Chasing WonderSample

Day 9:  A Spark of Creativity

Some of you eat, sleep and breath creativity. So you are already thinking up creative ways to head out on your next adventure and spice up your life. But for you, my friend, who is still not sure if you have a creative bone in your body, fear not! I believe in you, and together, we are going to wake up your inner da Vinci. Let’s get started…

First of all, you must make time for creativity. A creative thought might drop out of a tree and hit you on the head, like that apple hit Isaac Newton, but it’s unlikely. You need some time outside of the day-to-day treadmill of routine to think. Make it a priority and just go for it!

What is your passion? When you allow yourself to put time and energy into something you love, everything becomes an adventure. When I’m working on a project I’m passionate about, I often can’t stop thinking about it. I’m excited about it and new thoughts just keep coming. When I’m brushing my teeth or taking a shower, and I get an out-of-thin-air idea or sudden clarity, I am sure to immediately jot it down so I don’t lose the inspiration. I keep my phone or a notepad by my bed so I can clear my head of the thoughts that continue to come as I’m winding down for the night, and once those are out, I sleep like a baby. Discover your passion and you may discover your creativity.

What are your talents? God has put amazing things inside each one of us, and that means you too. I can guarantee it. When you give yourself permission and time to explore your talents, whether you use them in your day-to-day work or not, you will be more productive and creativity will flow. Are you a musician, a cook, or an organizer? Are you great with numbers, or kids, or are you a leader of people? There is creativity in all those things. Find an outlet for your talent and you will be less bored and more satisfied because you are feeding the gifts God has placed in you.

Let go of your fear of failure. Creativity can only flourish in a safe environment, an environment where risks are taken because failure doesn’t mean final. I look at creativity like some describe love: release it and if it comes back to you, it is a success; if it doesn’t, it was worth a try. I am blessed to work in an environment where we are free to try and sometimes fail. You can’t be creative and perfect. Allow yourself permission to try and fail sometimes. It’s not the end of the world and may be the beginning of something beautiful.

Do something you would never do. Break out of the mundane and do something completely different. It can open new doors for the wonder you are seeking and spark creativity you would have never found otherwise. I don’t care if you go on an alligator hunt (which I did but NEVER thought I would) or visit your mother-in-law but do something you normally wouldn’t do and gather some new inspiration for your creativity and your passion for life.

Here are a few more suggestions to kindle your creativity:

• Stay ever curious.

• Be playful.

• Say yes more than no.

• Listen longer.

• Embrace the unexpected.

Finally, be open to creativity in all aspects of life—don’t relegate it to certain places or times. Fight the boredom and dissatisfaction that is plaguing so many by refusing to succumb to the tedium of living over-scheduled, overworked, and unsatisfied. Be creative in your work, at home, with your kids, at church. 

God is the master of all creativity. He took the formless and empty vastness that was earth and created light and darkness and morning and evening. Then He went on to create all that exists. I mean, if that’s not creative, I don’t know what is! And remember, His Spirit is living in you!

What are you passionate about? What talents do your friends and family see in you? Make a list of 5 things that you love and start brainstorming! Ask God to show you how you can think like him and get creative with the world that’s in front of you.