Creative work would be so much easier if we could just put all of our data into a formula, push a button, and out popped great art. Unfortunately, creativity is not and should never be formulaic.

In our creative lives, we have to fight the urge to approach our projects and problems based on formulas. It’s common and has even become expected to approach our problems and projects looking for a formula. In theory, formulas simplify our work. Unfortunately, formulas also stifle creativity and breed copying over creating.

Psychologists frame fixation as an effect where previous experiences or familiarities can make problem solving more difficult. This is the case whenever habitual directions get in the way of finding new directions.

Doing the same thing – approaching our art the same way – believing we will get different results, does not create solutions or new art. It positions us to repeat old solutions.

Our responsibility as creative professionals is to be brave enough to try something different. We have to have the guts to do something new. We have to be intentional in approaching each day as if it’s our first time and be willing to break the patterns that become choke-holds on our creative process. Creativity is about rhythm and instinct more than it is about formula and repetition. Make no mistake: creativity is work. We must show up every day and be willing to tackle work that takes effort more than magical inspiration.

So let’s fight. Let’s fight the status quo. Let’s battle the temptation to repeat our approach. A fight that, when we win, will force us into creating the best art of our lives.

If we’re willing to fight, we will uncover more options to solve our problems and approach our art – as well as create great pieces. And just maybe, we’ll find a more rewarding result in the process.

Do you find yourself becoming fixated? How do you fight to find new lenses and approaches to your approach?

Whatch You Got?

It’s a powerful paradox; God, the Creator of the universe knew that when He created us we would be imperfect creations. Not only would we be blemished creations, but He would love us because of the blemishes, the cracks, and the flaws – they would become endearing to Him. But what’s really amazing is that a Holy God, a God with no sin and no flaws – desires the worship of His blemished and flawed creations. We are not only accepted by Him, He longs for our worship.

How many of us turn our back on some of our creations when they become flawed, or fail, or get messed up. I sure am glad God doesn’t roll like that.

On 2.22.12 we will be hosting our next worship night at the Bellevue Campus. It’s going to be a night unlike any other we’ve done in the past. We’re seeking new ways to praise and worship a Holy God through all of our beautiful imperfections. I hope you can join us.

Photo Props:

Part of being on a never ending quest to learn forces us to sometimes admit when we are wrong.

I have said repeatedly that as our lives get busier and busier, we have to schedule time to create. I have believed this rule and even have followed it in my own life. Every Thursday from 3-5, I don’t book any meetings. I save that time for creation. From time to time, it actually works. But more often than not, it ends up in frustrated and half baked attempts at doing our creative work.

I have wondered why, until today when I ran across a great article by Tim Sanders about an entirely different way to handle this problem. Sanders contends that scheduling time to be creative leaves very little room for inspiration, muse, and the art of creating. “Creativity is a burst of structured insanity”…which means we have to allow it space to burst when it’s ready, not when we can fit it in.

So what do we do with this information?

1. Be prepared to document. Flirting with or staying in our creative zones is important because our best work is done there. If we are too compartmentalized in our approach to creativity, we will stifle the gift we have to impact our ideas, situations, problems, and organizations. That being said, we need to always be prepared to document our creativity. Images, words, thoughts, insight, a sentence someone says, a melody we hear, a picture we see – document every moment no matter where we are so we can remember the insanity of that moment. Capturing these moments is like catching dreams – they allow us to revert back to that specific time when we can actually follow through on some of these opportunities. We need to document them as thoroughly as possible.

2. Rehearse. Sanders has convinced me that more important than scheduling is rehearsing. Everything we create: words, images, sounds, speeches, documents – they all represent us; they carry our DNA. Rehearsing our act of creating is more important than scheduling the time to attempt to work on something that might not be ready. Take the time to rehearse your art. What will you say? How will you write? When you open illustrator what will you create? Visualize the stage. Rehearse your part so that when you sit down to exercise the work, you actually have already begun the process.

I will still keep time on my calendar to be reserved for creativity, but I will shift it from creating to preparing to create. I am, however, going to be intentional in rehearsing more often and never apologizing for documenting every moment inspiration strikes so that I can steward the gift of creativity that lives around us every day.

Do you rehearse before you create?

A little late. Consider it your afternoon pick me up.

Anything you want to share?