Category Archives: Creativity

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How to Conquer a Blank Page (and Maybe Even Create the World’s Next Great Invention)

The other day I saw a young boy talking on his cell phone while he was riding his bike. While it’s probably not a very safe thing to do, it is a marvel of modern invention and creativity. When I was a kid I could have never dreamed of a day when I would be able to speak on the phone while riding my bike.

I was happy to clothespin a playing card to my bike tire so that it sounded like an engine. I was glad to create a “haunted house” in my basement. I enjoyed pretending that the local woods were a wilderness that I had to survive. I celebrated scoring the winning touchdown on my front yard playing field.

Today it’s a bit more of a challenge for kids to create their own scenes, scenarios, and survival stories. Entertainment is everywhere (even on a bike). Creativity is already created for kids. Screens are all around. Information overload is a part of every day.

It’s tough to be truly creative today. Ideas are all around us. The old saying still holds true that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Google a word or idea and you’ll find more information than you could ever read.

Here’s a creative test: When’s the last time you started with only a blank screen, white piece of paper, or an empty notebook? How about giving it a try, or sharing this idea with your favorite kid:

  • No search engines
  • No music in the background
  • No TV to get the ideas flowing
  • No Wikipedia
  • No research
  • No books filled with art
  • No demonstration manual

Start the blank document, lay out the blank page, or open up the note book. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Is my project a square or a circle?
  • In what time frame is my project set?
  • Where will my project go?
  • Who will “consume” my project?
  • What is the mood of my project?
  • What color is my project?
  • Where in the universe will my project take place?

Now put your fingers to the keyboard, brush to the page, or pen to the paper. Let your imagination lead. See where it takes you. Don’t stop. Keep writing, painting, or drawing for at least five minutes without stopping.

You will be amazed at where your creative thinking takes you. You may even find yourself with the beginnings of something that would rival a cell phone, a hand held computer, or a new type of communication.

Maybe someday a kid will be carrying around your invention or idea…an invention or idea that today can only be imagined.

What ideas do you have for conquering a blank page?

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The Surprise of Emotion and How to Take Advantage of It

It came from completely out of the blue. I was answering questions being posed by a wonderful consultant helping our church sharpen our message. The topic of “stability” came up. We were discussing the idea of chaos in the lives of the students in our urban school. I began to speak of our school as the one place of stability in those young lives.

And right out of nowhere I began to cry. For a few moments I couldn’t even speak. Finally I said to the consultant, “I have no idea where that came from.”

She said, “You care.”

My emotion caught me off guard. I wonder if it did for Jesus that dusty day on the other side of the Mt. of Olives. Jesus found out His friend Lazarus had died, and we have the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). He cared more than we will ever know.

My care pales in comparison. But I still can’t deny the emotion I felt at the moment I thought about the impact a ministry very close to me has on lives that need stability so very badly.

It reminded me that we sometimes live our daily lives with emotion that lies right beneath the surface, but we pay no attention to it. I think that’s a big mistake. Paying attention to our emotion, noticing our feelings, and observing our passions does a number of things:

  1. It drives decisions. Recognizing my passion for the students in our school reminded me of the importance we need to place on that aspect of our church’s ministry. It means intentional decisions regarding that area of our work.
  2. It  guides a work day. As we pay attention to emotion it helps us better decide what to do at a given moment. Feeling happy? Complete a task that needs energy. Feeling contemplative? Spend some time studying. Feeling melancholy? Take the time to care for someone else.
  3. It reveals priorities. Paying attention to our emotions is probably the best indicator of what we’re passionate about, what we can’t stand, and why there are certain things that we really enjoy. Let your emotions help you to prioritize your work, your career, even your leisure and play.

I challenge you to pay attention today to your emotions. It may surprise you. You may learn something about yourself. It may even change the direction of your day.

When was the last time an emotion took you by surprise?

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The Nightmare of a Perfectionist

It’s a dream (well, actually a nightmare) that has a number of different forms but always turns out the same way: 

  • I’m in college and haven’t attended a certain class for the entire semester. The semester is almost over and now all the work is so overwhelming I can’t catch up.
  • Or, I’ve never been to the class, never even knew where it was held, and now it’s almost the end of the semester and I still can’t even find the classroom.
  • Or, I am a pastor, the service is about to begin, and there is no sermon prepared.

The dream always ends with some sort of task, class, or sermon left undone, just short, or so overwhelmingly incomplete it’s impossible to finish. Have you ever had this dream?

I’ve been told that psychologists say it’s the dream of a perfectionist. I guess that tells you something about me. I’m a perfectionist. One of my worst nightmares is to come up short.

I haven’t been able to tell if a certain stressor or event triggers these dreams. But I do know that when they happen they are impetus for me to:

  • Do the work (ala Steven Pressfield)
  • Keep trying
  • Persist
  • Ship the project (ala Seth Godin)
  • Go the extra mile
  • Pursue my passions (ala Hugh MacLeod)
  • Finish one big thing and start another
  • Work some more on the project that’s sitting on the back shelf

Time is too limited and life is too short to waste it on things that never get accomplished. I think I’ll leave the things that never get accomplished for my nightmares.

I may have to remind myself time and again that my work isn’t going to be perfect, but I’m committing myself to getting it finished. It’s a struggle for a perfectionist, but it’s a battle that’s worth waging.

After all, the more work I deliver the better it’s going to get…and the closer it will be to the perfection I desire. It’s a reminder I need. In fact, in writing this blog post I’m doing exactly what I’m suggesting. It’s one more thing accomplished; one more item complete; one more item checked off the to-do list.

Has a dream ever taught you a lesson or provided you motivation?

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How Consistency Creates a Sweet Swing and Artistic Hits

To put it mildly, the New York Yankees are not my favorite baseball team. My dislike for them goes back to the days that the Milwaukee Brewers were members with them of the American League. Their dominance, buy-a-championship ways, and cockiness have only fueled my fire.

I was certainly not the first to stand up and cheer when Derek Jeter recently reached the 3000 hit milestone. But I was intrigued by an article in the Wall Street Journal that shared a secret of his hitting success.

It came out of the mouth of Tampa Bay Rays manager, Joe Maddon. What he saw in Derek Jeter over all these years was:

Consistency.

 “Guys always want to change guys, or if they struggle a little bit, they say, ‘Let’s change his stance, let’s try this, let’s try that.’ The really good guys look the same out of high school as they do 15 years later. And that’s pretty cool,” the Rays manager said.

Apparently Jeter’s stance looks the same now as it did when he was scouted by Major League scouts when he was in high school. Already then he was building a foundational swing that, with consistency, would make him a hall of fame hitter. Though there was temptation all along the way to tweak and change his stance or his swing, Jeter always went back with consistency to the foundation he had built.

Even in creativity, there is something to be said for consistency. Certain talents, traits, and God-given gifts build the foundation for art and creativity that is distinct and unique only to you. Step too far outside your own box or comfort zone and you may be wasting precious time and material.

Creativity demands trying something new, something different, something that may be viewed as inconsistent. But an approach to creativity that includes the consistency of practice, or a certain talent, or a specific routine, could make you a hall of fame creative.

Start with a firm foundation, a great stance, or a sweet swing, and fantastic art will flow from it in every direction. Consistency matters.

Where do you see consistency helping your creative life?

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How Failure Led to Twitter Success

Have you ever heard of ODEO? Neither had I, until I saw a story about the other night on a show about technology and social media. While the stories vary, most agree that in one way or another, the end of ODEO was the start of Twitter.

ODEO was meant to be a platform for podcasting. But when apple came out with iTunes, it destroyed any hope ODEO had of gaining a mass market. Read more about it here.

Instead of giving up, the developers of ODEO decided to try something different. Out of failure came Twitter. It’s an understatement to say that the 140 character platform for social media is a success.

When I started this blog  I failed any number of times to get it up and running. But I kept on reading, learning, trying, and refining until this site was ready for public consumption. It can still use some tweaking, so I’m still “failing” as I try and make things better.

There is no manual for urban ministry, so my church and I are willing to try, and fail, so that in the end we are used as instruments to bring about Kingdom growth. Amongst many other things, we’ve overhauled our church governance, started a new service, and brought outsiders in to help and evaluate. Some of it has “worked.” Other things have not. When we fail we learn from it, get up, dust ourselves off, and try again.

Ask any artist, writer, or creative how many times they failed before they achieved any “art” or “success.” Please don’t be afraid to fail. You will learn. You will grow. You will find creative solutions.

You may even create the next Twitter.

What failure has led to success for you?

 

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Midnight in Milwaukee (Or, the Midwest’s Version of Midnight in Paris)

In the new film Midnight in Paris, a writer named Gil travels back to Paris of the 1920’s and meets writers and artists like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. The film itself is an adventure in creativity and a gold mine of ideas for any writer or artist. It shows the effectiveness of blue sky thinking. Suspension of disbelief is an important tool for any creative task, and Woody Allen has led the way with this wonderful romantic comedy.

Gil spends evenings walking in Paris to get away from his annoying fiance and to feed his creative spirit. It is on those walks that he encounters writers and artists of Paris’ past. One evening Ernest Hemingway says to Gil, “You’re a writer. You make observations.” That’s what all artists and creatives do. They observe. Observation and interpretation create great art.

But with nothing new or interesting to observe there is no fuel for the creative fire. In her book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron encourages people seeking renewal of creativity to take “artist dates.” Artist dates are done on one’s own. They consist of a block of time set aside each week to nurture and feed the creative spirit.

Cameron says…

Your artist is a child. Time with a parent matters more than monies spent. A visit to a great junk store, a solo trip to the beach, an old movie seen alone together, a visit to an aquarium or an art gallery — these cost time, not money. Remember, it is the time commitment that is sacred.

Every night at midnight Gil goes out on his artist date. On that date his creativity flourishes. He finds fodder for his art. He gains renewed excitement and passion. He even finds motivation to do re-writes.

You and I will probably never meet Fitzgerald, Hemingway, or Picasso on our artist dates. But, like Gil, our creativity will be energized and renewed if we will only take the time, defeat the resistance (who doesn’t want us to do artist dates), and make observations.

Here are some of things I could do for a “midnight in Milwaukee” artist date:

  1. Stroll upon Lake Michigan’s beach
  2. Visit the Calatrava wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum
  3. Browse at the humongous Renaissance Used Book Store
  4. Shop at Winkie’s old fashioned five and dime
  5. Enjoy the fragrance of fresh produce at the West Allis Farmer’s Market
  6. Observe people at the Milwaukee Public Market
  7. Bike along the Oak Leaf Trail
  8. Enjoy the sights and sounds of one of the many ethnic festivals
  9. See a play at the fabulous Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
  10. Catch the sights and sounds of a walk down Brady Street

What suggestions do you have for a “Midnight in Paris” kind of artist date?

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Creativity or Gimmick?

A year-and-a-half ago I came back from a three month sabbatical fired up and ready to try out all kinds of new and creative ideas. One of the things I did while I was away was study creativity and the creative process. It was interesting, freeing, and inspiring.

Upon my return we formed a Creative Team at our church. It was the first time in the 80 plus year history of the church it had such a thing. A great group of people got together to plan and execute series’, graphics, visuals, art, and other creative ways to bring “stickiness” to the weekly message and provide ways for it to be remembered throughout the week.

It was an exciting time for me. I felt challenged and rejuvenated. The Creative Team loved planning and executing their ideas. All was going well.

…Or so I thought.

Then someone told me that what we were doing was just “gimmick.” The argument was made that the Creative Team’s efforts were taking away from the Gospel more than enhancing it.

It was a minority comment, and almost an aside, but it nonetheless took the wind out of me. So much sincere time and effort had gone into the planning process and execution of themes.  Now it seemed as though it was a great deal of effort for little return.

I thought many appreciated what was being done. Now I wasn’t sure.

I wondered just what is the dividing line between creativity and gimmick. I’m still wrestling with it. I understand that the Word of God itself is creative, living, and active. The Spirit works in and through the Word.

But I also believe that Christians are both sinners and saints. It is my belief that the “sinner” needs branches of creativity. As they float down the river of the week, perilously headed toward the deadly waterfall, they grab hold of those branches to keep faith afloat.

So help me out.

What do you believe is the fine line that divides creativity from gimmick?

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How to Use Blue Sky Thinking to Create Your Own Space Ship

I have only just begun to read Phil Cooke’s book, Jolt, and it is already starting to change the way I

  • Think
  • View things
  • Face challenges
  • Tackle problems
  • Set goals

It’s amazing how quickly we grow out of our creativity. Cooke states that if we want creative kids we’d better encourage their creativity, especially between the ages of five and seven. During those ages creativity begins to drop rapidly. Ironically, it’s just about the time kids start to go to school.

When kids are that young they do a great deal of “blue sky” thinking. There are no limits, no restrictions, no confines. Young children haven’t yet been told often enough: “No, you can’t.”

When I was a kid my friend and I went into the woods across the street from our house where a fallen tree became our space ship. We had adventures that included aliens, asteroids, and atomic bombs. When our space ship crashed we had a grand old time fixing it and making our way to another adventure.

That’s blue sky thinking.

I wonder when I lost that? As I read the beginning of Jolt I was convinced I needed to recover it. Cooke reminds his readers that goals are all about “what ifs”… “so begin thinking about the great what-ifs of your life. No limits, no lids” (p.20).

Cooke recommends “blue sky” thinking to tackle all kinds of problems, challenges, and difficulties:

The only real limitations in your life are in your mind, so break those shackles and look for a farther horizon. Write it down and don’t let your past, other people’s opinions, or the limitations of your experience hold you back. (Jolt, p.22)

It’s an exercise that ought to be made part of a regular “creative workout.” It can be used, Cooke says, as a beginning to resolve challenges at work, at home, or even at church. As a first step “look for solutions without any rules, restrictions, or boundaries” (p.22). At this point there ought to be no thought of budget, time limitations, or past attempts to resolve things that didn’t work.

Often times a solution will jump right off of that list, even if it needs a bit of editing or reigning in. No limits. No lids. New solutions to old problems.

I tried some blue sky thinking as I went to sleep last night and my mind was awash with ideas. It was a refreshing way to count sheep.

How has blue sky thinking helped you view something in a new way, face a challenge, tackle a problem, or set a goal?

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How Social Media Has Helped Me Frame the Human Condition

Maybe I was naive, but I was a bit shocked. I’ll never forget the first time that a young, college-aged member of my congregation, who had “friended” me on Facebook, openly bragged and posted pictures of he and his friends participating in underaged drinking. Certainly he wouldn’t be that open about it, would he?

  1. It’s against the law.
  2. It could get one kicked out of school.
  3. Mom and dad could easily find out.
  4. My pastor is one of my friends on Facebook, and doing this would show that I’m not acting in a way  in which I was trained up and taught to act.

Ever since then I have stared in awe at the things people will reveal about themselves in open forums like Facebook and Twitter. You’ve seen and read plenty about privacy. But, in fact, there isn’t much privacy any more. We might as well get used to it. There are eyes, and ears, and cameras, and recording devices everywhere.

This post isn’t about how stupid it is to put illegal, unflattering, or embarrassing data and media on Facebook (although it could be). It’s not about ways in which these situations could be dealt with from a ministry perspective (although it could be). It’s not about protecting privacy or teaching our children to be awfully, awfully careful (although it could be).

As a pastor, artist, and creative, the thing that has interested and intrigued me about the things that people will make public, is the way in which they give us such a complete picture of the human condition. Social media offers unfiltered conversations, reactions, and opinions. It is fodder for art, for commentary, and yes for preaching Law and Gospel in Sunday sermons.

Here are some of the ways observing the human condition in and through social media can be helpful to creatives, artists, and pastors:

  1. It helps me to see my own flaws so that I can dig deep down and write things with which others will readily identify.
  2. It helps me address, from an eternal perspective, things that really matter in my writing and my preaching.
  3. It helps me to be more specific in writing about, preaching, and teaching Law.
  4. It helps me to apply Gospel comfort in a way that has the potential to be more broadly comforting to those reading or listening.
  5. It keeps my art down to earth and not “pie-in-the sky.”
  6. It fuels my empathy for those who are spiritually lost (…or at least “losing”). Empathetic artists are better artists.
  7. It reminds me that, literally, “there but by the grace of God go I.” When I apply grace to myself, I can be certain that it will be applied to others as well.

How does observing the human condition enhance your art or creativity?

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A Procession of Miracles

Thinking about that day still almost makes me cry…in a good way. It was literally a procession of miracles.

Our family had arrived in New York City in the summer 2004. Beyond being tourists in the city that never sleeps, our main purpose was to see as many shows on the Great White Way as we possibly could. Our family loves theatre and wanted to see it on a scale that is the best the world has to offer. So when we hit the ground in Manhattan we already had some tickets in our hand.

But the one ticket we couldn’t secure was the one to Broadway’s hottest show: Wicked. It was the show we all (…almost all of us) wanted to see more than any other. The problem was, so did everyone else. It was impossible to get tickets. Well, almost impossible.

It would take a procession of miracles for us to secure tickets. We knew there were two possible ways we might get the most coveted tickets on Broadway:

  1. Wait in the stand-by line early in the day to see if there would be any ticket returns.
  2. Win the daily lottery for two $25 front row tickets.

We knew it was a long shot, but decided to give it a go. I would wait in the stand-by line for a while as the rest of the family did some Manhattan shopping. I got there mid-afternoon and a line had already formed. Then, when the time came, the rest of the family submitted their names for the ticket lottery (I wasn’t allowed to because I was in the stand-by line).

To make a long story short, as showtime neared our daughter Ashlyn won two tickets in the lottery (I heard her name called while I was in line). It was nothing short of a miracle. Dilemma: which two members of our family would see the show? I was still waiting in line to see if two more tickets would free up. I gradually worked my way up to being first in line after a few people scored tickets.

Showtime was less than five minutes away as the ushers began telling people they needed to be seated, or they’d have to wait for the first break. Just then I was called to the ticket window. Two tickets had been returned: orchestra section, twelve rows from the front, right in the center. I bought them, and in we all ran.

It took a procession of miracles. Just as we sat the overture began and we all witnessed one of the most magical things we had ever seen with our own eyes (even son, Ben, who thought he’d rather be shopping on the streets of Manhattan). It was one of the most enchanting of a days of my life and one I will never forget.

On this year’s Tony Awards Bono of U2 said that every show on the stage that evening was “a procession of miracles.” Indeed. I’ve been in enough amateur productions to know that from the very start of the rehearsal process until the very last performance there are “a procession of miracles” that bring the magic of a live performance to an audience. There are always points where it seems as though the show will never be able to be pulled off. How much more so with today’s Broadway productions that include technology of all kinds. And some never do make it.

But the ones that do are a procession of miracles.

Theatre is a form of art that truly lives and breathes. There is no screen to separate. Audience reaction has an impact on actors. The chance of a forgotten line, missing prop, or malfunctioning set add to the wonderful tension. The applause at the end is an affirmation of of the procession of miracles that has just been witnessed and appreciated.

I, for one, am so very privileged to have witnessed this procession of miracles numerous times in my life…but especially that incredible day in the summer of 2004.

Where have you witnessed a procession of miracles in your life?