Be. Make. Do.

Maybe escaping the Vocation Traps isn’t just about personal creative fulfillment or private spiritual formation. What if it’s about cultural responsibility? Finding Freedom In Your True Calling This conversation reframes calling as a way of life rooted in prayerful listening and faithful action—the quiet practices that form artists who can tell the truth, hold ambiguity, and create without fear. A...

“The anxiety around uncertainty is caused by the belief that we need certainty to act." Episode 9: Certainty Not Required Embracing Uncertainty, Setbacks, and Serendipity in the Creative Life What if the need for certainty is actually the thing keeping you stuck? In this episode of Be. Make. Do. , Lisa and Dan explore how uncertainty, setbacks, and even mistakes can become powerful catalysts for c...

“What feels like the wrong job or the wrong place may actually be your training ground.” Beyond Ability: Welcome to the Training Ground In the last episode of the Vocation Traps series, Lisa and Dan explored how our natural abilities are tools for vocation—not the same thing as our calling. In this follow-up conversation, they flip the coin and dive into the moments when our feelings of inadequacy...

“Ability is not vocation. Abilities are tools for vocation.” Ability Is Not Vocation What if ability is simply a tool —one that God shapes, deepens, stretches, and even redirects over a lifetime? If you’ve ever felt pressured to “stay in your lane,” doubted whether you’re on the right path, or confused your gift with your calling, this episode will help you breathe again. Discover a more spacious,...

Episode Summary: "You don’t have to monetize every gift. Creativity is something you steward, not something you have to prove.” -Steve Brock In this special episode, host Lisa Smith talks with Steve Brock, the author of "Brand Something Beautiful: A Branding Workbook for Artists, Writers, and Other Creatives." Together, they discuss the intersection of faith and artistry, exploring what it really...

"You don't need to know the whole map. You just need to take the next faithful step." Episode Description: Ever feel like your calling has to be epic to matter to God? The Chosen Trap seduces us with grand visions and spiritual pressure—but often leads to burnout or disillusionment. We’ll talk about how to discern between God’s quiet invitations and our own need to be “important” in the Kingdom. I...

Episode Description: "Worrying about the impact or the trying to control it is a waste of time, because you don't have control over it." When your creative drive turns into a mission to help everyone else, you might be caught in the Hero Trap. This episode explores what happens when vocation becomes inflated with pressure and savior energy—and how to reclaim a grounded, joyful sense of calling tha...

Episode Overview: “Our primary problem...is not that we lack self-worth. It’s that we lack awe.” In this episode, Lisa and Dan unpack the Happiness Trap : the belief that your purpose is tied to feeling good or curating the perfect life. But true vocation often forms us in the slow, hidden work of faithfulness, not fleeting emotional highs. Tune in to escape the trap, rediscover joy, and move forw...

Episode Overview: "Those of us who find ourselves overly concerned with getting it right or being good, might find ourselves trapped in a net of other people's expectations and just getting tangled into a good old mess." Do you ever feel like your worth depends on applause, success, or being “useful” to others? You might be stuck in the Security Trap —a subtle but powerful mindset that confuses va...

Episode Description: "And in that framework of call, we're invited to ask different questions...instead of asking, what is God's will for my life? ...To move the focus to who is God? What does God love?" Calling —that sacred sense of purpose—sounds inspiring... until it turns into a booby-trapped maze of pressure, performance, and perfectionism. Are you chasing your calling but feeling more stuck...

Episode Summary: A new season is coming—and if you’ve ever felt stuck in your creative calling, you won’t want to miss it. In this short teaser episode, Lisa Smith and Dan ABH introduce Escaping the Vocation Traps , the upcoming season of Be. Make. Do. If you've ever thought, “I should be further along by now,” or wrestled with doubt about your creative purpose, you're not alone. This season is fo...

What's Next: Exploring Your Artistic Archetype "You are not alone. And if you feel like you're crazy, it's because you're surrounded by people who just don't get it." In this final episode of the Artist Archetype series, Lisa and Dan reflect on the journey of discovering artistic motivations, review the six archetypes, and share listener feedback about finding one's unique creative identity. Speci...

"Artists have the possibility of teaching us about what the kingdom of God is like." In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Lisa talks with Corey Frey, a visual artist, writer and community builder about the importance of curiosity and process over product.   Join us for our last interview in the Artist Archetypes series on artist motivations. The Maker, The Mystic, The Soul...

Having a clear understanding of your motivations for creating allows you to stay focused and not get sidetracked by chasing success or fame. In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Lisa and Dan discuss The Prophetic Critic Archetype focusing on why artists create and how understanding motivations can lead to fulfilling careers and a strong sense of identity and purpose. The Maker, The Mystic...

"And I think God is moving all the time in those areas, and we miss it. I don't want to miss it." Adrienne Reedy. In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Lisa talks with Adrienne Reedy, a multi-talented artist and mentor. She discusses her journey in art and music, emphasizing the transformative impact of visual arts on her life. She stresses the importance of recognizing God's guidance and...

Having a clear understanding of your motivations for creating allows you to stay focused and not get sidetracked by chasing success or fame. In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Lisa and Dan discuss The Soul Healer Archetype focusing on why artists create and how understanding motivations can lead to fulfilling careers and a strong sense of identity and purpose. The Maker, The Mystic...

"...If you have something that's a unique gift that you know God has given you, then you just specialize on that thing. You just really develop it. You just really spend your time on it, like you plunge your resources into that special that thing... to the point that you're the only one that does it, or you're the only one that does it the way that you do it, or to the level that you do it." In th...

Having a clear understanding of your motivations for creating allows you to stay focused and not get sidetracked by chasing success or fame. In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Lisa and Dan discuss The Mystic Archetype focusing on why artists create and how understanding motivations can lead to fulfilling careers and a strong sense of identity and purpose. The Maker, The Mystic, The Soul...

"Jump in the current and let the river take you..., you know, I've got on a life vest... I'm semi prepared for the journey....But if you legit, surrender to the will, it's a ride!" In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast Jason Hamacher, a musician, photographer, and founder of Lost Origin Productions, discuss his multifaceted career and creative motivations. He and Lisa mine his experiences,...

Why do you create? The "Maker" Archetype is driven by the joy of the craft and the process, often valuing artistic integrity over external validation. Knowing your strengths, gifts, and motivations can help you uncover the essence of what drives your creative process. This season on the Be. Make. Do. Podcast, we're discovering Your Artist Spiritual Archetype. In this episode Lisa and Dan...

"...When I saw adults for the first time on stage, saying lines, being other people, showing their emotions, having cathartic experiences, I was like, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life!" - Tami Dixon In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Tami Dixon, an actor, playwright, and co-artistic director of Bricolage Theater Company , discusses with Lisa her journey as an artist. Sh...

Having a clear understanding of your motivations for creating allows you to stay focused and not get sidetracked by chasing success or fame. In this episode of the Be. Make. Do. podcast, Lisa and Dan discuss The Storyteller Archetype focusing on why artists create and how understanding motivations can lead to fulfilling careers and a strong sense of identity and purpose. The Maker, The Mystic, The...

In this episode, Lisa talks with Erik Løkkesmoe, former VP Outback Presents, in Nashville, TN. They ponder artistic motivations, isolation, common grace, and the Imaginative Visionary Archetype. Erik shares from his years of experience working in the arts and entertainment industry from LA to Nashville. "...We think we're bigger than we are. We think we have a greater influence. And it's helpful...

Why do you create? If you're unsure about that, how can you define fulfillment and success for yourself as a creative? Let alone chart a path to get there? Knowing your strengths, gifts and motivations can help you uncover the essence of what drives your creative process. This season on the Be. Make. Do. Podcast, we'll be discovering Your Artist Spiritual Archetype. Are you The Maker, The Mystic,...

Artists and creatives share many things in common, but we’re not interchangeable. We each have unique gifts and challenges. Knowing your strengths, gifts and motivations can help you develop spiritual and artistic practices that work for you and help you become who we were created to be, make what we were created to make, and do what we were created to do. This season on the Be. Make. Do. Podcast,...