Shalom beloveds
Being a creative in God’s kingdom is sometimes seen as not the norm or tricky to navigate. Churches and certain people in the faith can sometimes frown upon creative people and make us feel strange. Often times creatives don’t fit in and it can become difficult for creatives to find a place in a system that sees the kingdom of God as a “corporate” field. We spoke to Brad Kirsten about his personal journey of being a creative in the kingdom of YHWH and find out how he deals with the pros and cons thereof. Let’s dive in below.
Hey there, followers of Jesus and of Godsmacked.
My name is Brad Kirsten and I’m really grateful for the opportunity to live my dream! My dream of being a radio presenter was birthed from a place of an overwhelming love for music and for communicating, to entertain, and positively influence others – but more about that later. I’m husband to the beautiful and highly motivated, Laura, who lives her passion for helping stressed & tired women transform their health, wellness & energy, so they can thrive and not just survive. She’s a real firecracker! I’m also dad to Liam Nathan, who loves to build, draw, paint, create, sing and move to the music. We’re a home filled with creativity and noise and for the most part, I love it!
As I kid I had very little desire to learn maths theorems and chemistry formulas but would rather play rugby, play music and find ways to entertain others and the more they laughed or “oohed” and “aahed”, the happier I was. I was a teenager when I really started to shape my radio craft and listened to the big names in the secular radio world, and tried so hard to be more like them. I didn’t know Jesus, and I wanted to make a name for myself and I was pretty hungry for it. Having a dream to express yourself creatively is one thing, but being given the freedom by your parents to do…well that’s another story. Since being a radio presenter was not considered a ‘real’ job, I packed the dream away to make room for a time at university that would hopefully up-skill me to find a ‘better’ place in the world. University presented itself with a campus radio station and I think it’s fair to say that this is where the dream came alive and set me up for where I am today, 25 years later.
I share my story about my journey as a testimony and with it, I want to add that God placed this creative desire in me, just as He has done for you, fellow creative! I might not have known Him, but He knew me and He was just waiting for the moment where His intricate and masterful plan would unfold. And the more I think and talk about it, the more beautiful it appears to me! Many years later, on the island of Taiwan, very far away from the broken life I escaped in South Africa, He called my name when I was at my lowest point. He saved me, allowed me to start a journey of healing and to live the life had had called me to, all with the same creative desires I’d always had, just now with a different modus operandi. My desire to be on radio full time was honoured by God and I go back to where I began: I’m Brad Kirsten and I’m really grateful for the opportunity to live my dream!
Being a creative is not easy. Sometimes it feels you don’t fit in and getting to where you want to be feels difficult and as if the competition is so fierce. Why does everyone want to do what I do, and when will it all come together for me? A key I’ve discovered is to strive for the highest levels of excellence. Often, I’ve risen to the top in the area I’m in, simply because I was prepared to put in more effort than anyone else, remain teachable, and stay hungry for more. One of my favourite quotes is ‘to achieve what others won’t’, you must do what others don’t.’
The challenges of working in a creative space are real, and if you perhaps do it in a faith-based environment, it can be really hard. Many expect you to do work for free, or at a huge discount and if you’re on the payroll, you accept you’ll be paid less than your secular counterparts. This isn’t always motivating, but you know there is a bigger picture,and the challenges in ministry can be tough for everyone. Apologies if this is blunt, but it is what it is.
Would I do anything else? No! I’m beyond blessed to see the way I’ve been put together and how just being me, enables me to thrive in the environment I’m in. What more could you ask for? So, work hard, be open to learn, decide at the onset that you’re going to be a thought leader, set goals for yourself, and go for it!
I’ll see you at the top!
To learn more about Brad, click on the links below:
Facebook: @bradkirstenonradio
Instagram: @brad_kirsten
Website: www.bradkirsten.com
Thank you for reading, till next time…
Peace and blessings in Yeshua!
