The Uncomfortable Relationship With My Own Mind

I have an uncomfortable relationship with my mind. It’s not a new thing. It’s been true for most—if not all—my life.

My Dad extolled me to “Work with your mind, not your back.”

Drawing requires you to think and sometimes thinking is hard.

Pablo Picasso

In recent months, as I’ve delved into creativity, in particular visual arts, the relationship with my mind has been rekindled—if not totally reimagined.

When we don’t fully use our giftedness, we rob others of our generosity. And that’s not a good thing. It doesn’t make the world a better place. We should, rather, seek to lavish others with those gifts God has endowed us with from the moment we were first formed in our mother’s womb.

As a kid, I quickly grew uncomfortable with my mind. I began to resent being viewed as that smart kid. Being the immigrant offspring of German parents and hailing from Switzerland proved difficult enough. The Second World War had barely ended a quarter century ago. People still talked about the “Japs” and the “Nazis” and wondered how anyone could have remained neutral in the fight against Evil personified.

To make matters worse, I didn’t speak English and I didn’t really know anyone other than my parents. It wasn’t easy to make friends, much less keep them. I discovered playing dumb helped ease that divide. After all, nobody likes a know-it-all.

“Work with your mind, not your back, son.”

And thus began the mysterious journey of becoming uncomfortable with my mind.

Art has helped me heal that relationship. I don’t know exactly how or why. But I recognize that tapping into visual creativity has transformed my thinking about being a thinker.

Drawing engages a number of cognitive processes, like observation, planning, and decision-making. Drawing requires concentrating on intricate details and utilizing fine motor skills. Drawing strengthens neural connections and enhances communication between different areas of the brain. Completing a drawing, or piece of art, boosts your self-esteem and self-confidence, thereby positively affecting your overall mental well-being.

I’ve found that creating art resurrects my cognitive skills and increases my mindfulness. It makes me happy. It soothes my soul. It allows me to express my experience being human.

All of this improves the relationship that I have with my mind.

Friends, I continue to pray for divine intervention in the Middle East and in Ukraine. I pray that God’s wisdom would prevail over the hearts of men presently filled with rage and hate.

“Work with your mind, not your back, son.”

Growing up, in large part due to their experiences as children in war-ravished Germany, my parents were pacifists. They were strenuously opposed to physical violence. They were tired of the big war machines that disrupted human life. As I’ve grown older, I can see their influence in that area has also increased in my life.

I pray that all the violence destroying the world and exterminating lives would stop. War only benefits a few. And they don’t care about it’s impact on you.

“Work with your mind, not your back, son.”

In a previous post, I shared that I had the opportunity to share God’s word and help people understand the value of generosity. The service went well. The lay leaders of Axe Memorial did a phenomenal job putting everything together. The message was well-received and I believe people left knowing a little more about homelessness and the impact their generous giving of time, talent, and treasure helps make a difference. Thank you for your prayers.

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Watch my message on “Experiencing Worship Through the Joy of Generosity” shared at Axe United Methodist Church in Garland on Sunday, October 15,2023

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As you’re reading this post, I am at an awards show for the Richardson Civic Arts Society. I had entered three works in their annual art competition. Apparently, one of the works won a prize! I don’t know which piece or what prize, yet. But I’ll let you know in tomorrow’s post. So stay tuned…

Abundant blessings, love, and peace,

The Devotional Guy™

Rainer Bantau

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