Can Prayer Make You A Better Writer?

Today’s episode touches on a sensitive topic.

I’m going to say the G word. God.

If that word feels charged for you, I get it. There’s nothing you need to believe. Nothing needs to change. You get to have your own relationship with God, or no relationship at all.

When I say “God” here, I’m not talking about religion.
I’m talking about a relationship.

In this episode, I share two prayers that have been monumental in my life. Especially my creative life.

You might not know this, but I’m naturally scattered and easily distracted. I can get pulled by the noise, chaos, fear, the internet, my inbox, the world. (Maybe you can relate?)

And these super-short, simple prayers have kept me steady.

They’ve helped me create and share my writing and creative projects at a very high level, with more focus, alignment, courage, consistency, and profit.

If you’re craving that kind of support, you’re going to enjoy this episode.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the Artist Morning Podcast. My name is Darius and I'm so grateful that you and I get this time together. If you're new to the podcast, Let me tell you how it works. It's a bit different. We have about 20 minutes together and in that 20 minutes, I'm going to share a story that has a lesson that can be very helpful for you and your creative journey, Your writing journey. Then we take that lesson and we incorporate it into a guided meditation to go deeper. And then lastly, Part three, I will share a writing exercise to help integrate the whole process, The lesson, The story, The meditation, And then getting you to start creating and expressing and tapping into your own creativity. So let's dive in. We are talking about a topic here that is sensitive, Is potentially controversial, Is the reason in which I probably get the most negative feedback and unsubscribes and unfollows. And so we got to start the session acknowledging the sensitivity around it. I sometimes joke and I say, I'm going to say the G word. What's the G word? God. And we live in an interesting time where that word can be inflammatory and triggering for many. And I just want to acknowledge that there's nothing you need to do. There's nothing you need to change. I don't know everyone's lived experience, So I just have so much compassion and understanding that if this G word, God, This concept is too much for you, Then maybe this is the part of the podcast you hit pause on. And I don't want to back down from this conversation. I don't think that's the honest thing for me to do. That's the that's me stepping into my authenticity, My leadership. And so there's nothing you need to change. You get to have your own relationship with God or not. And when I refer to God, I am talking about a God that is not religious in any way. I know a lot of the intensity that comes with that word comes from some sort of historic trauma, Family trauma, Ancestral trauma. And I want to say that I have that as well. This is the truth that exists in my lineage, In my family, Fairly close lineage where a group of individuals used God and God's name to do some incredibly horrific, Terrible things. I don't want to get into the details because it's actually not my story to tell. But that exists in my lived experience, Too. And there is a period in my life where I wanted nothing to do with God. And the place I sit now, God is the most incredible relationship I have. God is like a best friend. God is there's zero fear with me and God. There's zero hiding back. I sometimes joke and I say God is the best relationship therapist I've ever had. The best creative coach and business coach I've ever had. The best personal therapist I've ever had. The access I have to God, The impact I felt from God. And so that's why, You know, In my head, I'm like these small group of individuals who have used God's name to do these terrible things in the world. I am not going to let them take God away from me. How dare they? How dare they? You know, If I just change the word God to health or art, For example, There's people who have used health to do some terrible things in the name of good health. So am I going to give up on good health because those few people have done some terrible things? People have used art to do some terrible things. Am I going to give up on art and have no relationship with art because those few people have done terrible things? No, Screw them. I'm going to have my own relationship with good health, With art, With God. Because it's so powerful, It's so meaningful in my life. And so, Yes, Today we are talking about God. Yes, Today we are talking about prayer, You know, A way in which to communicate and connect with God. And there are two specific prayers that have played such a monumental role in my life, Specifically my creative journey, My ability to quiet the noise, Quiet the chaos, Quiet the fear, Stay in my heart, Stay aligned, Stay focused. And remember what I am here to do. And both prayers will take less than 60 seconds combined. They're short, They're simple, They're powerful. I've shared them with many students in my Creative Sanctuary program and all over. I've shared them with many people. And I always say, You don't need to copy paste these, But there's a version of this perhaps that can support you. And so when people work with me in the Creative Sanctuary, Which is like a 12 week coaching program, The core concept is you are here, You want to cross this chasm and get to this other place that is future you. And in order to move from where you are to where you want to be, You need safety rails on the left and the right to keep you focused. Because most people have a general sense of where they want to go, But they can't get there because there's a billion things that will distract them and leak their energy, Their creative energy, Their focus energy. And so the name of the game becomes safety rails, Loving, Supportive, Nurturing, Joyful, Healthy safety rails that will help you take aligned steps forward one step at a time. Aligned, What does that mean? A line between where you are and where you want to be. And so imagine this, You know, Say it's on a piece of paper. I always draw this on a piece of paper. Obviously, This is an audio podcast stick person of you on the left, A box with you smiling on the right and two lines, Safety rails that keep you focused, Keep you present, Keep your heart open, Keep you on mission, Keep you in joy. When all of the distractions of the world, What's happening in the news, What's happening in your inbox, What's happening in your family, What's happening, It's like focus so I can step forward consistently. And the way I see it, These prayers, One's called Dear Universe or it starts Dear Universe, One starts Dear God. And I imagine the universe standing on my left, Walking alongside me down this path. I imagine God, You want to swap God for spirit, For whatever you want to swap God for us. OK, But I imagine God, It's not some white guy in a beard. That's not what I imagine. I don't really see God's face. It's just this energy, This loving, Unconditionally loving energy on my right, Walking alongside me down this path. These two super simple prayers help me stay focused, Help me stay aligned, Help me walk consistently forward towards future me. And with your permission, Dear artist, I've prepared a meditation that's gonna bring this to another level. Now, I've said many things, So let's just take a breath, Right? The first part gets us in our head by design, So take a few deep breaths here. Find a place in which you can sit. And if it's available to you, Close your eyes. And let's go inwards together. If you are interested in stepping closer and moving towards this future you, This thriving, Creative self, This is a meditation that can help with that. Let's take deep breaths, Bringing new energy in with our inhales. Big exhale, Letting old, Stagnant energy out. Yes, We live in a loud time. Yes, There are infinite amounts of distractions. And you are stronger than even your mind can imagine. You are more powerful than you might realize. There is a tremendous creative spirit inside you looking for expression. Perhaps a writer self, A best-selling author, A successful sub-stack writer, A creator, An artist inside you, Ready to be expressed. Let's take one more deep breath here, Together, Breathing in, Breathing out. Hold at the top of your inhale, Tall, Gentle spine, Big exhale out. And with your permission, As we begin to walk along this path from where we are to future us, Thriving, Creative future us in front of us, I'm going to share these two prayers. There's nothing that needs to happen. You can let them float away, Or you can use them as support on your left and your right to help you along the way. Let's begin with the shorter prayer, Dear universe. Here we go. Dear universe, Please help me share more of my gifts with the world in a way that is healthy, Joyful, And profitable. I am open, Willing, And ready to receive. Just let that simple prayer work its way into your system. I am open, Willing, And ready to receive. Feeling the strength of the universe on your left, Walking alongside you, Helping you focus. And with your permission, Dear artist, I'm going to share the second prayer, Slightly longer, Nothing that needs to happen. Let's take a nice deep breath here. Dear God, Please use me as a vessel for your divine expression. Use me as an instrument of your love. Give me the strength to go into the depths of my heart and find my truth, And the courage to speak my truth in my own authentic voice. Whatever happens from there, I let go and let God. Feel the strength, The support, The unconditional love on your right side. The universe, God, Support exists for you to help you focus, To help you take aligned, Consistent actions towards your thriving creative self. This is our last song. I'm going to sit back and be quiet and just allow you to take in the love and support that's here for you. Bravo, Dear artist. Bravo, Dear God. Dear creator, You made it through parts one and two, The story, The lesson, And the meditation. Now, If you're interested in going deeper, Part three, Our final part, Is going to be listed below in the description. And the purpose here is to continue the exploration, Continue exploring to see if there's a way in which you can access even more support, Free, Unconditional, Always available support to help you stay focused, Stay aligned, Stay you. Thank you for joining me on this journey. My name is Darius. It's an honor to travel with you and to go deep with you. And I will see you next time.

Reviews

That was so precious and beautiful. Thank you!!!

Powerful! Any chance you could create a track of just the prayers? I want to sit with those prayers daily. 🙏🏼

Excellent visualization. I am yearning for the follow up but am unable to find it. Thanks for sharing this.

I was so curious! Now, I am feeling enormously grateful for your inspiring me with clarity and prayer. Thank YOU! 🙏🏻

Thank you my friend for such a powerful and positive message and meditation. I do believe in the power of prayer to help me look deeper and continue to grow. Your message was so inspiring for me to continue to stay focused on my journey. It’s definitely been working. 🙏🏻💕👩🏻‍🎨🎨🚐