Hey Look, a Chicken - a true original tells the truth

Hey gang, it's Bradley J. Moore. About a year ago, a friend encouraged me to start writing about my faith.

"Oh, come on." I said to him. "It's not like I'm some mega-pastor or a motivational speaker. I don't have any big ideas. What do I have to write about?"

My first reaction was to brush off those high-falootin' ideas of what I thought a Christian writer was supposed to look like. I'm just a regular guy, after all. A regular working stiff who also happens to be a middle-aged, not-so-exemplary Christian, still struggling to figure out what God wants from his life. Who wants to read about that?

My friend was persistent. And the truth was that I honestly did want to write. But I still held back.

Not long after that conversation, I came across this quote by C.S. Lewis:

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

This quote changed everything for me. Telling the truth, my truth, suddenly became critically important. I started to write furiously about my job, my family, my spiritual life, frustrations and career ambitions. It wasn't always pretty, nor did it fit into the conventional Christian mold of inspirational writing that I was used to reading. But in the process of writing, I found that truth itself was the purest source of creativity. It also was a form of quality-control, screening out any potential BS that might try to make its way into my essays.

Now, when I read through the many fine blogs of my fellow HCB writers, I find that I am especially drawn to those writers who share that same sense of raw truth-telling. It's easy to pick them out. There are plenty of every-day moms, dads, workers, managers, artists and writers out there who are writing about who they really are, without censoring the messy and unpolished parts of life. They are unique, original, and engaging. I enjoy reading about what they are thinking about and what they are experiencing, the ups and the downs, and all the stuff in between. I especially feel a kindred spirit with those who can laugh at themselves in the process.

One of my favorites is Katdish, and her increasingly famous site, "Hey Look! A Chicken!" Yes, I know. You wouldn't necessarily associate that title with the Christian Living department of your local bookstore. And that is the first reason why I like her site. Katdish is a writer from Texas; a ragamuffin, follower of Jesus, wife and mom (her words) and also a painter. She writes with a wry wit, a relentless and nervy kind of energy, and has the most hilarious and offbeat snarky humor I've come across in a good while. It practically knocks me off my feet. Try Why I'm Okay Wtih Being Obnoxious and The Top Ten Reasons Not to Tithe for a little sampling.

Katdish really has a big heart and a knack for gathering together an online community of friends that she nurtures with a great deal of love and encouragement. Lately, she has been featuring a variety of other writers on her blog, showing off other writers and bloggers who are meaningful to her. And don't get me started about her online Twitter party. See for yourself by signing up to follow @katdish on Twitter.

To me, Katdish is, well, a true original.

Being true to yourself is the best way to create something uniquely special. It doesn't matter as much if you are not the most pious and theologically-trained writer in the Christian blogosphere. It's just as important to be real. Which, I can assure you, can be very, very inspiring.

The Writer V photo by dvd3141. Used under the Creative Commons license. Post by Bradley J. Moore.

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