We had three granddaughters at our house three days before Christmas. Along with Christmas music in the background, cookies to eat, and a viewing of “The Star,” I helped them with some construction paper projects. All we needed was a stack of construction paper, three glue sticks, and a pair of scissors (for me).
All three were well versed in arts and crafts, and glued circle, square, diamond, crescent, and heart-shaped ornaments on their trees as fast as I could cut them out. They added tinsel (what I call garland), a star, and a tree trunk. The project didn’t use up as much time as I imagined, so it was on to a homemade nativity.
A baby Jesus in a manger, Mary, Joseph, and an angel soon occupied a stable topped by a bright star. Happy faces all around made it a very, merry, Christmas!
One granddaughter is very organized, grouping all her ornaments by color on her tree. According to another, you cannot have too much tinsel. Even the two-year old skillfully glued ornaments on her tree with an eye for design. But she decided to play dress up when we started on the nativity project.
I love these analog moments in a mostly digital world. The memories and impact last beyond the moment in the hearts and minds of both old and young alike. What a great reminder that our Lord was more than an idea, but a person complete with a voice, little hands, and a smile.
Last Monday, I finished up Revelation and started with Genesis on Tuesday. The words that grabbed my attention in Genesis 1 were, “And God saw that it was good.” After speaking land, plants, heavenly bodies, birds, fish, and animals into existence, God saw that it was good. Once he added people to his creation he saw that it was very good.
I jotted that down in my journal, thinking about how satisfying it is to create something. It could be something I make with my hands, some words that I write, a picture I draw, food that I cook, or some music I play. It feels “good” to create something. I believe that’s part of being created in the image of God.
There is a downside to being a creator. I am very critical of my work. When I say, “That’s pretty good,” I’m fully aware that in some way I could have done better. I see every flaw in a paint job, hear every note that wasn’t quite in tune, and know that I should have taken something out of the oven a minute sooner. There is always room for improvement.
As a creator, you keep creating. You don’t have much of a blog if you don’t keep creating content. Music is gone in a moment. If you want more, you must play more. Recording artists are always working on their next project. Once you’ve preached a good sermon, you get to work on next Sunday’s message. After you’ve eaten all the cookies, it’s time to create a new batch, right? When the kids grow up (and they grow up so fast!), you’ve got no more babies – unless you make more.
On the one hand, God rested on the seventh day because he completed the work of creation. And yet he still creates. He graciously creates a clean heart in us (Psalm 51:10). If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). We are looking forward to the new heaven and earth that God will create (Is. 65:17).
I look forward to daily creating content for this blog. I enjoy creating a loaf of bread, memories with family, space in the house by decluttering, and a little music with my guitar, too. What a blessing it is to both know the Creator and be a “creator.”
As I sit down to write today, I see I have posted nearly 1,200 times on this blog, dating back to October 2008. I have a few more saved in some Word files that I had previously posted on another platform. I have written about ministry, family, travel, projects, and various things that have either made me laugh or groan. I have published some of my devotions here, a few sermons, and some memorable pictures.
I started investing more time in writing to become a better storyteller. Our minds are wired for story, and that’s what we remember best. Adding a layer of story to ordinary moments can transform them into something amazing. Not only can I share the moments with others, but it etches them into my soul. It’s a win-win.
It’s not easy to do. At least not day after day. So what revs up and maintains my creative juices? What tools or tricks do I use to come up with topics or issues to write about?
Pictures
I love to start with a picture. It might be a photo I’ve taken of something that caught my eye. It could be a piece of art from a gallery or from a grandchild. The visual sparks my imagination as I imagine the story behind an object, person, or place. I try to make sure I take a few pictures every day, knowing that one day they’ll be a springboard for a story.
Experiences
I’ve written a lot of stories about my experiences. That’s why I keep a daily journal, recapping the events of my day. I keep track of where I’ve gone, who I’ve talked to, what I’ve purchased, projects I’ve completed, what I’ve cooked and eaten, and especially what made me laugh. Sometimes I reach way back into my life to write about memories of school, family, and friends.
Music
Music helps. I am definitely a left-brained analytical thinker. Logic comes easy. Stories are a challenge. But playing music engages the right side of my brain and can shift me into storytelling mode. If I just can’t figure out what to write, I’ll grab my guitar or sit down with my trumpet and let music open up my imagination. It always works.
Gratitude
Gratitude stimulates creativity. Pause a moment to be thankful for anything and everything you have, the people around you, and the creation in which you live. Suddenly, the stories all around you jump out and beg to be told.
Scripture
For devotional writing, I always begin with a bible passage. The living and active word of God reveals how he is involved in the story of my life. His words transport me way back in time, then into the future, and then finally shape my life in the here and now.
Reading
I’m trying to read more now in retirement. When an idea or phrase catches my attention, I jot it down for later reference. I sometimes come up with story ideas that way.
Artificial Intelligence
I haven’t done a whole lot with it yet, but I can see AI being a tool to help me when I’m having trouble figuring out what to write about. It’s easy to ask ChatGPT for ideas and end up with more than you need. It’s new, and it’s a little intimidating, but it’s an interesting resource. I’ve found it very helpful for generating titles that get more attention.
Some days it comes easy. Some days it’s a real struggle. But it’s a process I enjoy and hope to continue.
A couple of times this morning, I had surprisingly creative moments. First, very early, while free writing after some scripture reading, the themes for my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day sermons popped into my head. Later, as I sat in my office to begin working on sermons for the next two Sundays, the themes and outlines fell into place in just a few hours.
After those few hours of door-closed, phone-in-airplane-mode, no distraction work, I paused to capture what made the morning so productive with what seemed like so little effort. You see, I want to be able to recreate such moments. As any writer, artist, composer or pastor knows, it’s not always that easy. Sometimes you close the door, turn off the distractions, pray, struggle, work and sweat, only to come up with nothing useful. Was there anything specific about today that I can replicate in the future?
One might suggest divine inspiration, and that may be a part of it. But there’s no way to predict when that might happen or turn it on like a faucet. God’s Spirit is like the wind. There’s no way to predict when you’ll feel the breeze. You just enjoy it when it blows.
I thought of a few things that might have contributed to an especially creative morning. First, I was as far away from Sunday as I could be. No pressure, no imminent deadline. I didn’t have to come up with any ideas. That reality freed my mind to wander, imagine, visualize and come up with all kinds of crazy ideas.
I’ve also begun drawing pictures in my journal, images that I find on the pages of my morning devotions. I’ll bet doing something artistic wakes up the right side of my brain, the creative side.
I believe reading helps, too. If I just read some devotional stuff, some fiction, a mystery, anything that takes me away in a story, and my mind begins to generate ideas. Out of nowhere. They just start to grow. Ten to fifteen minutes of reading opens a window into parts of my mind where really cool ideas otherwise lie hidden just out of sight.
I may not always be as productive as I was this morning. But I am going to try making every Monday morning such a creative time.
Waite for it... 