“What feels like the wrong job or the wrong place may actually be your training ground.”

In the last episode of the Vocation Traps series, Lisa and Dan explored how our natural abilities are tools for vocation—not the same thing as our calling. In this follow-up conversation, they flip the coin and dive into the moments when our feelings of inadequacy threaten to shut us down. If you’ve ever wondered, “Did I miss it? Am I in the wrong place? Am I enough for what God’s asking of me?” this episode will help you see your current season not as a dead end, but as sacred preparation.

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
• Becoming Moses - Bible Project Classroom, Carmen Imes

• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. for more in the Vocation Traps series
• Share this episode with a friend or creative you know
• Join the conversation on socials using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Be. Make. Do. is going LIVE! on February 10th!

Join us Tuesday, February 10th, at 3 pm EST for an exciting, interactive discussion with Dan and Lisa. They’ll be wrapping up The Vocation Traps series of the podcast, answering your questions, and hearing from you! Register Here!

“Ability is not vocation. Abilities are tools for vocation.”

Ability Is Not Vocation

What if ability is simply a tool—one that God shapes, deepens, stretches, and even redirects over a lifetime? If you’ve ever felt pressured to “stay in your lane,” doubted whether you’re on the right path, or confused your gift with your calling, this episode will help you breathe again. Discover a more spacious, wise-hearted way of understanding your vocation—one rooted in freedom, not fear.

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
  
  Connect & Share:
• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. for more in the Vocation Traps series
• Share this episode with a friend or creative you know
• Join the conversation on socials using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Be. Make. Do. is going LIVE! on February 10th!

Join us Tuesday, February 10th, at 3 pm EST for an exciting, interactive discussion with Dan and Lisa. They’ll be wrapping up The Vocation Traps series of the podcast, answering your questions, and hearing from you! Register Here!

Up Next: Join us as we explore the flip side of the coin and bust free from feelings of inadequacy.

Episode Summary:

"You don’t have to monetize every gift. Creativity is something you steward, not something you have to prove.” -Steve Brock

In this special episode, host Lisa Smith talks with Steve Brock, the author of "Brand Something Beautiful: A Branding Workbook for Artists, Writers, and Other Creatives." Together, they discuss the intersection of faith and artistry, exploring what it really means to create as an act of grace. They also dive into the challenges of calling, the process of getting unstuck, and how to build a brand authentically.

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Steve Brock's brand new book, Brand Something Beautiful
• Steve Brock's website: https://www.exploreyourworlds.com/

• Connect with Steve Brock:
  stevebrock.substack.com
  www.instagram.com/StephenWBrock
  www.facebook.com/MeaningfulTrav
  www.pinterest.com/ExploreYourWorlds
• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. for more in the Vocation Traps series
• Share this episode with a friend or creative you know
• Join the conversation on socials using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Up Next: Join us as we discuss setbacks and mistakes of the vocation traps.

Ever feel like your calling has to be epic to matter to God? The Chosen Trap seduces us with grand visions and spiritual pressure—but often leads to burnout or disillusionment. We’ll talk about how to discern between God’s quiet invitations and our own need to be “important” in the Kingdom.

In this episode of Be. Make. Do., hosts Lisa Smith and Dan ABH explore the trap of trying to control your calling, and how to find freedom in faithful, creative partnership with God. Through biblical reflection, personal insight, and powerful film examples, you’ll learn how to discern between divine invitation and performance anxiety.

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
• Read the article, Understanding Vocation: Discerning and Responding to God's Call by Don Thompson

• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. for more in the Vocation Traps series
• Share this episode with a friend or creative you know
• Join the conversation on socials using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Up Next: Join us for a conversation with author of Brand Something Beautiful, Steve Brock.

Episode Description:

"Worrying about the impact or the trying to control it is a waste of time, because you don't have control over it."

When your creative drive turns into a mission to help everyone else, you might be caught in the Hero Trap. This episode explores what happens when vocation becomes inflated with pressure and savior energy—and how to reclaim a grounded, joyful sense of calling that doesn’t depend on saving the world.

In this episode of Be. Make. Do., host Lisa Smith unpacks The Hero Trap—a mindset that weighs down artists with unrealistic expectations and spiritual burnout. You’ll learn how to shift from trying to do something epic for God to living out your vocation with steady, faithful creativity.

Up Next: Join us as we unpack our final Vocation Trap - the Chosen Trap!

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: https://soul-makers.kit.com/traptracker
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
• Read the article, Understanding Vocation: Discerning and Responding to God's Call by Don Thompson

• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. for new episodes every week
• Share this episode with fellow artists and creatives
• Join the conversation online using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Episode Overview:

“Our primary problem...is not that we lack self-worth. It’s that we lack awe.”

In this episode, Lisa and Dan unpack the Happiness Trap: the belief that your purpose is tied to feeling good or curating the perfect life. But true vocation often forms us in the slow, hidden work of faithfulness, not fleeting emotional highs. Tune in to escape the trap, rediscover joy, and move forward with a deeper sense of vocation.

The Hero Trap – Learn how to pursue your calling without trying to "save the world" or carry more than God has asked you to.

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: https://soul-makers.kit.com/traptracker
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
• Read the article, Understanding Vocation: Discerning and Responding to God's Call by Don Thompson
• Read the Blog Post by Jen Wilken, Trading Self-Worth for Awe and Wonder

• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. to keep following the Vocation Traps series
• Share this episode with a fellow artist or spiritual seeker
• Join the conversation on social using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Episode Overview:

"Those of us who find ourselves overly concerned with getting it right or being good, might find ourselves trapped in a net of other people's expectations and just getting tangled into a good old mess."

Do you ever feel like your worth depends on applause, success, or being “useful” to others? You might be stuck in the Security Trap—a subtle but powerful mindset that confuses validation with vocation. If you’ve ever felt guilty pursuing your creative work—or unsure if it “matters”—this episode will help you untangle your calling from the need to please.

Up Next:

The Happiness Trap – Discover why chasing good vibes and “living your best life” can sabotage your vocation—and how to find joy beyond the high points.

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: https://soul-makers.kit.com/traptracker
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton
• Read the article, Understanding Vocation: Discerning and Responding to God's Call by Don Thompson

• Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. to follow the full Vocation Traps series
• Share this episode with friends, mentors, or artists in your life
• Tag us and join the conversation on socials using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!

Episode Description:

"And in that framework of call, we're invited to ask different questions...instead of asking, what is God's will for my life? ...To move the focus to who is God? What does God love?"

Calling—that sacred sense of purpose—sounds inspiring... until it turns into a booby-trapped maze of pressure, performance, and perfectionism. Are you chasing your calling but feeling more stuck than ever? In this kickoff to our new series Escaping the Vocation Traps, we explore how fear, pressure, and the wrong questions can quietly derail your creative life. Subscribe and join us as we explore four common traps—and how to get unstuck, one faithful step at a time.

Welcome to The Vocation Traps, a Be. Make. Do podcast series for brave souls and creative hearts who are tired of tripping over the same old lies:
💣 The Security Trap – where applause feels like purpose
🌀 The Happiness Trap – where chasing good vibes leaves you empty
🦸 The Hero Trap – where saving the world becomes your burden
🔥 The Chosen Trap – where doing “big things for God” gets you burned out

Resources & Tools:

• Download your FREE Vocation Trap Tracker: https://soul-makers.kit.com/traptracker
• Discover Your Artist Archetype → Take the Free Quiz at soulmakers.org
• Download the Full Artist Archetypes Guide for deeper insight: www.soulmakers.org/bemakedo
• Read Samuel Wells' book, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics
• Read the article, Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories and the
  Experience of Vocation by Chris Keeton

Connect & Share:

• Subscribe to the Be. Make. Do. Podcast for fresh episodes every week
• Share this episode with fellow artists and creatives
• Join the conversation on social media using #VocationTrapsPodcast
• Join our brand new Instagram Broadcast Channel!