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Called to Create by Jordan Raynor – review
There is a history of creative jobs not being considered “real jobs”. I have yet to meet a writer or an artist or a sculptor or an app builder or anyone in a creative space, whose sole purpose in life is to create, who hasn’t been told that they will have to have a “real job” to fall back on because their creativity isn’t going to pay the bills.
There is another common belief in Christian circles that “ministry” is only within the church or the mission field. You must be in the church every day of the week or out on the mission field forsaking TV, music, or fun in order to work in ministry.
I have always struggled to reconcile these two beliefs with the belief that Jesus is the reason creative people have talents. Jesus gave me the talent of writing to hone and grow into… what? If I’m not meant to make it a job and I’m not meant to make it a ministry, why then would He give me this talent in the first place? Why would he give some people such a talent for creating the most beautiful and unique art if they weren’t supposed to use it?
Yes, this is a book review. Bear with me. I’m getting there.
I saw the cover and title of Called to Create by Jordan Raynor while scrolling through Instagram one day. I had started following a creator who has used the gifts Jesus gave her to travel around the world. To my understanding, she has settled in Greece for now. But in one of her Instagram posts, she was reading this book and it caught my eye. Not because the cover is super flashy or eye catching. It’s teal blue with a little bit of texturey…something. The title font isn’t super crazy. But it was the title that caught my attention. Called to Create. To the best of my knowledge, it’s only really Christians who are “called” by our God to do things. (I could be wrong here, but I rarely hear it outside of Christian contexts.)
Yes, this is a Christian book written for Christians from a Christian perspective, but the validation that I gleaned from this book, as a Christian has opened my eyes to the truth that, yes, I was called to write at the age of 11 when I discovered books and reading and writing. I was called to write every time I saw or read or heard something that made me wish that our world was different, and so I created my own worlds where those things could happen.
So, let’s get into this book, shall we?
What is it about?
Called to Create, as I’ve said, gives us Biblical proof as to why we are called to be creatives and entrepreneurs. We are called to write fantasy books and create apps and companies. These creations are just as much a ministry as going overseas to the mission field or preaching and teaching in the inner cities of America.
Who is it for?
This book, I believe, is for anyone who has ever been invalidated in their creativity. It is for anyone who has ever been told that their writing, their art, their entrepreneurial enterprise, their sticker business, their makeup company, is not a “real job”. It is for any Christian who has ever been told that they can only go into ministry by working in the church or going out onto the mission field. This book is for anyone who needs validation in their creative endeavors, because we have all been Called to Create.
My thoughts:
I think this whole post has been my thoughts on this book. Reading through this book opened my eyes to some of the self-sabotaging things I have been doing because of the words of other people. And it opened my eyes to why so many creatives believe they have to “starve for the art” or why they believe they have to work a soul-sucking job instead of being creative.
Don’t get me wrong. I have a soul-sucking job, and the Lord hasn’t given me permission to quit it just yet, but that doesn’t mean that I’m supposed to let it suck the soul out of my creativity. We have to protect our energy to work and our motivation to create because while we may be placed in soul-sucking jobs for a season, we are Called to Create, and that’s where our hearts and minds need to be first and foremost. My day job is getting me into a financially stable place so that one day I can write full time again, and I can create full time again, and I think we need to be thankful for those jobs.
There are some people, I believe, who are called to create, but they are also called to a particular job. And that’s perfectly perfect. It’s a matter of knowing what is for us and what isn’t.
This has become less of a book review and more of a love-rant about a book that I loved and enjoyed. So, let me conclude with this.
Called to Create reminds us that we are actually called to be creative people. We are called to write, to paint, to draw, to make stickers, to make videos, to write music, to sing, to play instruments, to build companies, to create apps, to make furniture, to do hair and nails, to design clothes, and to build buildings. I could go on forever, really. We. Are. Called. To. Create. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re not. And if they do, just tell them that Jesus said you were.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“You’re valid. Step up. Bring what you’ve got. Don’t you dare hold back. Not cringing back, not with arrogant pride, with sane humility bring your stuff. Other people need it.”
“Have you ever wondered why God created the world and humankind? He certainly didn’t need to. So, in one sense, God appears to have created for the pure joy of doing it.”
“What God creates in six days is astonishing. But what’s equally remarkable is what he did not create… After working for six days, God left the earth largely undeveloped and uncultivated. He creates a canvas and then invited us to join Him in filling it.”
About the Author:
Jordan Raynor is a leading voice of the faith and work movement. Through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), the Mere Christians podcast, and his weekly devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on earth connect the gospel to their work.
In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own.
Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.