Comments on: When Does Creativity Strike? http://reidgreven.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/when-does-creativity-strike/ unessential ramblings about Modern Church Music, and the rest of life... Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:40:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Bill Whitt http://reidgreven.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/when-does-creativity-strike/#comment-1172 Bill Whitt Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:56:57 +0000 http://reidgreven.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/when-does-creativity-strike/#comment-1172 FORCED - Like you, most of my creativity comes when I've got a deadline and someone has given me a specific task. If the pastor is preaching on a specific topic and wants a video or an original song (or a video synced with a song) to illustrate it, I can usually produce a much better work than if I had started with neither a deadline or a specific request. It's like in the olden days when the great Reformers would write hymns to illustrate their sermons. That type of commissioning can result in some of the best works of art -- fueled by Scripture and with a specific audience in mind. SPONTANEOUS - Apart from that process, every other song I have written has come unexpectedly after a time of personal worship (many times while playing keyboard with 7|22 or a Passion album). Playing with others always gets the creative juices flowing! PLANNED - The one thing I'm not good about is planned creativity. Staring at a blank page is too intimidating. Perhaps instead of focusing on controlling what is coming out of our creative minds (which seems impossible), it would be better to focus on what we're putting in them. If we plan to feed our minds and souls good things that inspire creativity -- Scripture, good teaching, other people's music, etc. -- then that creates fertile soul for creativity to bloom. And it's a no fail situation! You're edified by learning about and communing with God even if no great work of art comes out of it! There's a lot less pressure that way. FORCED – Like you, most of my creativity comes when I’ve got a deadline and someone has given me a specific task. If the pastor is preaching on a specific topic and wants a video or an original song (or a video synced with a song) to illustrate it, I can usually produce a much better work than if I had started with neither a deadline or a specific request. It’s like in the olden days when the great Reformers would write hymns to illustrate their sermons. That type of commissioning can result in some of the best works of art — fueled by Scripture and with a specific audience in mind.

SPONTANEOUS – Apart from that process, every other song I have written has come unexpectedly after a time of personal worship (many times while playing keyboard with 7|22 or a Passion album). Playing with others always gets the creative juices flowing!

PLANNED – The one thing I’m not good about is planned creativity. Staring at a blank page is too intimidating. Perhaps instead of focusing on controlling what is coming out of our creative minds (which seems impossible), it would be better to focus on what we’re putting in them. If we plan to feed our minds and souls good things that inspire creativity — Scripture, good teaching, other people’s music, etc. — then that creates fertile soul for creativity to bloom. And it’s a no fail situation! You’re edified by learning about and communing with God even if no great work of art comes out of it! There’s a lot less pressure that way.

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