadly Viper, the Junky Car Club, People of the Second Chance . He also acts as the Sr. Creative Principal at PlainJoe Studios, a design firm specializing in strategic branding, interactive media, and environmental design.
GRACE
Grace brings out the best and the worst in us. It heals the busted, beat up, and broken. But grace also illuminates our darkness called judgment.
She is messy, complicated, mysterious, and can bring freedom or slavery. I’ve wrestled with her my whole life. First I’ve battled with forgiving myself for my own screw-ups. I’ve fought grace when others have cut me deeply. Either way I believe forgiveness is making me better. She is forcing me to be who I am and letting others do the same.
I’m finally learning that a second chance is one of God’s most beautiful creations.
My friend Zadok, creator of the newly named Seattle band/experience The Opiate Mass (formerly Urban Hymnal), commissioned me to create a print to represent their new identity - something that could work just as a print or on a t-shirt. Inspired by Kevin Cooley’s photo, I hand-drew the image and added some color. It’s still a work in progress, but I’d love your thoughts on the three versions below.
(Image by 
