Setting goals for 2012 pt. I

I want to be a more creative person.

That’s one of the goals that I have for myself in this new year. It still sounds a bit strange to me to say it because I have never thought of myself as someone who had any potential in the “creative” arena.

Let me explain.

Art was never my favorite subject as child.
I was fascinated by art. I always wanted to be able to draw and to create with my hands, but I was never very good. As a result, I thought creativity was just something that was missing from my DNA.

It took me several years into my work as a pastor to realize that creativity was actually a really essential part of what I do. I had never thought of the practice of preparing and delivering messages and teachings on a regular basis as an “art form,” but in more recent years that is precisely how I have begun to understand that work.

This has been a really key learning for me because it has helped me to see that the same forces that inhibit great art and restrain creativity are also present in my art as well.

In his book, “Untitled,” Blaine Hogan writes,

It is the artist’s job to accept that the work will be very, very hard; to understand the importance of deep reflection, and to fight the forces of fear and resistance, all in the name of filling blank pages and creating beauty.

He continues later on in the book saying,

I know a lot of people with a lot of really great ideas but only a few who actually end up making things… Talent is rarely the issue, if you’re wondering. No, the real issue is whether or not we’re willing to risk our reputations to do the painful work work required to create great things.

I have long thought of my own personal creativity to be the result of great inspiration.
I thought I needed to be in the right environment.
[You might picture a nice lakeside cottage early in the morning while the fog is still rolling off the water and I'm sipping a nice hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.]

Don’t get me wrong. I still trust that much of what I do continues to be guided by the “inspiration” of the Holy Spirit.
I strongly believe that any work that God does through us is dependent on the work God is doing in us.

But I am beginning to understand that my own commitment to doing the work, putting in some long and hard hours, and investing my mental energy in the sometimes arduous creative process is critical to producing anything that might be meaningful, fresh and, hopefully, inspired.

And so this goal to become a more creative person is really about one thing in my estimation.
It’s about being more courageous, facing my fears, and fighting back against the resistance that I sometimes feel.
It’s doing something every single day that is hard because each time I do it my courage grows a little bit more.

For me, that means that one of the “measurables” of growth in this area is to sit down to write something every single day. That will probably lead to some more frequent content here on the blog. More than that, I hope it translates into a greater sense of confidence in myself to do the hard work, and in turn, be a more creative person.

This is the first area of my life where I want to grow in 2012.

This post is from a series written in January 2012. To view other posts in this series, click below. 
A. Setting Goals for the New Year
B. Setting Goals for 2012 pt. I