Paul Colman Part Two
In Part Two with Paul Colman, the conversation shifts to intense advice on integrity, the wisdom of firing your manager and why no one should be pigeon holed into only one ministry as well as radical career advice based on the life of King David.
[Paul Colman re-enters the break out tent after introducing Brandon Heath at the RevGen Festival and easily resumes our conversation…]
IV: So tell me how you keep your integrity while you travel…
Paul: Well YOU don’t, do you? I mean do YOU keep your integrity 100% of the time? […I blush…and reply, “Uhhh… I guess no.”] Of course – don’t worry… nobody does! [Colman winks and laughs]. If judging someone counts as a lack of integrity, guess what? We are all guilty of that ‘lack of integrity’ several times a day. Therefore, I assume you meant things like sex, drugs, alcohol and the obvious things we call 'big sins.' It’s ironic that most Christians turn a blind eye to gluttony, gossip, judgment and criticism, which are just as addictive and at times more destructive than promiscuous sex, drugs and drinking because they destroy our credibility with non-believers worse than the ‘big sins’ do.
Every single person struggles with some type of integrity issue. If you make a personal call on your work phone without permission or take a pen home, well, that’s stealing money and supplies, but no one sees it that way. It’s accepted – it’s no big deal. Did you really have to work late? Are you completely honest on your tax return? Do you only put 15 items on the conveyor belt at the supermarket? Do you secretly curse out a car if you get cut off? We need to live at a higher standard than even what is considered acceptable in today’s unwritten Christian handbook and encourage each other to do so because the world is watching to see if our actions match our words.
IV: That’s a powerful challenge to Christians. What changes have you made to strengthen your integrity while you are on the road?
Paul: I’m trying to keep my integrity intact on ALL levels, not just the obvious ‘big’ areas and not only when I’m on tour. I also don’t put myself in situations that would tempt me. I’ve never been drunk or even texted a woman inappropriately so if we were really truthful, we would be honest not just about the ‘big sins’ but the small ones too. Smoking is labeled a sin, so why is gluttony accepted in many Christian circles? They both harm the body! We’ve created our own hierarchy of what WE deem acceptable, it’s not based on what God says in His word. So what I’m saying is this: Let’s focus on being people of integrity in ALL areas, all the time, not just in the ones called ‘big sins’ or only when people are watching. When we think of integrity, musicians are typically tempted by sex, drugs, alcohol and porn which are always at the top of the list of unacceptable behaviors.
The truth is that everyone struggles with integrity. My struggles are over things like not exaggerating, keeping my word, treating the person in a security uniform with as much dignity as the person I’d like to book me for my next event. There are a lot of fine lines with integrity and I have my accountability partners. When I was in the Newsboys, we would share hotel rooms – it’s a simple thing. It’s hard to watch something inappropriate on the TV when you’ve got a Christian brother in the room. The typical rock and roll temptations are thankfully not my weaknesses, but did you hear what Mr. So & So did yesterday??? Just kidding with you! [Colman Laughs]
IV: What things will you not compromise on?
Paul: I will not compromise on my faith in God, my marriage. I will not compromise on honesty. I will not compromise on shooting for excellence in my work.
IV: Why did you move from being a performer to producer?
Paul: Being a producer is the complete opposite of the narcissistic, arrogant artist I used to be. As a producer, everything you do is for someone else. Even though talent and ego are in it because you want to be seen as a great producer, every bit of experience and musical talent that you have is poured into someone else’s music. It’s like therapy or detox for someone like me.
IV: What is your vision now, and what are the next steps for your career?
Paul: I want to spend the next 40 years of my life (if I have that much time) serving others, empowering, caring, using my gifts and talents to help others succeed in a healthy way as opposed to using my gifts and talents to try to define myself and find out who I am. I think I’ve found out who I am. I’m God’s boy, and he wants me to use my gifts & talents to love on others. I made a deal with God. I said, “You’ve given me a gift and how it’s used is your problem so I’m going to deal with my character. If you [God] want me to do this and you believe that I can be a blessing through my gift, you’d better take over because I just fired my manager, promoter and agent. God, you need to get my music out there because I got rid of my record label too.” I really did! I’m flying solo with God as my only agent. I should have done this years ago! It feels great!
IV: Seriously? You really fired them all? Those are some very intense steps of faith!
Paul: I can’t do Christian music the way the mainstream industry wants it done. I can’t jam Jesus into songs. That’s not how I write songs, and it’s not accepted by many Evangelicals in the industry. The industry wants songs that are dripping in a thick, obvious Christian message. They want to hear the gospel in every song. I allowed myself to be boxed into that mindset for years. I don’t have to use only one formula to write songs or produce and neither do I want to anymore. My song “Cactus Heart” is 100% a gospel song but it doesn’t say “God or Jesus” once. So, I’ll use my industry experience to help other artists stay in the game, I won’t be on the puppet stage any more. I want to be pulling the strings helping them play the best they can play. I’ll love on them as I encourage and help them navigate the industry safely, drawing on my own experience to make sure they don’t get swallowed up by the negative parts of the business.
Not to over spiritualize things, but it’s like when David was still a shepherd. David was self-trained in the back woods to kill wolves, bears and lions with his slingshot and bare hands. He approached the battlefield where Goliath the giant was taunting Israel’s army, he said he would fight. King Saul tried to put his armor on David, but it didn’t fit. David wasn’t being rebellious, but he said, "Look, I can’t fight with this stuff on. I’ve got to go with what I know." I feel a bit like that.
I came over here to the US and [they] tried to make me wear their way of doing things. I said, “No offense, but I need to go with how I roll.” Thank God for David’s example! No one should have to wear a suit that doesn’t fit in order to serve God trying to be something that they are not. I like to paraphrase Matthew 11:29-30, God’s yoke is easy, light, and it fits perfect. When you are doing what God wants you to do and what you’ve been gifted to do, it is effortless and a joy.
IV: You really fired all your publicists, agents etc.?! How are you managing now?
Paul: My audience can’t be found by agents anyway. People find me on YouTube, hear me at a concert like RevGen or friends share my music by word of mouth. People will typically email me after a concert like RevGen asking me to sing or host an event, if I can produce a band, help a kid get a start in the industry, whatever. That’s how I get work, just by turning up. That’s how I want to get work.
In my early days, my promoter, co-writer, manager and advertiser arranged everything for me and as a result it was good, but never great. So now, I don’t want to come across as some musician who has been relying on God like this for years. I’m here before you as someone who is repenting for not doing it right and starting over again the right way. I’ve been doing things this way for the last six years, and it’s working out fine.
That’s why I originally decided to join the Newsboys – to detox myself from me. I needed to get away from my own fame and being the person in charge. I wanted to serve something else for awhile and become just Paul. As a member of the Newsboys, I wasn’t the famous Paul Colman anymore. I wasn’t there as the main singer, songwriter or speaker. I wasn’t in the spotlight, and I enjoyed being a guitar player in the background. It was really good for me. It was exactly what I wanted and needed at that point in my life.
IV: When did you discover that music was your calling?
Paul: I don’t believe in callings. I know that rubs against the grain of mainstream Christian thinking.
What I believe is this: Love God. Love Others. Period. I don’t think God cares how you do it or what you actually do to accomplish it. I believe God lets us choose what we want to do. People get caught up in the how and what instead of focusing on what gives them joy. I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned. My life has to be my ministry. If my life is separate from my career then I’m not living the life God wants me to.
I believe God wants us to live in romance, flow and freedom, and not be tied to labels like, "I’m a missionary," "I’m a preacher," or "I’m a musician." Pride can sneak in and take over your identity very subtly. I want to be “just Paul." Paul who loves Jesus and loves people. People get bogged down by the details in life instead of living in the freedom and grace that God wants us to enjoy. I wish more people would do what they are great at and what they love to do. If it happens to be a missionary, then you go! If you love computer programming, plumbing, being a stay at home mom, a mechanic or an accountant - follow your heart as you glorify the Lord through your talent and passions. If you are joyful, won’t you naturally love God and other people more? Imagine if Christians were the most joyful and talented people you knew! It would change the world drastically. The world would be a much better place. We wouldn’t have to preach much because our lives would do the talking.
So many people are stuck in careers they hate – how much joy do you show between 9 and 5? What is your example to the world – do you complain… are you miserable in your job? That’s not for me. I want to empower and love the people around me the way Christ did. Most of the time he preached, healed, talked and ate with ‘sinners’ [gasps mockingly]. Christ lived out a life of love in each relationship during his three year tour. That is how I want my life to be – to encourage and love those around me in whatever I do – whether I’m on stage singing, talking to a CEO, being a dad or helping a janitor pick up wrappers from the floor. Life is my ministry, and I’ll use every opportunity God gives me to demonstrate his love.
IV: What do you want your legacy to be?
Paul: I’m a guy with a big heart and a lot of love for people but I’ve struggled to get it out because of a lot of trauma in life and personal difficulties. Bottom line is that I really love people and for the most part they love me too! [he smiles]. At the end of my life I want people to say that Paul was faithful to the Lord and his relationships. Despite a lot of personal troubles he battled his whole life, he stayed the course and even when he faltered, he kept pressing forward to be more like Jesus.
I was really screwed up when I first started out in my career. I didn’t realize how small my heart was and how incapable I was of loving properly. I’ve learned a lot through my mistakes and I have a long road ahead, but I know God is my hope, life and strength and He loves me the way I am, “Cactus Heart” and all.
IV: Thank you for taking the time to meet with InnerVoice. I have been blessed and challenged by your perspective to live a life of integrity on all levels in every area. Thank you for sharing your insights with our readers and giving us a look through the lens that God has given you in this life.
Paul: It was my pleasure! See you next year at RevGen 2011 or while I’m on tour in Australia with PC3. We are going to have so much fun this summer! (as Colman leaves in a hurry to MC the next group). 
You can download Paul Colman’s music from iTunes or in person if you happen to be in Australia during the 2011 Paul Colman Trio Reunion Tour. Click "Part One" to see the first part of this interview.
<<<Back to "Part One" to see the first part of this interview
Photos by Stacey Jung.