Excuses are expensive. They keep us from doing our best work. They cost us time, resources, and opportunities. Benjamin Franklin once said: “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Creativity can sometimes be daunting and there are times we all look for reasons NOT to be our creative best. Here are 25 lies we believe and present as excuses:

• 1. We do the things we do because it’s what we have always done.
• 2. “That’s not how we do things.”
• 3. We believe vision is not clear.
• 4. We have no urgency.
• 5. We allow our attention to detail to drift.
• 6. We have “too much to do.”
• 7. We believe the lie that “My boss won’t let me,” even if we haven’t asked.
• 8. “They” wont like it.
• 9. We’re not empowered to do “it.”
• 10. There’s no trust.
• 11. We lack the desire to take a risk.
• 12. There’s not enough money, time, or people.
• 13. Assumptions instead of innovation.
• 14. Fear.
• 15. No one has done this before.
• 16. Everyone’s doing this.
• 17. Insecurity.
• 18. “Not my job.”
• 19. I don’t have the authority.
• 20. Rules & procedures.
• 21. Lack of encouragement.
• 22. No teamwork.
• 23. Too many meetings, emails, or tweets.
• 24. Fear of trends.
• 25. Low morale.

Excuses cost us too much. Change starts with us. We can stop the excuses and work to change the culture around us.

What are some of the excuses that you fight?

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Some stuff we like to do, while other things can be a chore. It’s the nature of work and a big part of the creative process. So what’s the best way to beat the hard things so we can focus on the stuff that we enjoy and that fills us up?

Mark Twain – famed author and humorist once said it’s important to: “Eat your frog.” The concept is simple. Twain argued that if you eat a frog first thing in the morning, then nothing throughout the rest of your day could be worse. When we eat our frog first, the worst part of our day is behind us.

What is the one “thing” you procrastinate most? Obviously if you’re procrastinating it, you don’t enjoy doing it in the first place. It’s often something important that needs to be done, but we’re allowing procrastination to keep us from moving forward. Let’s knock that “thing” out at the top of the day before the emails, twitters, meetings, and conversations all pile up. First thing in the morning, we have energy, clarity, we’re rested, and our creativity tank is full! What better way do we have to attack that “thing” than giving it our absolute best?

Each day, as we’re preparing to leave our space, identify the next day’s frog. Write it down. Prepare for it. Doing this can set us up to win – and win early.

Eat your frog so you can spend the rest of your day doing the things you love.

What is your frog today? Eat up.

At times we all need a little boost, a jolt to our creativity. I actually need one tonight.

The truth is, there is not a “wall” that we hit when we run out of gas, but in reality we run out of ideas and inspiration.

To often during our creative process we forget to hit the pause button. This is especially true of creative people who work in the church. Sunday always feels a day away.

So here is a quick exercise developed by the good folks over at “the world’s greatest museum of art and design:” Victoria and Albert Museum.

Turn off all distractions. You will need 30 minutes to complete this exercise without interruption.

Find an image or object that inspires you.

For 5-10 minutes just study the image.

Walk away and reflect on the image. During this time you can write word, draw pictures, etc. but it all should be based on the object or image you have just studied.

Rejoin the group (2 or more) and share what you saw and then what it made you feel.

How we engage thoughts the rest of the day will be shifted. The silence and focus will change our brain processes. And by the end, we will feel like our creativity has been re-engaged and we are “back” to being the amazing artists for which God created us to be!

Are you in?

We continue the Worship Leader Process series this week with Paul Baloche. Don’t forget that when you tweet or post this content on Facebook you register to win some BEATS BY DRE.

My friend Paul is one of the most prolific worship writers of all time. Chances are if you look at the setlist from your local worship service Paul’s name is on several of the songs. Paul is an avid Beatles fan and leads worship at his local church, Community Christian Fellowship, in Lindel Texas. Paul just released a new album, Same Love, and you can get it here. Now, for the 9 questions with on of the most creative and hardest working guys I know:

1. What does your creative process look like?

• It consists of capturing any and all “inspired ideas” that catch my attention. I record the ideas on my iPhone – from prayers, sermons, or everyday life – then I carve out time during the week to listen back to those recordings – worship with them, play with them, and see if anything starts to take shape. I usually have several song ideas going at the same time.

2. When you write worship songs do you identify a target audience or focus on theme?

• After an inspired idea starts to take shape I’ll consider what direction or what focus the idea should take, asking “Does this seem like it should be a ballad? an anthem? etc. ” Also, I’ll try to focus the lyric more and more as the song unfolds, expanding on a concept or theme instead of trying to cover the whole Bible in one song.

3. Do you have a favorite place to write or create?

• Not really. I’m kind of A.D.D. so staying in one place stifles me. I’ll start off in my church sanctuary or home office, then go for a walk with the ideas floating around, then back home, etc.

4. What inspires you the most?

• Life, creation, sunsets, clouds, etc. Visual things inspire me. However, I find that my best “inspired moments” come to me when I’m in the midst of leading worship, praying, getting “lost in God” – when I’m not “trying” to be creative.

5. When you feel you have hit a creative block, how do you overcome that moment?

• Listening to new music, checking out some random bands on iTunes can help. Going for a walk, listening to a podcast sermon. That’s also a good time to get with another writer or musician to stir things up.

6. Do you prefer to create in community or on your own?

• I love community. I gravitate toward co-writing situations even if I feel like my song idea is almost finished. There is something about getting with a person you trust – sharing stories, coffee, prayer, etc. that leads to something very organic and new. Even if you don’t finish a song, the time was well spent and good for the soul.

7. What is the hardest part of creating worship sets every week (or as often as you lead worship)?

• The hardest part would be deciding if you’re teaching too many songs or getting stale. Also, keeping my heart fresh from week to week so that my worship leading doesn’t feel like “a job’ or “a gig”, but rather an overflow of some alone time with God. I typically stand on the platform with my guitar, worshiping or singing scripture when the sanctuary is empty during the week. Maybe an hour on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. I find that this practice helps me when I show up on Sunday morning and the Church is full.

8. How do you balance original songs with songs that are leading the global church when you are creating a set?

• I try not to take advantage of my captive audience (congregation) by pre-screening a lot of my new songs. I generally don’t share a new song of mine unless it stands out and feels strong during rehearsals. Over the years we probably are at a 50/50 ratio of original songs vs. global songs.

9. Who is the one writer you have not worked with that you would love to write a song with?

• hmmm. Bono? Jon Foreman? Mark Hall?

I love hip-hop music. I grew up on it and it has been a big part of my life.

“Back in the day” Front’n was a term used for acting like you are something that you are not.

I think from time to time we all front. We front we know more than we do, that we are something we are not, that we (fill in the blank). The entire reason we front is because we are insecure and want to be accepted. We have been conditioned to believe that high self-confidence is the key to a successful life. We buy this lie every day in hopes we can fool a few more people into believing we are a little more creative, a little smarter, a little better leader when all along the real you is not only more than enough, it is who God created for this moment. The truth is, according to a recent study reported by the Harvard Business Review, a low self-confidence is actually more likely to make you successful! It is a game of balance. Finding a healthy level of self-confidence that is an honest picture of your heart can propel you to success:

Honest self-confidence stays coachable. We don’t have to always know it all and have all the answers. It is healthy to admit that and lean on others. Staying coachable allows us to grow, build trust, and get better. It also removes the pressure of always trying to be right. Staying coachable allows ourselves permission to fail…as long as we are trying to get better.

Honest self-confidence makes us pay attention. We listen to feedback good and bad. We don’t live on the highs of the good or plunge to the depths of the bad. As creative people it allows us to balance the good and bad. We create and people have opinions on our creations…that will never change. So how are we going to respond?

Honest self-confidence makes us ask questions. When we refuse to believe our own hype, we are willing to questions things more. We seek the right answers not just our opinions.

Honest self-confidence makes us more flexible. We know other ways may be better.

Honest self-confidence makes us hustle. When we don’t feel we can rest only our talent we are on a journey to getting better. We are looking for a new challenge every day. We want to be challenged, tested, and feel that competitive pull to be better. When our confidence is healthy we know we can grow and get better…that there is more in front of us to accomplish and room to grow. It makes us work harder and be more honest about our efforts.

Honest self-confidence is inclusive. When we don’t come across arrogant or like a jerk it makes us approachable. Inclusivity helps foster better culture and team dynamics.

Extremely low self-confidence is different. We have to fight that. That is not living the identity God created for us and alerts us that we may not know who He created us to be. Extremely low self-confidence is identified by fear, worry, a lack of direction, over stress, and the ability to give up.

So lets do this. Let’s be honest. Lets find that healthy self-confidence that just might make us better than we ever thought we could be!

What would you add to this list?

When I was a kid, the idea of gambling was not acceptable. It’s kind of ironic that now there’s not a day that passes where I don’t have to gamble on something.

Every time we have an idea it ‘s a gamble if we’re going to share it.

When we make a decision, we’re gambling.

Having that conversation that we’re not sure about – and not sure how it is going to be received – is a big gamble.

Trying to actually create something out of nothing takes the guts of a gambler because the rejection of this idea is worse than losing everything.

Being willing to do things that may not have ever been done before takes some big bets.

I don’t believe we’ve put enough thought or research into our gambling. If we’re going to gamble every day, we better start preparing to get better at the game. The problem when it comes to gambling is you never are going to beat the house. We’re going to lose more often than we win. Just accept it. The only way to get better is to get bolder. Gamblers push past fear for the chance to win.

When we gamble, there are times we’ll win big, times we’ll know we have a winner, and times we’ll leverage that confidence to bet big.

Sometimes we will get lucky.

Other times we will lose – and most likely we will lose amazingly bad.

We are betting with ideas, emotions, decisions, time, resources, money, equity and momentum.

And here’s the thing – if we just play it safe, we will never advance. That’s not why we’ve been hired. That is not why we’ve been put into our positions. We’re not here to be safe, we’re here to bet like ballers. We have to take some risks. We have to go against logic sometimes – study the data, try our best, and leverage our data and our instincts. Sometimes we have to try something new, even if it means we end up falling flat on our face.

The truth is – what use is it to play if we’re not willing to take the risk? So, get ready to go all in.

Be it bluff, brains, or brash, we have to take a chance and push in the chips.

The good news is, unlike cash, tomorrow we’ll have new ideas. There are always more. And when we run out, we just go fill back up!

So bet! Bet on your team. Bet on your leadership. Gamble on your ideas, on your instincts, and on yourself. Without a few bets, we can’t accomplish everything that MUST BE DONE!
Are you ready to go all in?

Over the next few weeks Integrity Music and I have decided to share a little peak behind the creative curtain of some of todays most prolific worship leaders. Questions about process and a peak at how these worship leaders are crafting songs for the Church. Every Monday we will post a new interview. Also, the good folks at Integrity want you to hear the real sounds these artists are creating so, we are giving away 2 pairs of Beats By Dre, Solo HD Edition. Its easy to enter, just Tweet this post or connect it to your Facebook and at the end of the series we will randomly select a winner. There are even nice little buttons to the left of this post that will make this easy for you.

Today Jon Egan is joining us. Jon is a worship leader at New Life Church in Colorado. You can follow him on Twitter HERE. Jon also fronts the Desperation Band. Their new album, Center Of It All, is available on iTunes HERE.

Q1. Jon, what does your creative process look like?

• Out of the heart the mouth speaks.  In other words, what goes in will come out.  As a worship leader/songwriter, it is of the utmost of importance to fill up with the things of God.  The last few years have been a blast for me.  More than ever, I have become a student.  A student of theology, revival, the presence of God… What I have learned from Him and from others, He is using to fuel my creative process.  When truth explodes in my heart, I am compelled to share it.  Whether it is with my mouth through speech or through the vehicle of song.

Q2. When you write worship songs do you identify a target audience or focus on theme?

• I love the church.  All generations, commending His works to one another.  I want my songs to transcend age and/or season of life.  I actually do not believe in “youth” worship or “adult” worship.  People have tried aiming their songs at one age group for years.  Myself included!  All that has been found is that the songs that reach one age group the most are the songs that reach all groups.  A great song is outside a cage.  More than ever, I strive to write for the “church”.  All generations. I am a theme writer for sure,  maybe to a fault.  I want to be moved by an idea and develop it in the song.  God speaks to me this way so it is hard to write in other ways.  It helps me focus on the weight of big ideas.  For example, I wrote “Strong God” from Psalm 68 where it commands us to sing to God.  But the “why” is what got me.  Because He is father to the fatherless.  Defender of widows. He puts the lonely into families.  Incredible thoughts about family, justice, and the plight of the orphan and widow.  I sat in this psalm for a while knowing that this theme had to be written into a song.

Q3. Do you have a favorite place to write or create?

• I have a space created for writing, but it’s funny how it works.  I end up writing everywhere.  I think writers need to ALWAYS be writing.  Whether they’re in church, or alone in a writing room, or driving in the car, truth can come out and you want to be ready.  Just the other morning I woke up singing a melody.  I loved it.  I grabbed my phone and recorded the melody.  Now it is finding its way into the bridge of a new song I am working on.

Q4. What inspires you the most?

• The reality of God.  He is more real than everything around us.  Which means He is here, involved, engaged, close.  I want to see God’s people wake up to His presence.  Wake up to His love and grace.  And therefore see that they are His.  And they are carriers of His presence to this place and every place.

Q5. When you feel you have hit a creative block, how do you overcome that moment?

• First thing I do is not panic!!  I think a creative block can actually reveal some nasty things inside us.  If we panic, we are perhaps treating our writing as an idol.  And why would we treat it that way?  Because it points to us perhaps?  Glory is God’s alone.  Because it shows that God is using us?   We must trust God to use us.  Because it may generate income?!!  Ouch!  God is our provider!!  When I hit the block, I relax.  Perhaps I need to learn some things.  Mostly, I need to come out of the writing season (the pouring out season) and enter into a reading season (the pouring in season).  And by reading, I mean spending time with Him…  in the Word and in the words of others He may lead you to.

Q6. Do you prefer to create in community or on your own?

• God is doing a tremendous thing with community.  He always has been if we’re being honest.  But writers are catching it…myself included.  The Center Of It All album has only 1 song on it that is just my own.  Every other song is a collaboration!  And the result is something I am so proud of!  We need each other.  We are better together.  We all see God in different ways.  We interpret in different ways.  If we are willing, we can learn from just about anyone.  I was so honored to write with people I deeply respect.  Jason Ingram, Mia Fieldes, and Paul Mabury are heroes of mine.  To get with them and craft worship songs for the church was an absolute thrill! I do not think that writing a song alone is in any way wrong.  But I do believe a spiritual thing is happening here with community.  I plan to continue diving in to it!

Q7. What is the hardest part of creating worship sets every week (or as often as you lead worship)?

• Like a marriage, worship-leading is a God given role that does present challenges.  The greatest things will always include the greatest challenges.  For me, the biggest tension is having to put to death the “people pleasing” thing.  We are only free to deliver people when we are delivered OF  people.  I pray for and seek to have authority in my leading and songs.  Longing for man’s approval will cripple your spiritual authority.  It is something that must die.  And it seems to have resurrection power now and again because it seems to find its way back!  it is something to consistently slay.  But!  His grace is sufficient!

Q8. How do you balance original songs with songs that are leading the global church when you are creating a set?

• In context to leading with authority, it is important to me to make sure I lead songs that are truly “in” me.  My original songs are “in” me yes.  But they haven’t always been.  I’ve been at my home church of New Life for 11 years now!  I believe that I’m meant to write for our church.  In 11 years of massive ups and extreme downs, there is quite a bit to SAY now.  So the songs written lately have been special to me because they are FULL of things we have learned as a church body.  But also, I believe that when God speaks something, MANY hear it!  So you can find incredible songs from others that are meant for your church.  I’m constantly amazed that themes that are burning in my heart end up coming out on other albums!  From other people!  It’s really an amazing thing.  So, when I commit to singing at church what God is speaking, the balance of original songs to other songs works itself out.

Q9. Who is the one writer you have not worked with that you would love to write a song with?

• Ah man.  There’s a few.  But my hero that I have never met is Martin Smith.  I grew up listening to him and his songs.  He is more than a songwriter.  I would love a chance at that!!

Here is the art for the album, Center Of It All.

Don’t forget to Tweet or Facebook this post for a chance to win the Beats!

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I remember this time I had an idea I was so scared to share at work. See, my last few ideas had not only been shot down, they had been obliterated. To be fair, the ideas may not have been my best work, but I still had worked up the bravery necessary to share them. Here, I fell victim to being a coward and didn’t share the idea. A few days later, I told the idea to a co-worker – who shared it and ended up being praised when the idea took off and made the company a lot of money. It was fear that crippled me and cost me that day.

In a recent article posted in Vanity Fair online, interviews of Microsoft employees revealed the same fear that I felt that day. This fear has crippled Microsoft. They haven’t had a major launch success since the year 2000. The people interviewed revealed what motivated them most while at Microsoft: “Stack Ranking”. This management system forces every division of the company to rank employees as top performers, good performers, average performers, and poor performers. That’s motivating. One employee even said:

. . .“It leads to employees focusing on competing with each other, rather than competing with other companies.”

When leading creative people and attempting to create, innovative communities battle the temptation to play the comparison game. It breeds fear. Treat each team member as an individual who contributes their work the best they can to improve the product. That doesn’t mean everyone is going to excel and, at times, we’re going to have to replace some folks. Anything that breeds fear creates opportunities to stifle creativity. Lead with vision and mission, not with fear and intimidation.

Be aggressive in fighting fear. It wants to cripple the minds of the creative people in our organizations. Set expectations clearly. Be honest – even when it hurts. Communicate, and then over communicate. Protect the people in our organizations who create from the outsiders who view criticism without conclusion as constructive. Being creative and innovative is so important for the growth of what you do and how you grow. Eradicating fear is vital to keep a culture of creativity alive.

Are you fighting for Creativity?

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Which is more important in creating creative cultures – skill or approach?

Skills are picked up throughout life. They can be taught, coached, and learned and, with enough practice, skills become sharper and more precise. Skills are very important, but they don’t make us dream.

How we approach our work and our world matters more than we sometimes remember. Our approach consists of how we blend:

• curiosity
• flexibility
• wonder
• attitude
• perspective
• enthusiasm
• focus
• hustle
• faith
• trust
• priority
• perseverance
• commitment to excellence
• persistence

To create anything memorable, it’s going to take skills. But before a skill can find its place, the approach MUST be right.

It starts with you.
What will your approach be towards that project in front of you?
How will you lead your team? Will you lead them to act skill first or imagination first?

We often invest in ways to improve our skills, but what if we started investing in improving our approach. Innovation and imagination live in approach, not in skill.

What is your approach going to be?

I had the pleasure of contributing to the SUNDAYMAG this month. If you work at a church this free resource is priceless. Make sure you check it out. This month Jonathan asked that I talk about design a little bit:

Design is so much more than what happens in Photoshop or Illustrator. The beauty of design can reach deeper than any After Effects project, any really good edit, or any interesting live experience. Design is about emotional experience and communication. It’s about the feeling you get when something is right.

Good design communicates the tone of what we’re sharing and how people interact with these thoughts. Good design starts with a feeling, a plot, and an emotion. Great design, however, changes how we interact; it’s the difference between good and great experiences in our lives.

You can read the rest of the article HERE.