Thank you for checking out The Creative Christian Podcast. This is the necessary, introductory podcast where I tell you a little bit about myself, provide you with some background information about the podcast, and outline some future topics to be covered. You can listen to full episode below, download it in its entirety, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

 
A Little Bit About Me
My name is Ryan Bell and I am the creator and host of The Creative Christian Podcast. Let's dive right into my background story for a minute. I attended college at Kent State University, which (unfortunately) was a time where I was very distant from God. I was raised in a Christian household and attended a Christian school through 8th grade, but upon arriving at college I very quickly found myself living the life of a rock star – the party never stopped. Thankfully, by the never ending grace and mercy of God I have returned to a wonderful, loving relationship with the Lord that is stronger than it ever was before. I went to college to become a graphic designer and enrolled in the visual communication design program at Kent State University – one of the hardest programs in the country at the time – and I ended up being there for approximately 7 years. Actually, I think it took me six and a half years to finally graduate. After my graduation it took me about 8 or 9 months until I eventually landed a job as a graphic designer for a manufacturing company near Dayton, Ohio. I am very fortunate to still have this same job today, the only difference being that I am now the senior graphic designer.

Photography and video have always been of interest to me and I am fully (with the help of YouTube and Lynda.com) self-taught in each skill. I also consider myself an entrepreneur – ok, there is no "considering" – I am an entrepreneur. I have started several of my own businesses and while I would not say I've been successful with any of them, I have gained invaluable knowledge from each attempt. And I'm not giving up anytime soon. I don't like talking about myself, so this isn't easy for me. Actually, it's exhausting, so I'll leave it at this for now and you will have to subscribe to the podcast to learn more. :)
About the Show
The whole idea for this podcast, or the backbone if you will, is based on a quote I heard from Chris Kuti at LifeChurch. I didn't hear it directly from Chris, but through a friend, and I am forever grateful for such an inspiring thought. Chris' quote follows.

"In theory and practice, the church should be the most creative entity in the world today because we have the most creative God, and we should be inspiring the world and cities in which we live to be creative, to be a reflection of who God really is."

Every time I read that it's like I’m reading it for the first time and I always say wow after I read it. For some reason this quote has really inspired me and just stuck with me. It has caused me to think about my creativity on a whole new level and in a way that I've never really thought about it before. My goal with this podcast and blog is to inspire this type of creativity. Creativity that is a reflection of our amazing creative creator.

Finally, the most important thing I need to mention here is that God is in charge. I will always, actively continue to seek his leadership with this podcast. And I am willing to go down any path He points me towards and through any door that He opens. Some of the topics I plan to cover are listed below. This list is flexible and I'm excited for this journey.

Graphic Design
Photography
Video
Audio
Productivity
Business
Entrepreneurship
Branding
Social Media

Thanks again for taking the time to read and/or listen to what I have to say. Your feedback and encouragement is always welcome. I do however need one thing from you: prayers.