Category Archives: Creativity

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Re:Creating Life

In this ongoing series I am recapping the incredible speakers I experienced at re:create 11, a conference for “creatives” in Franklin, Tennessee. If this blog were on a piece of paper you would probably see tear stains on it. Ken Davis is certainly in the top five public speakers I have heard or witnessed in my life. For me it wasn’t so much what he said (although it, too, was fanstastic), as it was how he said it. And it brought literal tears to my eyes.

I noticed that the notes I took during his talk mostly failed me, because I was so enthralled in what Ken was saying and how he was saying it. Nonetheless, here are some of the things I jotted down:

  • There is an exhilaration you feel when you’re doing what God had in mind when He spoke you into existence.
  • Irenaeus: “The glory of God is man fully alive.”
  • Ben Franklin: “Many men die at 25 and aren’t buried until they’re 75.”
  • Switchfoot: “I wanna wake up kicking and screaming.”
  • This life is not a waiting room for eternal life.
  • A sign of life is discipline.
  • Do what you do to live, not because it’s a living.
  • The opposite of discipline is death.
  • If you proclaim anything you will be criticized.
  • Fail quickly; get it over with.
  • Failure is the ticket to success.
  • Confidence is using your giftedness according to God’s purpose.
  • Take chances and risks.
  • “Signs of life” are relationships.

At this point, Ken began to speak about his own relationships. He introduced us to his family and his grandchildren. He told us about what he called his “Fairy Granddaughters.” He spoke about them with humor, passion, compassion, and the kind of love only a grandfather can have for his grandchildren. He engaged us by allowing us to get to know them all. I was drawn in deeply because I saw my own family in his.

And he told a story. It was a story about his granddaughter getting lost on a mountain in Colorado. The story was captivating because it was filled with “real life” situations, humor, tension, humor, exhilaration, humor, relief, and humor. This is the part of the talk when I found myself wiping away tears. I was identifying completely with the speaker and feeling the arms of the story being wrapped around me. I saw my own love and passion for my children, the way Ken has love and passion for his grandchildren.

It was a bold and blatant reminder that one of the greatest reasons to be alive is to be in relationship with those closest to you: your own family. I wasn’t taking notes at this point, but while his granddaughter was lost Ken said he found himself out in the woods on his hands and knees praying something like this: “Take my property; take everything I own; take my health; …take my life…but please bring back my granddaughter alive.”

What parent or grandparent wouldn’t pray that same prayer in a similar situation? My family is more important to me than life itself. I guess that’s why I found myself in such an emotional state at that point of the talk. I saw others wiping tears, as well (fellow re:creators, you know who you are!).

I guess Ken’s point was: God gives life in this world purpose. That purpose is filled full in many ways. One of the greatest ways is by the very people with whom we laugh and cry, sing and shout, live and breathe…the people that we call our family.

When the room was, at the end, still with the silence of incredible appreciation, Ken finished his talk with words I will never forget: “Live. For God’s sake. Live”

  • Ken had set us out to sea with self-deprecating humor.
  • He floated the bait by using interesting quotes.
  • And he set the hook by using his own story to get us to think about our own.

As Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” What is it that makes you feel fully alive?


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Re:Creating Empathy

Randy Elrod is the passionate, artistic, creative entrepreneur who formed and shaped re:create, and has nurtured it over eleven years. In my continuing series of quotes from the re:create conference, this post is focused on Randy’s presentation about empathy. Believe me when I say that it generated much discussion at the conference.

Randy’s empathy was on display throughout the conference as he shed real, empathetic tears on more than one occasion. In other words, he knew that of which he was speaking.  Here are some quotes:

  • Ether = Quintessence = “The 5th Element”; Ether was known as the purest essence and was thought to permeate everything. We have a God who is “quintessence” in the greatest sense.
  • Use one word to describe yourself: that word is your brand; your “brand” is who you are not what you do.
  • The first verb of the Bible is “created”!
  • Empathy comes in three types: Cognitive, Emotional, and Compassionate.
  • Cognitive Empathy = To know another person’s feelings; to take them and use them for or against a person.
  • Emotional Empathy = To feel what another person feels.
  • Compassionate Empathy = To respond compassionately to another person’s distress.
  • The progression of these three types of empathy goes like this: I notice you…I feel with you…I act to help you (that’s what the Good Samaritan did).

Once we determine what type of empathy we most regularly practice, we can be aware of the gift from God that it is, and use it in service to ourself and to others.

  • The Creator God can recreate our past because He is the “quintessential” Father. He is ever-present in and through His Word.
  • When you feel yourself getting tense, assess it; you’re trying to be God in that moment.
  • The up side of being an empathetic person is passion, intuition, and communication.
  • The down side of being an empathetic person is that one can become an emotional sponge.
  • Be present to your God-given emotions “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

What does empathy have to do with creativity?

  • It helps to understand that even our minds have been redeemed; understanding the spiritual “mind” that has been placed in us is key to seeing life through the eyes of Christ.
  • Christian contemplation is a commendable practice.
  • Practice imagination!
  • Practice remembering what you’ve forgotten, a la Madeline L’Engle who reminds us that every child is an artist.
  • Practice charisma, that is “the ability to make people feel comfortable in an uncomfortable space.”
  • Give people the gift of God’s presence in you.
  • Be optimistic and curious.
  • Focus on others: Pay attention to the person in front of you (listen to listen…not to fix and solve).

People do their best work when they are allowed to make progress. Give the people around you the opportunity to make progress.

As a result of this talk I’m going to work on being a more empathetic person, being more “present” to those in my life. I also want to use the gift of empathy to foster my creative spirit (see the last group of bullet points).

How do empathy and creativity work together to produce art in your life?

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Re:Creating Story

Last week I spent a few days at the Re:Create Conference in Franklin, Tennessee. It was probably the best conference I have ever attended. I was surrounded by fellow “creatives.” Every speaker was first rate. The music and media were sublime (and live!). The fellowship and learning opportunities were incredible. And the food was the best conference food I’ve ever had.

Best of all were the words of wisdom that I am still pondering and contemplating. Over these next few posts I’m simply going to share some quotes with you. I like thoughtful quotes and quotations. When they are easy to remember they have an impact. The best quotes spur me on to action.

Here are some quotes from our first speaker, author and communicator extraordinaire, Patsy Clairmont:

  • If you have a loss it gives you the opportunity to realize the benefit of that loss and make up for it.
  • We want to know people’s stories because: 1) In their story we want to find answers for our own life, and 2) We want to know the story-tellers’ secret to success.
  • Own your story: Be consistent with who you are and what people see you to be.
  • Creatives are good at making something that isn’t right sound good (touchè!).
  • Clairmont quoted Faulkner: “The past is never dead; it’s not even past.”
  • Make opportunities to look back and see how God has worked in your life.
  • We are closest to being most fully ourself when we are functioning in our gift.
  • Ask questions that matter; get to the heart of things.

I suppose one of the points is to pay attention to our own story, and to learn from the stories of others. Through it all, God works to carry out His own narrative, and to have His own impact on our life. As a result of this talk I hope to reflect on how God has worked in my life in the past, what it means for today, and where it’s going to lead tomorrow.

I’m also going to try and ask better questions…questions that matter. The Faulkner quote reminds us that who we are today is a product of our past. God is still working. He has used people, places, and things to mold and shape us. Ultimately, it is the narrative of His own Word that shapes us in the way the matters most: He takes sinners and makes saints.

What can you learn from your own story, and what have you learned from paying attention to the stories of others?

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“Stolen” Creativity

Recently I have run across a number of people carrying out ideas that I thought were my very own. They had the vision to get their ideas up and running, and I’m left behind to consider where I went wrong, or why I wasn’t quick enough to get out there first.

It’s a frustrating thing for anyone who considers him or herself a “creative.” What if someone gets there first? Why couldn’t I put my idea into action quickly enough? Where am I falling short? Am I a creative failure?

Actually, it’s a good thing to have someone beat you to the punch every once in a while. Here’s why:

  1. It provides motivation to do what blogger extraordinaire, Seth Godin, always encourages: “Ship!” Don’t dwell on your idea. Make it happen, and get it out the door!
  2. It gives you the opportunity to refine your idea.  Maybe the way the usurper carried out the idea had room for improvement. How can it be refined and rededicated according to your purpose and vision?
  3. It means impetus to keep dreaming, creating, and visioning. There are more ideas from where those one or two came that are equally, if not more, unique and ready to be revealed to the masses.
  4. It tells you to tone down your (ok…my) envy and jealousy and work to make something that will have others longing to be a part of.
  5. It’s actually affirmation that what you have been thinking, dreaming, and creating is something that indeed can be carried out to execution and consumed by the general public.

So when you see someone taking one of your ideas and running with it, toss aside the envy and jealousy and get back to work! Your day will come. I promise.

How do you deal with someone else using, stealing, or borrowing your idea?

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Creative Discussion

I had lunch today with an author who has published two books and numerous articles. I’ve been watching him do his work over the past couple of years as he has followed around an organization in which I am intimately involved. I have seen him fly in and out of town; sit through meetings; attend events; take notes; and mostly listen.

Today we talked again about an idea he took from someone else that I’m hoping to take from him in the very near future. The idea is a “discussion group.” My writer friend lives in the Washington, D.C. area, and once a month invites together a group of people for lunch (usually about 25 or more). Along with the “regulars” my friend invites a special guest or two.

The special guests come from the realm of politics, the arts, journalism, and many other disciplines. The guests spend the first ten or fifteen minutes presenting a topic and then the rest of the time is spent asking questions, discussing the presentation and issues, and simply listening. They meet every month of the year except for August.

People move in and out of the group, but there are about 15 people who are there just about every month. They like to learn. They like to debate. They like to question.

This monthly meeting is a great filling station for creatives of all kinds. That’s why I want to start a group like this. Creativity can go fleeting away very quickly if there isn’t anything to fill the creative tank.

Books and articles that I have read on the topic of creativity certainly support this. For instance, Julia Cameron says in The Artist’s Way that any type of creative person ought to take him or herself on a “creative date” each and every week. She says to go all by yourself to a movie, museum, or even a five and dime store to simply observe, think, and be filled.

I’ve tried it, and it works very well. But I think I like this idea even better. Get together with others. Pick their brains. Discuss. Debate. Take some notes. Fill the tank. Simply listen.

I’d love for you to join me in a group like this. What kinds of ideas do you have for filling one’s creative tank?

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What’s Your Sign?

A homeless man has just been offered many multiple jobs. In case you’ve missed it over the past few days, Ted Williams, a homeless man with an incredible, classic radio voice was made famous by youtube and has now been offered jobs by the Cleveland Cavaliers amongst others. You can see the original video that started it all here.

The days since this all spread like wildfire on the internet have been interesting to say the least. It’s been a whirlwind  for Williams who got some new clothes, a hair cut, and has been on national TV. Beyond that, internet reports have brought to light his extended rap sheet and mug shots that are not very flattering. It seems that for the past ten years Ted Williams was not the most upstanding guy. Alcohol, drugs, and “some other things” got in the way.

I’m not sure how all of this is going to turn out. I’m all about second chances — and I hope Ted Williams takes advantage of his — but I’m certain this instant notoriety won’t be easy. It’s tough to be thrust into the spotlight and come out smelling like roses on the other end…no matter what your recent background happens to be.

But this blog is about creativity. Here’s where I found the creativity in this whole story: It was in the sign Ted used to ask for money out on the streets.  It said: “I have a God given gift of voice. I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times.”

At a tough time in his life Ted Williams used his art. According to Seth Godin, “Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.” Williams knew that his art was his voice. He knew that “in a former life” his art changed people. He longed to do it again. In order to get back to where he wanted to be he used the leverage of his art.

If you had to hold up a sign that was going to change your life for the better, what would it say? What is your God-given art that would gain attention on youtube and the internet? And don’t let me hear you say you don’t have any art. You do. And it’s art that can change people. It’s art that may even bring that long-needed change into your own life…just like it did for Ted Williams.

What would your sign say?

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The First Sentence

Yesterday I threw my 2010 calendar away and put up the 2011 calendar.  The old one was a mess of marks making memories of days gone by. The new one is as clean as the white page I see every week.

I am a pastor, so I have to write a sermon most every week. One of the hardest parts of any creative task is staring at the blank, white page. It’s difficult to write the first sentence. It takes some time to study the text, decipher the theology, and boil it all down to a central thought. But the first sentence — and along with it, the first paragraph — determines the shape and direction of the rest of the sermon. It’s so very important to capture attention, get thoughts headed in the right direction, and set off toward the goal.

The new year is a blank, white page waiting for you to write that first creative sentence. Now is the time to start looking at that wonderfully blank calendar and formulating the first sentence. With your first sentence of the new year you can capture attention, get your thoughts headed in the right direction, and set off toward the goals you have in mind.

But before you write that first sentence, take some time this week to study your life, decipher the direction, and boil it down to a central thought:

  1. Studying your life: Reflect on the ups and downs, highs and lows, successes and failures of the last year. What have you learned? What did you miss? What would you do differently? How will you change it if and when you can?
  2. Decipher the direction: Are you satisfied with the direction your life is headed right now? What would it take to change direction? Is now the time to make a major (or even minor) change of direction? Who or what will set that direction for you? Do you want to stay on the same path, or is it time to take a different fork in the road?
  3. Boil your overall goal down to a central thought that you can easily remember and repeat: Could you state your goal for 2011 in the form of an “elevator speech”? If you can easily tell others, it’s something that you can keep foremost in your own mind as the year starts.

Go get a blank sheet of paper and write down the first sentence of your new year. The blank piece of paper is 2011. The first sentence you write is going to literally get you to capture your own attention, get your thoughts headed in the right direction, and set off toward the goal that, God-willing, will bring you satisfaction, provide service to others, and make for an enjoyable 2011.

Here’s my first sentence of 2011: In 2011 I am going to take risks that stretch my normal thoughts and patterns, while I attempt to inspire creativity in those closest to me at home and at work.

What is your first sentence for 2011? I’d love to hear!

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The Hue Is Blue but the Mood Is Not

Merry Christmas! He Qi is one of my favorite artists. His Nativity speaks to me so much so, that I am using it for our Christmas Eve service at Mt. Calvary. Here is a preview of what the people of Mt. Calvary will hear this Christmas Eve:

Nativity, by He Qi. Used by permission. Go to www.heqigallery.com to view and purchase prints and posters.

The hue is blue, but the mood is not. Into the pale, dark depths of a broken and fragmented world, a Star falls and lands into the waiting arms of a young lady, pink and pure.  Faceless angels spread their arms in blessing, while sheep and goats bow their heads in praise.  A father’s lantern wants to lend some light, but the Star provides a beam that will not be overcome.  Lost in wonder, rag-topped men can do nothing else but crane their necks and gaze into the sky.  From whence this light?  From whence this love?  From whence this Beaming Babe?

A Star has fallen into the waiting arms of a young lady, pink and pure. And in His tiny hands, Eden’s fruit that, this time, will not be consumed.  Spread your arms in blessing.  Bow your head in praise.  Bask in the light that will not be overcome.  Lose yourself in wonder and crane your neck in eager expectation. The hue is blue, but the mood is not!  The Morning Star has come to bring His beaming brightness into the pale, dark depths of a broken and fragmented world.  The hue is blue, but the mood is not.

How does this version of the Nativity speak to you?

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Take Another Look

Sometimes what you were looking for was actually there all along. Take a look at something. What do you see? Now take another look. Do you see anything else? Now take one more look, and actually try to see something different. What you see may surprise you.

That’s what happened to Serena Malyon. The young art student looked at some of Van Gogh’s famous paintings. Then she looked again through the magic of Photo Shop software, and saw something stunningly and brilliantly new. Some of the results are shown here. Here’s a sample:

Do you have a problem, a project, or a practice you are trying to solve, change, or into which you’d like to breathe new breath? Look at it more closely. Look at it from further away. Look at it from above or beneath. Put it away for a day and look at it again. Try to find new perspective. Along the way you are sure to find creative beauty, a resolution to your problem, new life for your project, or the new breath of life for something that was dead.

How has looking at something from a different perspective helped you?

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Presidential Public Speaking

George W. Bush was recently in Milwaukee to speak at a fundraiser for Teen Challenge, a Christian non-profit organization that helps addicted teens reform and recover. The Bradley Foundation asked me to be their guest for the evening, and I was able to go.  I had heard George Bush in person once before. When he was President he spoke at the graduation ceremonies at Concordia University — Wisconsin, where I am an adjunct professor of Theology.

I remember President Bush being a reasonbly good speaker. But the speech that I heard recently was a masterful lesson in public speaking. It’s my belief that everyone should feel comfortable speaking in front of other people. It’s a life skill that is needed these days in a great many professions. It’s a life skill that will bring advantages to those who perfect it. It’s a life skill that could mean advancement, promotion, or financial advantage. It’s also a life skill that can be used in service to others (I happen to be in a profession that uses public speaking in just that way).

I believe that public speaking is so important that I make it a required part of every college class that I teach. Sometimes students complain, but when they hear the rationale, they seem much less reluctant to give it a try. Besides, everyone else in the class has to as well.

I wish all of my students, past and present, could have been in the audience to hear President Bush speak. They may or may not have agreed with his politics, but they would most certainly have learned these things about public speaking:

  1. Humor: President Bush began his speech with a very humorous story, and interspersed humor throughout. Most of the humor was self-depricating; he knew all the things the media and critics have said of him over the years, and he was able to joke about it. Humor put everyone at ease.
  2. Humanity: President Bush knew his audience. One of the first stories he told was about his own addiction to alcohol. He told the story of the detrimental ways in which alcohol abuse impacted his life. Though he was once President of the United States, he also showed that he is a human being. Showing that you are human is a great way to win an audience.
  3. Pathos: Stories always draw people in…especially stories that create empathy in people, or stories with which people can identify. President Bush told the story of a trip he made to Africa where he and Laura went to an orphanage filled with children who had lost their parents to AIDS. He was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to say to the children that had gathered there to see him. All he could think to say was: “God is good.” To his astonishment all of the children answered in unison: “All the time.” He couldn’t believe that these children to whom the worst of the worst had happened, could make such a statement of faith. As President Bush told the story, the audience was silent with rapt attention.
  4. Pictures: By pictures I don’t mean visual aids; I mean painting pictures with words. In fact, President Bush described paintings in his office and why each of them brought meaning to his life and to his presidency. It was a technique that helped people remember important parts of the speech. Because President Bush used that technique I still remember the most important points of his message.
  5. Principle: Abraham Lincoln was President Bush’s favorite president (other than his father!). President Bush said that he appreciated President Lincoln because he was a man who stood on principle: “All men are created equal.” And he acted on that principle. It’s also an important aspect of public speaking. An audience can easily tell whether or not a speaker is sincere. Stand on principle and speak on principle and you will be a well-respected speaker.
  6. Risk: Taking a risk in a speech is never easy, but well-thought-out and well-calculated risks can truly win an audience. President Bush said in his speech that it is a great risk to run for President: “If you lose, people say, ‘What a pathetic candidate!’ If you win, people say, ‘What a pathetic president!” That’s both risk and humor.

What pointers do you have for public speaking? I’d love to hear them, because I’m constantly striving to improve my skills.