June and July for me is one of the most crazy seasons. We have an amazing young peoples’ conference at the church I am part of and I have the great honour of being able to work on the creative elements that make it an event that is as fun as it is impactful.
But coming up with ideas for creative elements – live moments on stage – is not always easy… When I was growing up, I wanted to direct the opener for the Olympics. There is something about the wonder of things unfolding before your very eyes that completely changes the atmosphere and establishes the tone for everything to come. When things happen live in the moment, people are drawn in and there is a potential to unite people that is unlike anything else in this world.
I might be “nerding” out a bit, but the challenge as a creative person is to catch you audience off-guard. The element of surprise – of something fresh and different – forces people to reset their expectations… And they have to do that while you are intentionally communicating with them through all their senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and intellect.
Before you think this is starting to sound a lot like strategic propaganda, I want to let you know that it is not about manipulation, but rather revelation.
In looking for inspiration as to what to put on this year, I looked in many areas… From YouTube clips, awards shows, world tours; to art installations, Pinterest, Instagram, architecture; to movies and documentaries. But as much as looking at what other people have done is great, I have realised that fresh perspective will always trump cool ideas. In other words: getting a revelation will always make you more creative than finding inspiration.
Everything in your life benefits from you being creative. Creativity is simply a highly stylised form of problem solving. Whether it be in making a birthday card, planning the perfect date, producing a television show, reassessing your priorities, addressing your colleagues, or planning your travel time – the more restrictions you face, the more you need to think out of the box. There is no such thing as art without restriction. Whether it’s the frame of the picture, the time and rhythm of a song, the size of the page or the battery life on your laptop – there will always be some restriction that will help you focus and be original.
You may feel like you’re stuck. Like you have lost your “spark” or inspiration for what you do and face every day. Whether it is writer’s block, or having enough energy to start the day, I have found there is one question that has helped me be creative in life: simply asking “Why?”.
If you get a revelation of “why”, you are able to nail down the reason to create. So for this conference – why do we put on crazy fun items? To engage young people and help them come out of their shells. Why do I write blogs? To communicate what I have learnt in life, so that I can articulate my journey for myself and (hopefully) help others. The only way that you will overcome the limitations of life is by looking for the reason “why” in a whole lot of reasons “why not”.
Inspiration might get you excited about life. But revelation will result in tangible change for you and those around you. If you are looking for revelation, can I encourage you to address the biggest “why” in your life? Why are you on earth? Do you have a revelation of your purpose? You cannot move past this question without looking at the reason for your existence. We are creations ourselves. I have found that purpose through knowing God intimately. Having a revelation of His intention for me – which boils down to love – has set me up to be creative in every other area of my life. So if you are looking for something more compelling than simple inspiration, click on the link below.