Creativity - Part One

I have heard it over and over again at so many training conferences, staff meetings and with individuals on my children’s ministry staffs and teams… It goes something like this:

• “I know that you just said to be creative and have fun – well, God just didn’t bless me with the gift to be creative."

Or

• “You know… I’m just not a very creative person.”

I really believe that nothing could be further from the truth. But this seems to be a general consensus in the Body of Christ among those, who you would think, would be the most apt to declare and have a high self-esteem of their creativity. Perhaps you are one of these who has voiced this very concern -like the quotes above - of your lack of creativity or maybe just the thought has continued to cross your mind. Let me tell you that the very fact that you were able to formulate that thought means that you are creative. Let me make this simple and practical for you.

The definition of creativity is simply this: The ability to take any idea that is at any stage and to add to it, or deconstruct it, or take away from it, or any combination of the three…

This means that you have the freedom to either be the one who has come up with the idea or, take an idea that already exists and modify it. Let me be obvious and point out the key word in that last sentence: freedom. Creativity is not meant to be a frustrating concept or practice. It is, like any other art form, the freedom of expression. It is meant to be fun and refreshing. In order to start down the path of creativity - start with this simple idea: Don't worry about being right, wrong or looking foolish. Give yourself permission to be free to express yourself, whether it be on paper, the computer screen or in conversation with others.

In the next post, I will start listing some practical steps you can take to promote, perpetuate and propel creativity.