Have you ever felt trapped in the ‘have to’s’ of life? Those moments when you feel like everything is an obligation and you have forgotten why you do what you do in the first place? This can actually become a really destructive cycle that can rob you of all your joy and hope.
Recently I have had an awesome revelation of how to get out of this rut.
At the moment, life is pretty hectic, so when I have any opportunity to take it slow, I have to be intentional about taking it slow. Trying to shut your mind off from all that you need to do in the day, however, is easier said than done. As I was looking out the window at a piece of sky trying to stop thinking too much, I realised something that changed my life.
Art – in every sense – should achieve three things: it should represent itself, draw the audience in and evoke something that could promote change. That little piece of sky, with the clouds strewn across it was an absolute work of art. It was simple. It was progressive. It brought peace.
But what made that piece of the sky an artistic inspiration to me? Why did I see it with new eyes?
It was because it was framed by the window.
Now you might be thinking this is a bit ‘castle in the clouds’, but bear with me.
In many ways, art is made by the frame it is put in. For fine art, it is an actual shaped limitation. For film, it is the size of the screen. For music it is the tonality and time span. For poetry it is the length of the page. The limitation of a frame forces the artist to be specific and the audience to focus.
So how can we make our lives a work of art? How can we take the menial tasks that have fallen into indifference and make them meaningful and effective?
Frame what is in front of you.
I chose to frame my week by taking four aspects of one of my favourite sections in the Bible. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says I am chosen, I’m a royal priest, I’m a Holy citizen and God’s special possession. Looking at my life, those four ‘sides of the frame’ immediately cut off any stress, anxiety, frustration or tiredness.
My frame of mind changed how I have lived the past few days. If you’re interested in finding out what part of God’s word you could frame your life with, click the link below.