The Island of Misfit Creative Ideas

One of the things that I love about coffee shops is the ability to eavesdrop. I am sitting in Java Brewing Company right now, a local Louisville coffee shop, overhearing a conversation between four guys on what seems like it might be them planning out a movie, or short film or some sort of creative project of that sort. Briefly grabbing bits of their conversation as I hear it between musical stops of the album I am listening to over their 20 hours of footage, and their artistic style and creative shooting. They are making things happen.

As I am overhearing all of this I begin to wonder: what happened to all of the amazing creative ideas that I have had. I know that I have friends who come up with an idea and immediately purchase the domain name for it, but then they never do anything with it. I’m not criticizing them because in many cases that is more steps than I have made in certain ideas that I think are amazing.

I somewhat recently had an amazing idea for Church History comic books. Sure the demand would probably be small – somewhat limited to seminary students, maybe friends of seminary students, younger pastors, pastors kids, or missionary kids. The target market really isn’t huge for that. However, it could still be rather fun to write out a story for and have someone illustrate St. Nicholas at the Council of Nicea punching Arius for denying the Trinity; or Elijah Craig’s story, the Baptist pastor who helped James’ Madison frame the Bill of Rights so that our country would have freedom of religion after Madison heard Craig preaching from his prison cell after he was arrested for preaching without a permit, and of course the is the inclusion of Craig accidentally inventing Bourbon after his property caught fire and he was too cheap to buy new whiskey barrels. The reformation would make a great couple issues. Specifically Luther’s Biography. From Luther praying to St. Anne, stating that if he was saved from the thunderstorm he would become a monk, to Luther running from the Catholic Church, the Diet of Worms where Luther is handed a declaration to recant the 95 Theses and all that he has stated concerning the error of the Catholic church and him tearing up the declaration and telling them “Here I Stand. I can do no other.” Calvin’s conflict in Geneva with Michael Servetus – taking this as an opportunity to shed light on it. Where he is shown as praying for him on a nightly basis and begging for him to recant his heretical views. Church History is exciting, and this could be an incredible opportunity to shed light on that. It is a shame that far too few Christians know where they come from. What happened between the closing of the book of Acts and the American Church of 2012? Many cannot answer this. This could be an excellent venue to inform people of Church History. Yet after coming up with this idea over a year ago nothing has happened with it. Far too many of my creative ideas have taken this turn. I have an incredible idea and it never goes any further.

Why is this?

Instead of chasing and making these ideas happen I allow them to swim off to The Island of Misfit Creative Ideas. Where all of my brilliant ideas go to die. But every so often they get a letter from me pleading for their return, and that a second letter will follow with support funds for them to move back. And just like a good metaphor a second letter never arrives.

How often are we blessed with brilliant ideas that never come to fruition because of laziness? Forgetfulness? Writer’s Block? Because of our “current situation”? How often do we get in the way of our own dreams? Would our childhood selves be mad at our adult selves for having the resources to make the brilliant dreams come true but not the drive or imagination?

What brilliant ideas have you send to this Island of Misfit Creative Ideas? What will it take to bring them back?

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