Abandon. Build A Reservoir. Collaboration. Done. Eliminate Excuses. Free Thinking. Glitter and Slime. Hang Out With Children. Invest. Just Do Something. Kiss. Listen. Money. These are just some of the many words and phrases used to describe creativity. In this post, I will give you 26 words to help define and understand creativity.
A is for ABANDON – Rules govern life. There are rules to fashion, design, and many other disciplines. However, at some point, you must abandon all you know and allow yourself to break the rules to create something unique and special. Be willing to push yourself outside your comfort zone and do something unconventional.
B is for BUILD A RESERVOIR – A few years ago, I read a book by Michael Hyatt, Planning Forward, that structured our life into three large circles, then three circles within each circle. The circles are:
- 1. The Circle Of Being: Spiritual, Personal, Health
- 2. The Circle Of Relating: Marital, Parental, Social
- 3. The Circle Of Doing: Job, Hobbies, Financial
I have begun reading according to these circles. I read three books in each category each year: Three books on spiritual growth, three books on personal growth, and three books on health consciousness, etc. This gives me a reading list of 27 books a year. I intentionally break up my reading into categories because I will easily read business, leadership, and marketing-type books. By pushing myself to read from many different categories, I have a deep well of information to pull from when creating new ideas or problem-solving old ones.
C is for COLLABORATION – Don’t be afraid to ask. As the gym teacher, I recently subbed as a long-term sub for my wife’s school in Covert, Michigan. They hired a new gym teacher, but he had to wait a few weeks before coming. I struggled with the high school students the first few days and didn’t know what to do. I asked a student privately how he thought the class was going. He smiled and nodded his head. With his smile and nod, I recognized that I was NOT doing that well. I asked him, “How can I do better?” He responded with an instant plan, “If you want everyone to participate, you have to play sports.” He continued, “In the past, we have split the court into three zones, one for basketball, one for soccer, and one for volleyball.” I took his suggestion, and it worked very well. Even though this young man was only in the 11th grade, I didn’t mind asking him for help, and it saved me a lot of headaches.
D is for DONE – Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook, stated, “Done is better than perfect!” I believe that perfection can create paralysis! Let us strive for our very best, but at some point, we must place a timer on our work and deliver! Completion is essential!
E is for ELIMINATE EXCUSES – I know you have heard these:
- 1. It’s what we’ve always done
- 2. Wait until the boss comes back and ask him.
- 3. That’s not my department.
- 4. I’m waiting for an okay.
- 5. That’s his job–not mine.
You can always find excuses; you and your team must push through all the excuses and devise a solution.
F is for FREE THINKING – Many high-level companies like Google have “Freedom Fridays,” where employees can work on any project. They often report that these “free projects” will be used in the future of their work. In her intriguing article in Forbes magazine, “Google’s Best New Innovation: Rules Around ‘20% Time'” Kathy Gersch writes, “Focused free-thinking builds a “change engine” into the culture. Allowing employees to focus their imagination and innovation on the company’s strategic goals positions Google on the verge of creating a new internal company dynamic. One that doesn’t just encourage people to go off daydreaming, but one that encourages them to drive toward new ways of doing things that can shift the entire company in a new direction.”
G is for GLITTER AND SLIME – I remember Rose’s sixth birthday party. One of her teachers said, “Mr. Morehead I got you a great present for Rosie’s birthday.” Of course, this teacher said it with much joy in her face and voice. It was a giant slime kit. Another teacher got her a glitter kit. I did not realize till later how much joy the two teachers were having until I saw slime on the dining room ceiling. I do not know how you get slime on the ceiling, but Rose had glitter and slime in every crevice of the dining room. The takeaway is that sometimes creativity requires you to be messy. You have to experiment with different materials, thoughts, and ideas. It comes a time when you have to put on an apron and let the glitter and slime go wherever it chooses. The result will be creative pieces you will put on your shelf and show to every guest entering your workplace.
H is for HANG OUT WITH CHILDREN – Bobbi and I were preparing to speak at a VBS. The theme was superheroes. We were chatting and brainstorming ideas for the event when Rose, lying quietly on the bed, said, “Dad, you have too much boy stuff. You think because you’re a boy everybody likes boy stuff. You need to add girl stuff.” After we quit laughing, I concluded there was indeed too much boy stuff. We spent the rest of our time adding girl stuff, which made the message much more inclusive. I could’ve ignored what she had to say, but now we use that message repeatedly because a child saw something I did not as an adult.
I is for INVEST – To truly be creative, you must be willing to invest your time, talent, and treasure into your project. When I first married my wife, I constantly shared new life-changing ideas with her. One day, on a walk, she gently asked me what happened with the previous idea I had shared with her. Of course, this led to a lively discussion because I had forgotten about the previous idea and moved on to the next one. That led us to understand that I would only share ideas I had written on paper. That thought process is that if the idea was important enough for me to sit down, block time, and commit to paper, it was important enough to share.
J is for JUST DO SOMETHING – I read a book by Kevin DeYoung entitled “Just Do Something.” So many of us are waiting for the perfect conditions and timing to get motivated to create. Sometimes, you just need to start typing if you want to write. If you desire to build something, go to the workbench. You can’t always start with the end in mind – Sometimes, you just have to jump in!
K is for KISS – Keep it simple, sweetheart – If you confuse, you lose. Overthinking is a major obstacle for many creatives. In his excellent book, “Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking,” Jon Acuff states, Overthinking is when what you think gets in the way of what you want. If you can worry, you can wonder. If you can doubt, you can dominate. If you can spin, you can soar.” Stop overthinking and get to work!
L is for LISTEN – Recently, in my daughter’s third-grade class, the teacher took them to a nearby pond and told them to sit on the ground, close their eyes and listen to all the noises around them. They were told to take notes and identify all the animals they could hear. If you do this with your work, you will be amazed at what you can hear. Listen to everything going on around you for inspiration. Listen to the sounds of creativity around you, whether in a mall, a theme park, or out in nature.
M is for MONEY – I have been privileged to teach workshops on creativity and ministry nationwide. One of my biggest frustrations has been hearing people say they don’t have enough money or resources to be creative. I was honored to preach in Mexico for a Holy Ghost crusade. We had the crusade on Saturday, but then, on Sunday, I went to a local church. I literally had to walk through chickens to get to the church entrance. As I started going up the stairs, streamers and balloons were everywhere. I entered the one-room church, and there was a balloon arch, a table full of cupcakes, and gift bags for all the children. This local church did not have nearly the resources that many others have. However, they put their best foot forward and put in their best effort. Don’t ever let resources hold you back from your best!
N is for NIMBLE – Creativity is not linear – Dr. John C Maxwell is one of my favorite authors. His writings have formulated my readership thinking. However, Maxwell is a very linear thinker. His advice and logic are always in a straight line:
- Once you start a project, see it through to completion before starting another project.
- Never handle things more than once: You pick up your mail, open your mail, sort your mail, take care of it right then, and never come back and handle it a second time.
These are great things that help many people, but for me personally, I simply have to be a maverick at times. I must go against everyday thinking and lean toward what works for me. Sometimes, I simply break the rules of productivity. During a given day, I may start Project One, take a 10-minute walk, work on Project Two, and then jump to Project One for five minutes because I have fresh inspiration, and then go to Project Three, Four, and Five and then come back and finish Project Two. You must lean into what works for you and understand that messy is okay if you are producing results.
O is for OFFER HELP – If you are stuck on a project you are working on, offer to help someone else with their project. This is not about procrastination, but sometimes, when we begin to help someone else with their work, creativity in our work will begin to break forth, and you can see a correlation between their project that will make you more efficient in your project.
P is for PEOPLE – Another popular myth about creativity is that it only comes from within. Yes, part of creativity comes from your heart and passions, but it also comes from the inspiration of Christ, the environment around you, and the people surrounding you. The greatest downfall I have seen for creative leaders who seek to paint new colors is burnout. In youth ministry, leaders are constantly trying to come up with new and innovative ways to reach students, and this reality means their paint buckets are bound to run dry from time to time. Therefore, to keep our buckets from running out of paint, it’s best to collaborate with other people who can fuel our creativity. For example, blue must be mixed with red to paint purple, and multiple ideas from multiple people usually mean more creative mixing. For instance, I have found that it usually takes ten to twenty ideas from five to ten sources to equal one great, innovative idea. I can get those ideas through books, workshops, or the Internet. But one of the best ways to collaborate with outside people!
Q is for QUIET – I often listen to podcasts and audiobooks or return phone calls in the car. Sometimes, however, I like to drive in silence, quiet all the noise, and drive in the stillness. It’s amazing how much creativity and burst out of the quiet.
R is for RE-DO – You have to be willing to tear down a GOOD idea that you have in place to create a GREAT idea. Sometimes, you get stuck and must be ready to step back and tear down an idea so that your BEST ideas can emerge.
S is for SUPERSIZE – One of the most creative leaders I have ever met is Sister Kinsler from Lapeer, Michigan. Several years ago, she taught at our Michigan District Kidz ministry workshop on how to decorate on a budget. In that session, she said you should SUPERSIZE everything. You should think bigger! Once you come up with an idea, think bigger. There is an incredible Easter lesson for kids called the Resurrection Eggs. They come in an egg carton with 12 eggs, and inside the eggs, some symbols share the gospel message. My six-year-old daughter at the time said, “Dad, do you think we could make those eggs bigger? Thanks to Hobby Lobby, we found 16-inch plastic eggs and created a supersized version of the Resurrection Eggs. So, whatever you can think up, there are ways to make it bigger for the ultimate effect. SUPERSIZE it!
T is for TIMING – Rev. Doug Kliendinst stated that timing is everything. You can’t plant corn in the winter and expect great results. Corn won’t grow in the winter. However, if you plant corn in the right season with the right resources, you can expect an incredible harvest. If you try using an idea “out of season,” it doesn’t mean the idea is wrong; it just may be bad timing.
U is for UNDERSTANDING – If you create on demand for a client or friend, you must have an open understanding of what they hope to achieve. While you are the artist, writer, etc., you have a specific skill set they have requested and may even be paying for; you should do what you can to take their input in stride. You must have an understanding of their needs.
V is for VISION BOARD – It helps me to see things. The more I can see, the better I can dream. I like to display my projects in my office, so as I go through my day, I can see the different projects I am working on.
W is for WAIT – Sometimes, stepping away from the project and allowing it to develop is helpful. Again, we’re not talking about procrastination; we’re talking about how it’s easy for your mind to get stuck in certain rhythms after working on a project for a while. When this happens, it’s good for me to step back, clear my mind, and allow new rhythms to develop.
X is for EXCEED – As a creative, I desire to exceed the expectations of the people I am working with and, most importantly, exceed my expectations. If I give my best effort, I can deliver what people ask. I have learned that most people can reach the expectations that they place on themselves. If the personal bar is low, we tend to produce at a low level; if we set our bar high, we will also meet those expectations. In his book, “Leading with the Heart,” the great Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, stated, “My hunger is not for success, it is for excellence. Because when you attain excellence, success just naturally follows.” So shoot for the stars and enjoy the journey.
Y is for YES – In the creative process, embracing the power of “YES” opens doors to experimentation, risk-taking, and the cultivation of imaginative solutions that defy expectations and propel progress. In “Making Your Children’s Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid’s Week” by David Staal & Sue Miller, they proclaim, “Yes! Those three letters, Y–E–S, pack incredible power. Yes opens doors, while No slams them shut. Yes steps into the world of possibility; No watches potential walk away. Although No delivers finality, Yes evokes excitement—and sometimes apprehension—for what lies ahead.” So say yes, unlock endless possibilities, and foster an environment ripe for innovation, new ideas, unconventional approaches, and unexpected collaborations.
Z is for ZEBRA – While being creative, we must weave numerous types of thoughts and ideas into one creation. Don’t be afraid to reach outside your comfort zone and use multiple disciplines to create a single thought.
CONCLUSION
Nimble. Offer Help. People. Quiet. Re-Do. Supersize. Timing. Understanding. Vision Board. Wait. Exceed. Yes. Zebra; Additional words used to explain creativity. As we progressed through the alphabet together, hopefully, you read something that will spark your creative juices.
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