I'm taking this week off to finish my new ebook, 'Good Fight'. You can reserve a copy by clicking here. Below is a guest post from Rachel Whitmer. She's modest in this post, quoting me as saying she is, "someone who is very creative" which is actually an understatement. I believe that she is possibly the most creative person I know. In this article, she gives some great tips on capturing your own creativity.
Tim approached me a while back and asked if I would write about creativity in church leadership. I imagine the look I gave him was something of a wrinkled nose and twisted mouth, followed by an exclamation of, “WHAT? Why me?”
“Because, I think of you as being someone who is very creative,” he responded. The face was then followed by laughter! I told him I would pray about it, but in my head I was saying, “NO!” Despite my hesitation and doubt, the subject matter kept circling in my head. I can agree that I am a fairly creative person, but I’m not a church leader. Even though my dad was a pastor, what do I have to offer someone in that position?
Then it occurred to me, regardless of position placement, God has called me to be a creative leader. In my life, I’ve had to learn to be very creative in a form of leadership that is often not acknowledged as leadership. Motherhood! I have been a mom for almost 18 years now, a single mom for most of those years, to two special needs boys. Talk about a need for creativity!
I learned very early on in parenting that just because something works well today, doesn’t mean it will work at all tomorrow.
I need to have a plan B, and C, .....and Z! Plato was right, necessity is the mother of all invention!That’s generally right where my creativity starts...necessity! Necessity of expression or solution. The need to express myself creatively is what I like to call “creative therapy”, and it’s usually pure enjoyment and very cathartic.
Another kind of creativity is based on a need to find the best solution. Perhaps a tangible need to fix something that is broken or needs replacing. I believe in being a good steward with what God has given me and if I can save money and creatively fix it myself, that’s what I do! Another need might be in finding a creative solution for a situation that isn’t responding to normal measures.
A music pastor from a former church of mine once said, “If the horse is dead, DISMOUNT!”
What great advice! How much time do we waste when we keep trying to do something that just isn’t working? It’s time to move on and try something else. I believe that open-mindedness and creativity work hand in hand. Don’t get fixated on one solution. Once necessity arises, I evaluate the need and the solution. I am extremely visual and analytical, so it helps me to
- play out every scenario in my head; work it out from every angle possible.
- I write down and draw pictures of everything I need to keep my thoughts organized.
- I make a list of pro’s and con’s.
- If I know of someone with expertise in the area I’m dealing with, I seek them out for wisdom and advice.
- I play Devils advocate and rip my ideas to shreds! I find this part of the process most valuable.
I’m not foolish enough to believe that all my ideas are brilliant, so I try to plan for every possible outcome to ensure the greatest potential for success. Exhaustive planning doesn’t guarantee success, but you can at least work out many of the glitches! You have probably gathered from my process that I am not impulsive in my solutions, but rather carefully thoughtful. Those are just pleasant words for perfectionist! My Achilles heal - I over think, wanting everything to be...perfect!
I have to set time boundaries for myself so that I don’t spend too much time in planning. At some point, I have to put the plan in motion and hope for the best! This might sound more like an article about ‘How to Plan’, than on creative leadership. I think there’s a common misconception that creative people are free spirits that move with the wind. There’s a time and a place for that, but not if your goal is to be an effective leader. I can go to my pantry and throw stuff together not having a clue what I’m doing, and voila! Yummy!
That’s the difference between expression and solution.
Expression is an outward manifestation of what’s taking place inside you. It can move with the wind. Solution involves an act or process of finding an answer. Creative leadership should never be unintentional or on a whim. That’s a recipe for disaster. Planning creativity might sound contradictory, but planning is a necessary step for a successful outcome. They don’t call it creative THINKING for nothing.
Lay out the goal and the steps to obtain it, but remain flexible.
My children thrive on schedule and routine. In a world that is unpredictable, flexible creative leadership is a key to sanity and success. There have been so many times that I have had a special outing or event planned, with dreams of joy and laughter, that have ended in literal blood, sweat, and tears! I would get so hurt and disappointed that things didn’t turn out the way I planned! I overlooked opportunities to enjoy the unforeseen. I lost site of the goal, spending time with my kids, and got caught up in how I thought it “should” be.
I have seen this occur in many churches as well. We all have our moments of wanting something a certain way. I have to remind myself that, not only is it not about me, but it isn’t fair to expect others to conform to what I want or what works for me. When we do this, we quench the movement of the Holy Spirit. Remember that it’s equally important to seek God’s will in planning as it is to allow His creative movement when we are carrying out the plan. After all, God is the Master Creator! When all is said and done, a creative leader is one who can successfully bring those they are leading to the finish line.
Open-mindedness, flexibility, vision, perseverance, and hope are invaluable attributes of creative leadership. No matter who you are leading. I believe that creative leadership comes naturally for some and is a chore for others, but the ability to be creative is in everyone!
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein
Question: What's one creative solution you've come up with that you're proud of?
I am Rachel Whitmer, a full time domestic agent. Entrusted mother of two special needs teenage boys who have taught me much about life and love. Recently remarried to an amazing man and wonderful partner. Humbled with chronic health issues, I’m a hopeful cynic living joyfully despite life’s many challenges.
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