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Jumpstarting Creativity

Derrick Bassett

Stuck. Everyone has been there; writing a paper, designing a set for the church easter production, planning VBS and all of a sudden all the ideas....gone! Nothing is more frustrating that needing to get a project finished and not being able to take a single step forward. Perhaps, you are "not the creative type", but as a pastor or youth leader at a small church you are required to be.

The truth is...everyone can be creative and have great ideas; not just the creative types. In fact, going back to the opening chapter of the Bible we see the first verb is created (Gen. 1:1 "In the beginning, God created..."). This shows us one of the many characteristics of God: creative. Later on in Genesis we read that we were created in His image and therefore we were created to be creative. So, if we are all able to be creative then how can we stimulate the creativity?

Know Your Idea-Friendly Times
The first key to simulating creativity is knowing your idea friendly times. These are times when ideas come more easily because your brain is able to wander unbridled. Once you are aware of these times you can adjust your schedule to accommodate them; in an effort to avoid creative block. For example; if you get ideas when you exercise then schedule to work on a big project before and after lunch so that you can brainstorm while you go to the gym during lunch. In case you are interested the number one, least creative time was at a desk!

Chic Thompson (author of "What a Great Idea!" and "Yes, But...") did a survey of 2,500 executives about their idea-friendly times. The top ten were:
  1. Taking a bath or a shower
  2. Driving
  3. Sitting on the toilet
  4. Falling asleep or waking up
  5. During a boring meeting
  6. Reading
  7. Exercising
  8. Waking up in the middle of the night
  9. Listening to a church sermon
  10. Cutting the grass
Capture Your Ideas
Ideas come at almost anytime and any place. Once you know your personal idea-friendly times you can be prepared to capture those ideas. Unfortunately, many times an idea will pop up, but instead of recording it - we will wait until we get to the office or to our computer and by that time it will be forgotten. Also, don't filter the ideas before you record them - record every idea. The possibilities for recording your ideas are endless. Taking a bath or shower? Buy some soap chalk. Driving? Perhaps an audio recorder (writing & driving can be dangerous)! How about listening to the church sermon? Isn't that what the weekly bulletin is for? Whatever the case - just be prepared to capture those ideas!

Creative Devices
Those people that are labeled "creative types" understand there are tricks that help them to be creative and stimulate their creativity.

Changing Environments: Your environment will influence creativity. This is why you will often find writers at Starbucks (besides the great coffee!). It is good to get out of the office; out of a structured environment and into a comfortable, relaxing environment. Also, many creatives will create a room that stimulates their senses and creativity. Often times this room will include varied lighting and bold colors.

Play: Everyone still has a little kid inside of them! Try keeping some toys in your office; perhaps a few Legos, a Jacob's Ladder, some Playdogh or Silly Putty. When your hands are handling something tactile it allows your mind to relax and wander.

Change Habits: The number one killer of creativity is unchanging structure. Try changing your daily routine in some way. Take a different way to work in the morning. Eat breakfast before you take a shower and get ready for the day. Play with the kids when you get home and then watch the news.

Let It Sit: Have you ever had a project that you just couldn't make any headway on because the deadline was looming and you were pushing too hard? Try letting it sit. Many times we get ourselves stuck by pushing too hard. Once you have created a draft, created a preliminary idea - put it aside for a week or longer. Once you pull it back out you can look at it with a different perspective and often times with a swell of additional ideas.

Creativity isn't something that is limited to artists and can be stimulated by utilizing these few practices and devices. It can take a while to learn how to unlock your creativity, but keep working toward it. Creativity doesn't always just flow out - even for creatives; it must be stimulated.