For a little extra fun, take a minute before you read this article, pull out pen and paper, and do an exercise.
Write down three attributes of God.
Okay, if this were a workshop, I would have everyone read their lists of attributes aloud and we would track how many times each appeared. Love would probably be at the top of the list and creativity would almost certainly be at or near the bottom if it made the list at all. This fact would surprise no one until I read the first five words of Genesis 1:1, �In the beginning God created...� Creativity is, in fact, the first of God�s attributes mentioned. Too, the Scriptures repeatedly remind us just how creative God is.
Realizing this as parents, we must recognize that it is our responsibility to both model creativity for our children and teach them to release their own creativity. Of course, as adults most of us have much to unlearn before we can do this. First, we must set aside preconceptions about creativity. The word is generally associated with artistic endeavors, but one who is creative is one who creates � clothing for her children, a schedule that works for the family, stories that send sleepy toddlers off to dreamland... Honestly, even when we don�t recognize it for what it is, creativity is as much a part of our lives as breathing � it�s just that some of us breathe more easily than others.
If you think of creativity in the same way you think of love, patience, kindness, goodness, etc., then you begin to see that it is something one must practice walking in. Or perhaps likening it to a muscle helps; you have to exercise it if you wish it to be strong. Too, creativity flourishes most in the right environment. The closer we are to God, the closer we are to the Source of our creativity. I find myself especially open to creative ideas while I�m praising, worshipping, and praying � communing with Him. I�ve learned to always keep pen and paper handy during prayer so that I can quickly jot down the creative ideas He gives me, and it is not at all unusual to see me reach for both as soon as I get to my pew after spending time in praise and worship at church. Even while working on this article, I set aside time to praise Him with a music CD I especially enjoy; writing is always easier after such a worship session.
Learning to walk in creativity also requires getting outside of the boxes in which we instinctively place ourselves. Creativity cannot live in a box; it needs room to grow. When I was younger, I kept my artistic creativity in a tight box with the words, �I can�t even draw a straight line!� It took an artist friend to convince me to step outside that box and try, and I was amazed to discover that I really did have such creative ability within me. I now believe we all do; we simply have to train our eyes to see and our hands to move. The easiest way to start setting aside boxes is to identify an obvious box and make an intentional effort to leave it behind � determine to learn to draw, or to cook, or to add a deck to your house, and take the appropriate actions to ensure it happens.
If you did the exercise at the beginning of this article, look at the list you made. I told you that you had exactly sixty seconds and I wanted you to write down three attributes of God. Again, if we were in a creativity workshop, I would have the attendees look at their lists as you are now and I would ask for a show of hands of those who had written more than three attributes. There probably wouldn't be many hands raised. Then I would ask for a show of hands of people who could have written more if they'd thought about it. This would likely be everyone else in the room. This is the second half of the exercise�s lesson.
Consider what I told you to do. What did I say? I said to write three attributes of God in one minute. I did specify that you had �exactly sixty seconds� � no more and no less. I did say list three attributes. I did NOT say list ONLY three attributes. Nonetheless, the majority of people, even if they had time enough to note twenty attributes of God, would only write three because that's what they thought they were supposed to do. That is a result of thinking inside the box.
I can't take credit for this exercise. I read about something similar in a writing book. As a workshop speaker, the author has attendees choose three relatively random words (things like "the first word that pops into your head," "your favorite person," and "a thing to do") and gives his workshop attendees five minutes to write three sentences using those words. The �creative type� will continue writing until they run out of time or ideas, but most won't even think about writing more than three sentences even if they hate what they've written.
The fact is that we are so well trained to follow rules and think inside boxes that we tend to live inside self-imposed boxes without even realizing it. Most of us were also trained to do only enough to get by. Creativity refuses to fall in line with either of these; it cannot operate freely in our boxes and refuses to stop at "only enough to get by." Creativity unleashed is vast and powerful; it only sits around powerless within us when we, intentionally or accidentally, lock it down, forcing it to lie quiescent.
Now, if you'd come to the hypothetical workshop I've mentioned, and came because you had heard that it dealt with creativity, you might be thinking right about now that you'd come expecting me to discuss things like art, music and drama. And I might satisfy you by delving further into those very subjects. Art, music, drama, and other recognizably creative areas are vitally important. If they weren't, we wouldn't all partake of them instinctively as children. (There is a LOT we can learn from our children!) In fact, the first sign of creativity being squashed in our kids is when they start giving up on their art, their music, and their imaginative play times either because they are too busy doing other things that don't require creativity or because the fruit of their efforts has been attacked enough that they no longer believe in their own abilities. Conversely, as I mentioned earlier, one of the best ways I've found to unleash creativity as an adult is to intentionally take up creative efforts that you have believed yourself incapable of.
If you're trapped in a box, if the creativity God gave you is locked away so deeply inside that you can't seem to draw it out, start by using the creative power of the spoken word. Start declaring that you are creative. Repeatedly, the Word of God proclaims the tongue's power. "Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue.� (Proverbs 18:21) This includes the �life� of your creativity! "Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee..." (Job 22:28) Decree that you are creative, repeatedly, even if you feel stupid doing it; the power of the spoken word will do the rest. I did this myself over twenty years ago. I saw others doing creative, artistic things and I wanted to be creative too, so I first asked God for a creative spirit and then started declaring that I had a creative God and I had the spirit of creativity as well. I continued to declare it until I saw it happening. I began taking baby steps, exercising my creativity in small ways, and before long artistic creativity truly welled up inside me. Indeed, I grew so comfortable with my own creativity that I actually forgot about my declaration until years later when a friend told me that she wished she were as creative as me. I shared my story and she started making the same declaration. The last I heard she had more creative projects in the works than I could remember.
Speaking it is half the battle. You can accelerate the revival of your own creativity if you'll also follow your children's example. Sit down with them when they color on blank paper. Go buy yourself a pad of watercolor paper and some quality watercolors. Take a pad and pencil out in the yard and draw a leaf, really looking at it and appreciating all of the details the Creator put into it. Forget artistic rules for a bit, unless you decide that you genuinely want to improve your skills in a specific area, and just flow with the medium. Let what is in you come out even if it's something that someone else would think childish. In truth, thank God if someone else does consider your creations childish; that means you're allowing yourself the freedom to get out of your rule-filled box. It means that you're making progress towards creative freedom.
I speak from my heart here, convinced that as important as creativity is to God, it should be equally important to us. He did create us in His image and likeness and He did not create us just to be, but to become progressively like Him. That being the case, we must release the creativity that lies within us. We must free its power and learn to use it as He desires, and as parents, we must help our children do the same.