The Single Greatest Parenting Decision
That My Parents Made For Me
The One Decision That Changed Everything
After demanding that I follow Jesus (wasn’t a choice, dude—glad it wasn’t either), my parents made one decision that still pays dividends in my life daily.
And listen—I have so many flaws (my God). But I also have some unique strengths that set me apart in the world of creatives.
Because at heart?
🔥 I’m a creative.
🎨 Artsy-fartsy.
💀 Hopelessly lost in consuming and creating art at every level.
Let me lay it out:
🎸 Multi-instrumentalist—studio-level on guitar, drums, piano.
✍️ Songwriter, singer, lyricist—music was my first love, my childhood obsession, my teenage addiction.
📚 Writer, theologian, curriculum developer—when music became economically unviable (translation: no one was buying albums), I pivoted to books, sermons, and deep dives into theology.
🏢 Entrepreneur—then I launched a business, because why not?
I’ve got projects, interests, and unfinished ideas galore—but here’s where I differ from most creatives:
🚨 I finish things. 🚨
Finishing Is My Superpower
Maybe my work isn’t as good as some of my friends’—maybe they make better art, better music, better writing.
Maybe.
(I think some of my stuff is really good—maybe even world-class in certain moments.)
And some of it?
🚮 Hot garbage.
Ah, the joys of being a creator.
🌀 Make a lot of good stuff.
🗑️ Make some absolute trash.
✨ Rarely—maybe once—make something genius, like a fairy blessed you with one artistic wish.
But here’s the thing: I don’t get writer’s block. Ever.
I’ll put something down for a while—come back with fresh eyes, more gas in the tank—but I finish it.
Oh, You Know What’s As Important as Finishing?
🚀 Starting.
And honestly? Starting something is hard. Finishing something is hard.
And most creatives? They don’t do either.
Now, the Canadian in me wants to stop here and say:
💭 “Who do you think you are—an expert?”
No. I’m just a guy trying to stay sane and pay rent.
But the act of starting something matters.
And the ability to finish something is a rare gift.
The Dark Side of Creativity
Now—don’t get me wrong. I have the classic artistic temperament (read: prone to spirals of despair).
I could so easily become an alcoholic, a burnout, a cynical, self-loathing wreck—numbing my frustration with the bottle, the drugs, the nihilistic monologues about “the state of art today.”
Bitterness has come for me many times.
But my parents did this one thing—one thing—that kept me from spiraling.
It’s not some family tradition.
It’s not a trait passed down through generations.
It’s completely foreign to our family DNA.
But it gave me a second nature—a built-in countermeasure to creative despair.
And honestly?
It’s the only reason I’ve kept moving forward despite so many failures and frustrations.
And this was the secret ingredient:
