Craig Brown is a champion for creative excellence. As a multi-talented film producer, writer, director and founder of Brown Brown Films, he has a heart to reveal the nature of God through story, specifically film. In his filmmaking, Craig has learned that his best work comes from total surrender to God’s process, through allowing God to transform weaknesses into His strength. In this interview, Craig opens up about his vulnerabilities and passions, from basketball to battling depression to being a father of five. Continue reading as Craig gives us a glimpse into his personal story.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to a meal than palate and preference. How does your go-to order at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

Moving from Detroit to Cincinnati has been one of the best decisions of my life. Cincinnati is a beautiful city with tons of hiking trails, a thriving art scene, and fantastic food. Cincinnati is also the place where I met my wife, Caitlin. Our earliest memory while dating was discovering a small new barbecue place in a rustic building with a record player inside called Eli’s BBQ. Eli’s has some of the best barbecue around. The pulled pork sandwich with toasted buns and the perfectly sweet barbecue sauce is our go-to meal. Eli’s is a place where we’ve had plenty of meals with friends and family. The most memorable time was a few weeks ago; I watched my five kids play in the field next to the picnic tables as we sat and enjoyed our meal and conversation with my sister and brother-in-law. The conversations were simple. We talked about family, life, work and our goals. Our kids laughed and played in the background while the adults chatted. This was a day that we’ll remember. Looking back on the growth of our family and the relationships we’ve developed over the course of the years was a sweet reminder to us to cherish every moment. From bringing our first born to Eli’s to now bringing our fifth kid there, it really puts the phrase “they grow up fast” into perspective. What was once a place that my wife and I frequented in our dating stage has now become a place that is forever ingrained in our lives.

A basketball on a basketball court — TJ Dragotta; Unsplash

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests, but we tend to hide them. What do you love doing that might surprise (or shock) people?

One of the things I find myself attempting to make room for regularly is playing basketball — by myself. Yes, it's a workout; however, it ends up being much more. I throw in a bunch of challenges to make it more interesting, such as throwing the ball in front of me down the length of the court and only allowing one bounce before laying it into the basket. I also shoot around 300 shots from the three-point line each session while listening to music. My music choices aren’t the typical workout music, such as hip-hop and rock. I normally listen to a classical music or meditation playlist. This helps me to focus on breathing and creates an opportunity for a time of mediation while also doing something I love that’s difficult. In the short time of an hour, I’ve accomplished something I enjoy that’s challenging and restorative. There have been times during this routine when I have discovered something profound. It could be my next movie idea, how to solve a problem within my script, ways to better correct my children in moments of frustration, or something from God that he wants me to run after next.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

Yes. Kryptonite is very much present in my life. Having a parent and grandparents who suffered from depression, the odds were not in my favor to escape it. There are many ways that I try to hide. One way is simply ignoring that the problem exists. However, over the years, I've learned how to manage it through diet, sleep and exercise — which plays a significant role in helping counter the many waves of emotions that come with depression.

Although I can manage my physical depression well, fear is the train that hijacks my mind, bringing me to a place that can go beyond depression. Fear isn’t as easily avoidable with diet and exercise. This is where the simple prayer of “God, help!” comes into play. The beautiful thing about this prayer is that it is often answered! In all of the ways that my weakness is visible, I’m often reminded that in moments of weakness, or in facing my kryptonite, I am rescued by not relying on my own strength, but by confessing my brokenness in order to receive true strength.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

I love stories. Story is what drives humanity. Ultimately, we are walking and breathing stories. From the moment we enter the world, our stories begin. That is the reason I’m so obsessed with story in all of its forms. Stories can challenge, inspire and educate in ways that bring forth change for many generations to come.

My desire is to reveal the beauty and vastness of God through stories, specifically movies! Something I’ve noticed in the faith-based filmmaking world is that we are incredibly gracious when it comes to Christian art. We glance over cringe-worthy productions just because they’re Christian. Just because a piece of art is inspired by the Christian faith doesn’t mean that it needs to be subpar. Actually, it should be excellent! My goal is to create movies that go beyond the cliché topics of Christian movies. I want to explore the depths of God’s unrelenting love for humanity. Sometimes that exploration may take us into uncomfortable places, like making a movie about racial reconciliation. However hard certain journeys or conversations may be, there’s a God on the other side who holds much more than we could even imagine. Most of my time is spent researching, writing and dreaming of ways that I can showcase God’s beauty through a screen.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors, or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

Creating a movie is very difficult. No matter how much you plan, there are many scenarios that can arise leaving you to scramble or question how you will finish your day of filming. Although this is the case, there are many times where things work out better than you expected. The times when I’ve let go of trying to control every aspect of the creative process and chose to trust that God has complete control, the results were well worth it. The project belongs to God and God alone. In my latest project, tackling a movie about race was the most challenging feat — especially addressing race within the Church. This was a time when I truly needed the Holy Spirit to guide the writing process. There was always room for error with this subject. I’ve asked myself frequently, Are you insane? What can be somewhat of a politically divisive subject is being turned into a feature film! However, after hearing the many testimonies of how “Between Mercy and Me” has changed the lives of so many people, I know that God went before us, paving a way to bring out something captivating and inspirational to encourage healthy conversation around race.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Some people divide things sacred and things secular. But you know, God can surprise us in unlikely places. How do you find spiritual renewal in so-called “nonspiritual” activities?

The last three years, my family and I have religiously partaken in a Sabbath meal and a day of rest. Normally, religious practices can have a bad connotation. However, some of these practices and disciplines are incredibly underrated. A real Sabbath means no working for a 24-hour day. That means not answering emails, not having extensive conversations about work, not planning work — nothing. It means stop for a 24-hour day by resting and trusting God for all of your provision.

Because of this practice, I have gained more patience and appreciation for the simple things that we often take for granted. Also, by observing the day of rest, we end up having a lot more fun by being intentional with friends and family. This is a time of connection with God and with each other. As a father of five with a single-income family, resting is a struggle by nature. I want to move mountains with my own hands and provide over and beyond what my family needs; therefore, resting can be hard. I want to make sure that my family has everything that they need. Although this is more of a command from God than a spiritual discipline, we have found much comfort in the reality that God is our provider and that he wants me to trust him and rest.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are three of your favorite resources?

“To Hell with the Hustle: Reclaiming Your Life in an Overworked, Overspent, and Overconnected World” by Jefferson Bethke is the first book that comes to mind. As someone who’s an entrepreneur, creative and visionary, working myself to the bone can be something that I struggle with. This book helped me to really understand the importance of a well-balanced life between hustle, rest and family.

Another book that’s been inspirational in my life is a book by Leonard Ravenhill called “Why Revival Tarries.” My favorite quote from this book is this: “One of these days some simple soul will pick up the book of God, read it and believe it. Then the rest of us will be embarrassed.” As an overthinker myself, I can make my walk with God way more complex than it needs to be. This book highlights the simplicity of communion with God to bring forth life to the dead parts of our own lives as well as the Church.

“Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God” by Francis Chan will forever be a favorite of mine. Francis Chan is a man who understands the brevity of life. He encourages his readers to Love. Simple, right?! We often get caught up in the complexity of our daily lives and rhythms. We’re often not patient with our neighbor, or we’re too busy that we forget that the greatest thing that God has ever commanded us is to love wholeheartedly. That is our success! That is how we are measured. Francis Chan reminds the reader of this so beautifully through this book

We all have things we cling to in order to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it’s done for you.

Accessibility is key. They take things that can be hard to understand and provide resources that help people to learn what the Bible is saying. Something that any theologian will remind you is that the Bible is written for us, but it wasn’t written to us. Context is everything. They have tons of resources to break down what ancient culture was like and how they would have understood the Bible at that time. The BibleProject is also great for children. The animations alone are super helpful in helping kids engage with the content. I highly recommend this for every household.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I am currently in pre-production for the next feature film. I want to continue to explore the depths of the challenges that make us human through movies.

With that being said, God’s continual stirring in my heart has ignited a journey of establishing and expanding my company, Brown Brown Films. I will continue to create faith-based films that transcend mere entertainment. Our focus is to use the power of music, visuals and storytelling to convey compelling narratives that beautifully communicate the character of God.

My desire is that Brown Brown Films will become a production house of stellar inspirational content. It is not just about funding and producing faith-based films, but also about empowering others to join this visionary quest. I am driven to create an environment where aspiring filmmakers can be trained and equipped, igniting their own creative sparks and joining me in crafting awe-inspiring works of art that resonate with the depths of the human heart. There are many ways that God’s beauty is displayed throughout life. With screens being the highest competitor for people’s time, I want to create a space that God can occupy and be made known.

Craig believes that as Christians, we should be excellent in our creative works. After all, we’re connected to the Creator himself! How can we surrender our abilities, strengths and weaknesses, to partner with God in new creative ways? Craig reminds us that our weaknesses pave the way for God to give us his strength. How can you offer your weakness to God and allow him to work through you today?

Craig Brown