By Bill Peel
People who think they are not creative need to think again. Creativity is central to what it means to be human and made in the image of God. It’s one of the principle ways man imitates his Creator.
Although our creativity is different from God’s, who made everything from nothing, the cultural mandate in Genesis 1:26-27 speaks to our creative responsibility.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28 )
As Creator, God could have placed Adam and Eve in the midst of a highly developed world with roads, bridges, buildings, technology and everything needed for modern life as we know it. Instead, He gave us the earth and all its resources, and appointed us stewards, developers, and co-creators with Himself.
Whether we design buildings, run a business, overhaul engines, teach third graders or plan events, when we make something more from what we are given, we are expressing our God-given creativity and fulfilling God’s purposes for us and His world.
Yet we all experience times when we feel there’s not a creative bone in our body. When this happens, researchers from the University of Kansas have a simple remedy. They found that people from all walks of life experience startling cognitive improvement—like 50 percent boost in creativity—after spending time steeped in nature.
Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought. — Albert Einstein
Creativity is one of the most intrinsically rewarding endeavors we engage in. Writing for Forbes magazine, Amy Rees Anderson offers helpful do’s and don’ts for sparking and expressing our creativity.1 A few examples:
- Do get started! The number one most important element in creating anything is to start.
- Do stay humble and teachable. Ask others for their advice, opinions and experience.
Be willing to listen and learn from the input of others. Then consider all you learn
and make the decisions that you personally feel best about. - Do know that the best ideas don’t have to be your own. It’s your implementation of the
idea that will lead to success, not the idea itself. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but those
who implement them are priceless. - Don’t wait until you find the perfect idea to start. Whatever idea you start with will
morph over time anyway as you continue to learn, so don’t get hung up.
Just get going. - Don’t get discouraged when things don’t go as you’d hoped. There are going to be
a million failures before you achieve ultimate success, accept that it’s all just
part of the process. - Don’t ever do anything that would compromise your integrity.
Bill Peel is the Founding Executive Director of The Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University, created to help Christians understand their work’s importance to God and experience Christ’s transforming presence and power in every workplace in every nation. He is an award-winning author/co-author of seven books (in multiple languages) including Workplace Grace, What God Does When Men Lead, and Discover Your Destiny. Bill holds a doctorate in workplace theology from Gordon-Conwell Seminary and a master’s from Dallas Theological Seminary,
1http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2015/03/18/the-dos-and-donts-of-creativity/
*© 2011-2015 Center for Faith & Work At LeTourneau University. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Center for Faith & Work At LeTourneau University. Article by Bill Peel.