I used to think that once I became happy, I’d have nothing left to write about. That sadness and heartbreak were the only fuel for my creativity. If I wasn’t in a messed-up place, then there would be no reason at all to make art.

But I see now how limited that view was.

As I’ve grown and come to a place where I can genuinely say I am joyful and at peace with God, I’ve realized there’s still so much to write about. Maybe even more than before.

Because now, I’m no longer writing to survive. I’m writing from a place of abundance. I write because I want to give hope—to show that yes, even someone like me still has a chance, and a hope for a better life. Not just a life that looks good from the outside, but one that’s been restored and renewed by God.

I’m no longer writing to survive. I’m writing from a place of abundance.

There’s so much to say about how good the Lord has been to me, how He’s shown up even in the midst of my filth. I’ve gone back and read my old journals and remembered the pain I used to carry, the patterns I couldn’t escape. I’ve come from such a broken place, and little by little, Jesus has healed me, even in ways I didn’t know were broken. He’s been so gracious, gently correcting harmful habits, slowly molding me to be more like Him. Like a bonsai tree being tied to a straight stick, He’s shaping me with care and purpose.

I’ve come from such a broken place, and little by little, Jesus has healed me, even in ways I didn’t know were broken.

Now that I’m made whole in Christ, I see clearly: art doesn’t only have to come from despair. Yes, a lot of beautiful things are birthed from suffering, but the artist doesn’t have to stay broken in order to create.

Look at our amazing God. In the beginning, He created—not from longing or lack, but out of love. He shaped the heavens and the earth, filled them with light and color, breath and beauty. He formed man from the dust and breathed life into him. Out of love, God created.

And now, I create too. Not just from desperation, and not only from joy, but from a heart that has learned to bring everything to God. No longer driven by a “tortured artist” mindset, but grounded in truth: that art can come from both pain and peace—and both are worth writing about.