System Update
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
— Romans 12:2 (NIV)
This verse reflects the essence of transformation, both spiritually and creatively, tying directly into the idea of "system updates" and how experiences reshape our understanding.
Living abroad for fifteen years across Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and briefly Australia reshaped me in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. These weren’t just trips or holidays; they were immersive experiences that fundamentally altered how I saw the world and, in turn, how I created. Each culture, with its distinct rhythms and perspectives, added another layer to my understanding – like adding a new facet to an evolving geometric lens.
People often talk about "culture shock" when they first step into a new country, but for me, the real shock wasn’t in leaving – it was in coming back. Returning to the UK felt strangely disorienting. While I had changed and gathered new dimensions of experience, the place I left behind seemed much the same. It was as if I had been updated, but the system I was returning to was still running on an earlier version.
This disconnection wasn’t just external; it became part of my creative process. Creativity, for me, isn’t simply invention – it’s a language. Every piece of art or writing is an attempt to communicate the essence of who I am. But when your perspective is shaped by experiences that others haven’t shared, translating those ideas feels like trying to explain "color to someone who has only ever seen in grayscale."
Each experience abroad felt like adding a new face to a geometric shape. Every time I learned a new cultural nuance, tasted unfamiliar food, or navigated a foreign language, it felt like the lens through which I saw life grew sharper, more complex. Where I once saw the world in two dimensions, I now saw in three, four, or more.
But the real test of this layered perspective came when I tried to share it. I found myself gravitating toward others who had also lived abroad – those who understood this unspoken shift because they had undergone it too. There was a silent camaraderie in knowing that we had all experienced these "system updates" and that returning home wasn’t about going back; it was about integrating who we had become with where we had started.
Faith as the Ultimate System Update
This pattern isn’t unique to travel. Faith, in many ways, mirrors this process.
When I became a Christian, I experienced a transformation that felt just as profound as any cultural shift – but I hadn’t physically moved. Encountering Christ was like stepping into a completely new culture without ever leaving my home country. The world I once knew suddenly looked different. My values, perspectives, and priorities began to shift, and it felt as if I was operating on a new system – one that others around me hadn’t yet installed.
Just as traveling to a foreign land brings new habits, language, and ways of thinking, stepping into faith requires learning the customs of a "spiritual kingdom." And just like returning home after years abroad, sharing this newfound faith with others can sometimes feel like trying to "bridge two worlds."
This is where the beauty – and challenge – of faith and creativity align.
When creating something new, whether through art, design, or writing, you have to bring your audience along. If they haven’t shared the experiences that shaped your work, it’s not enough to present the final piece. You have to gently update their system – to introduce them to the layers and perspectives that shaped your vision.
It’s the same with sharing Christ. The shift feels so significant that explaining it can feel impossible, yet the act of doing so is essential. Transformation isn’t something to hoard; it’s something to extend, inviting others to see through the "multi-faceted lens" you’ve been given.
The Geometry of Growth
The more we experience – whether through culture or faith – the more faces we add to this evolving geometric lens. A single perspective becomes many. The world becomes richer, fuller, and more dimensional.
But this also means that the way we communicate must evolve. Creativity isn’t just about self-expression – it’s about translation. It’s about building bridges between what we see and what others have yet to perceive.
Every drawing, essay, or project becomes an opportunity to offer others a glimpse into this layered perspective. Every conversation about faith is an invitation to experience a deeper, more intricate view of life. And every challenge in communication is not a barrier, but a reminder – that transformation is meant to be shared.
In a way, each creation, each act of faith, is its own "system update." A chance to expand someone’s world by offering them just one more face on the lens.
And over time, face by face, we all begin to see the world in dimensions we never thought possible.