It’s an extremely common sentiment. We see something so brilliantly simple and realize that’s well without our reach to create something like that. Yet we didn’t. Why is that?

Obviously, skill isn’t the apex of creativity.

Creativity isn’t dependent on skill. It definitely helps. But you don’t have to be highly skilled to be creative.

So what are the apexes of creativity. What makes someone good at creativity? This is my own attempt at understanding the process. Perhaps I have some more to figure out. Or perhaps it’s dead on. I’ll let you decide.

Apex 1: Action. Almost every middle-aged men has had at least one million-dollar idea. But how many middle-aged millionaires do you know? So few people lack the drive and ability to act on their ideas. True creativity requires action.

Apex 2: Grace. I describe grace as the ability to change. It’s the ability to adapt and survive to changing environments and truths. I see so many folks lose their creativity when they conform to a mold and are unwilling to change. That’s why companies, churches, and artists die. Have the grace to accept change and adapt to it.

Apex 3: Humility. Humility is the ability to something else in front of yourself. True creativity comes from a desire to serve your audience. Creativity and art aren’t just about you. Great creativity is always bigger than the one who created it. It includes others and expands to become something more than the sum of its parts.

So that’s my list. Argue with me. Hopefully I have enough grace and humility to accept your criticism.

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During the discussion I had the idea to offer a book contract to any pastor that used their services. The idea was that every pastor secretly wants to be a rock star. They want to be like the “celebrities” they see at the conferences. And a book contract is the obvious way to make that happen.

The whole conversation began a bit tongue-in-cheek. But I soon realized that would probably work. Probably too well.

Pastors want to have influence. That’s the reason they become pastors. But as soon as they become a “professional witnesser” their external influence is severed. It’s hard to believe a pastor witnessing in a restaurant, because his job is to witness to you and get you to his church. His job depends on folks filling the pews.

So now his influence is limited to the four walls of his sanctuary. If he wants to expand his influence he has to reach other church workers. It’s not necessarily a bad thing…but it turns into a desire for rock-stardom if you aren’t careful.

Have you succumbed to a rock-star desire? I admit I do occasionally. There are times I want book deals and super cool head-shots in front of Hobbit Homes. (That’s right, Proctor. I’m jealous of your headshot.) And there’s nothing wrong with a desire to influence others.

But let’s never let the desire to influence others turn into a desire for fame. Learn from the contributors of Sunday| Mag like I have…they don’t want to be famous (Sunday| Mag isn’t a vehicle to increase their fame). They want to influence others and make a lasting impact on the church world.

I encourage you. Get rid of the rock star complex if you have one. And keep it away like that annoying kid that had a crush on you in elementary school (and didn’t get the hint).

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But today I was tempted to hop in bed, curl into a fetal position, and check out from creating. The world would forgive me. Nobody would miss me as I was sucking my thumb and stroking my own back. But I chose to block out a time to work – to create.

You see, creativity doesn’t just happen when we’re stress-free and lounging in a plastic chair. Some of the most influential artists lived notably stressful lives. I’m not saying stress is a key to creativity. But those artists found a way to channel their anxiety into art. Some may have even created better because of it.

Regardless, you don’t have to let life’s little stresses keep you from making an impact on the world through your art. I encourage you. Next time you’re stressed, instead of retreating to your self-pity cave, block out some time and force yourself to work. Force yourself to create through the stress.

Even in chaos, creativity can thrive.

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I could get mad and threaten to leave. Or I could try to fix the problem. I did both.

I’m not proud of my first response. But I am proud of my second response. I sat down with my pastor (and my wonderfully wise father as a mediator). We laid everything out on the table. We all knew I would be quitting in a few months anyway…maybe it was just time for me to leave now. But it wasn’t the right time. And I didn’t want to leave under these circumstances.

Instead, we found out there was a problem with communication. More directly, there was a problem with my communication. You see, my pastor is a communicator (most pastors are). He needed feedback from me. When something went wrong, he needed to know I was on it. He needed me to share my successes and failures with him so he felt like I was engaged.

I’m not a natural at that. I usually fix problems quietly and hate tooting my own horn. But that’s what my pastor needed. So I decided I could learn those skills. And I did. We had a fantastic relationship those last two months with me on staff.

There was nothing wrong with my pastor for needing those things from me. He’s the leader. He has a right to know what’s going on in his organization. Where I got frustrated and thought he wasn’t appreciating me…it turned out I was the one that needed to change.

I think too many church workers (and other creatives) get super frustrated with leadership. We automatically assume it’s the leader who’s wrong. I encourage you to examine your heart. Sit down with the leader and see what they’re really needing from you. I believe in most instances it’s something you need to change…not leadership.

If you’re having problems, you can salvage your relationship with your leader. And it might only take a simple change like mine took. Be willing to adapt and serve your leadership.

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My brother has finally caught the blogging bug. He’s going through the long process of becoming a published author and has started getting some serious traffic. So yesterday I was helping him take his blog off a popular blogging site and onto his own web host. Then in about 10 minutes I spouted out about 15 websites/plugins I use that are absolute necessities for successful blogging.

His eyes glazed over.

Suddenly he was discouraged.

I quickly realized I was pouring over 2 1/2 years of knowledge on him in 10 minutes. He didn’t need to learn and do all these things right now. You can’t learn to swim in Niagara Falls.

So instead I helped him focus on two things that were super important. First thing’s first.

There’s always a temptation to look at the big picture and see all the small, necessary components. Then we get overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

We need to prioritize our actions. Figure out what needs to happen first and focus on that. The other things can come later. I started my stage design site two years ago without any of my current knowledge. The content was first. I focussed on that. Once I got that going I could start adding the other stuff.

Focus on the most important thing when you start your big projects. Don’t try to do it all at once. Don’t get discouraged before you even start.

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I’m pretty proud of that facet of my personality. But along with the good comes the bad. Check this out: “Following through on the implementation of an idea is usually a chore to the ENTP. For some ENTPs, this results in the habit of never finishing what they start. The ENTP who has not developed their Thinking process will have problems with jumping enthusiastically from idea to idea, without following through on their plans. The ENTP needs to take care to think through their ideas fully in order to take advantage of them.”

My weakness. My kryptonite. I tend to hop from project to project obsessively. Traditional wisdom tells me to fix that weakness. But I’d rather exploit it. Here’s why.

I get most excited when I bounce from project to project. Excitement fuels my creativity and I really function best when I’m sequentially obsessing about different things. You see, each weakness has a beneficial aspect to it. I actually thrive on coming up with new ideas and building new things.

That’s why I start so many blogs. That’s why I build fun challenges into everything I do to keep myself interested. That’s why each issue of Sunday| Mag has a unique theme…it feels like a new project each month. When I’m able to exploit my own weakness, I can keep excited and coming up with my best ideas.

I don’t function best when I focus on one project for long periods at a time. Sure…I could learn the discipline by gluing my face to a computer screen and trudging away. I could…but I’d be missing out on a really good aspect of my personality. I function best by switching between new projects. My weakness can become my strength if I exploit it properly.

What is your greatest weakness? And how can you exploit it?

PS. I got all my MBTI Profile facts from here. You can take the test for yourself here.

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They’re even using pictures from the site saying they can design these things for other churches! They’re even posting job openings on craigslist looking for designers who can directly copy the designs on CSDI.

I’m annoyed to the say the least.

But as I deal with my personal issues…I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy. He’s trying to break into the creative world by carbon copying everything he sees. Copying is not creating.

Anyone can cut and paste, trace, and plagiarize. You might fool the folks who don’t know the source of your plagiarism…but you’ll never fool yourself. You’ll never get the satisfaction of seeing the fruit of your labors. And…more than that…you’ll always be many steps behind everyone else. You’ll always be copying and trying to catch up. You’ll never be innovative.

Don’t give in to the temptation to copy. Don’t even give into the temptation to mimic. Create!

God created us in His image to be creative.

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It reminded me have little people are willing to experience new things. And here we are – artists – trying to help people experience something new.

Art is an uphill battle.

How can you hope to win in a world full of people unwilling to try something new?

I have a few ideas:

1. Context
Those 50 cent DVDs would fly off the shelves at the local Walmart or Blockbuster. But a garage sale is the wrong context for that. People don’t associate quality with a garage sale. So they don’t associate quality with my DVDs.

Understanding that art is an uphill battle, we should try to put our art in the right context. That means it will hit the right audience (those looking for DVDs) and be associated with quality (brand name stores).

2. Samples
I think there are way more drug users than people who wanted to try drugs in the first place. But drug dealers give samples. It gets you hooked.

If you want your art to succeed in an environment that fears newness, you’ll have to be willing to give something away for free. How can you offer people a sample of your art?

3. Third Parties
Get an innocent bystander to put their approval on your new art. Or better yet, get an influencer that knows a lot of people.

The point is…if your art is good and you get it to the right people…it spreads. Be willing to bring other people early on so your “new thing” has a chance to spread before you even finish.

It’s uphill. Ultimately, acknowledge that creating anything new will be a challenge. Too many people think their book, their music, their art will become successful overnight. But it won’t. Be willing to fight the battle. It can be won.

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The same is true for leadership. “You must have a huge vision. You must be an amazing leader!”

It’s so easy for church leaders to start seeking leadership, creativity, and art instead of seeking God. The tool we use to reach people quickly becomes our god. Even our building becomes an object of worship rather than a place of worship.

The problem is…leadership and creativity are not bad. God created those tools. He is the source of all truth and the truth is…those things are important.

But humans always struggle with the temptation of extremes. It’s difficult to balance. So we have some church leaders that ignore leadership and creativity, and some that overemphasis or even worship the two. But both of those are missing out. They’re missing the sweet spot where God is in charge but we use the tools He gave us.

I’d like to encourage you to seek balance. There’s nothing wrong with the websites, conferences, books and leaders. Use them and consume them. But never let those things become gods. Constantly check yourself.

I will.

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I’ve realized Creativity and Art quickly become my gods when I’m not careful. Even though I’m working for God and trying to reach others for God, my overemphasis on the importance of the two occasionally compete with God. I am more concerned about the integrity of Art than I am about the integrity of my relationship with God.

Do you struggle with this god of Art?

While this god of Art is no threat to God, it is a threat to the hearts of this generation. How do we reach the hearts of a generation already worshipping Art?

We show them the source of art. We show them the God of art. We show the creator of Art.

But we don’t just stop there. In order to reach a generation consumed with the desire to create art, we have to give them a vehicle – an outlet of expression. We need to make room for art in the church. But not just art…art that is meant to worship God.

We need to turn the worshipped god of Art into worship for the God of art.

How will you turn your church into an outlet for artists? How will you encourage a generation desperate to express themselves to use their skills to worship God?

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He’s full of it. I got the looks and he got the talent. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really see his talent. He thinks a talent is the ability to paint or to sing a sonata. But his talent is far less tangible, far more powerful, and far more dangerous. He has the talent of leadership. It’s natural – ingrained within.

He frequently tells people things like this:

• “Don’t be a coward!”
• To a guitar player: “Can you not hear yourself?”

He tells people these things, and people love him for it. It’s not like they put up with it…they feel loved by him when he says those things! That’s not a common talent – to be able to say things like that to people and have them feel loved.

He could easily start a cult. Heck! I might even follow him into one of those. That’s talent.

There’s a good chance you have a talent you’re unaware of. You see artists, painters, or leaders and wish you could be like them. Guess what. You probably aren’t and won’t be like them. But there’s something within you that you don’t see.

Ask those around you what that is. Let them describe it to you. Then start acting on it. You might not believe you have that hidden talent people tell you about – I know my brother doesn’t believe it. But you do have it. Act like it.

Speaking of my brother, check out his leadership expeditions. He takes exciting, discipleship expeditions with speakers like Mark Batterson and Matt Chandler. You should go on one. One pastor I talked to told me it changed his life.

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The problem with great creativity is that, often, the concept comes simply. That initial spark of creativity is easy. But nobody pays for the spark. Nobody pays for the idea. They pay for the execution. 

The work that turns that spark into a blaze is what takes the effort. So few people are willing to do what it takes to turn a spark into a blaze. Instead, many people just through a bunch of junk on top of the spark hoping it catches fire too. But that inevitably snuffs out the spark. It falls short of the expectations and fails.

We must be willing to put the effort in. We can’t just throw stuff on top of our great idea hoping it works. We must craft it. Organize it. Stoke it. Until it becomes the blaze the spark indicated it could become.

We someone who can execute. A mediocre idea executed well beats and amazing idea executed poorly. Execute.

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We live in a world where traditional art structures are dissolving. Recording artists no longer need the record industry to distribute their art. Movie makers no longer need huge budgets and studios to produce their work. Authors can self-publish or give their work away for free.

That means there are innumerable artists infusing society with their work. There is noise. Everything wants your attention and it’s hard to know what art is good and what art is simply noise.

It’s a quickly changing landscape. And as the traditional art structures dissolve a new niche emerges: the need for curators.

People need someone to help them find what is good. They need someone willing to wade through the noise and pick the best from the chaos. Curators are the new successfuls in this new artistic landscape. It’s the record/publishing/music industry in reverse.

The art is there. But someone needs to come alongside it and help it get exposed to the world. This is my calling. I want to find the good and help it get where it needs to get.

Clarity. Do you know what roll you’ll be playing in this new artistic world order? You need to start discovering if not.

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It was tough. But it was a blast.

What stood out to me so much from the experience was the framework we had to create. The 8 suspects had to create a world that was complex enough to be intriguing but simple enough to figure out the plot. What a complex framework for such a simple idea! And it took me acting out my part like a champion to make it possible.

God’s world is so much more complicated than a simple murder mystery framework. He’s created a framework so intricate that science will never have all the answers. The art world will never have all the paintings it needs.

The framework God created needs you to play your part. It needs you to explore. It needs you to add your plot points to the story. There are enough unique roles for us all…and they’re all vital.

There is so much room for you to make a mark in God’s framework. Your role is necessary and so complex…and you were born for it. You were born to play your role masterfully. You were born to make your mark in the mystery of life.

Rise to the occasion! Realize the plot is not complete until you’re living your part of it.

The world can never begin to comprehend the mystery until you’re playing your role.

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I was “blocked” yesterday. I wasn’t able to create anything meaningful and it was frustrating.

But that’s not really what happened. What really happened was that I sat down to watch two shows, made kettle corn, watched two movies, played every game I could find on my iPhone and iPad, and refreshed my Facebook incessantly. I was satisfied with my creative block so I didn’t bother to push through… 

Until I had enough. I finally decided I needed to do something. There were no external deadlines or pressures making me make something happen…but I needed to.

I decided to fix my inaction. I grabbed my iPad and went to Starbucks. I shut off my phone and found the most boring table to sit at. Then I started writing. I tapped my iPad 10 times and wrote everything I intended to.

I don’t think creativity is some ethereal concept that eludes and taunts us. Creativity is a muscle I choose to use or I choose to let atrophy. It does get stronger with use, but it doesn’t suddenly fail you like artists are so apt to think.

That idea is a lousy excuse for inaction. Don’t allow yourself that excuse. Act. Create. Do something!

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“Pride comes before a fall” is the obvious application here. But I see this attitude so much creatives. We do something we think no one else has done (at least no one around us) and we think we’re awesome. Then we see someone better than us. And we feel like we fell to the ground.

I felt this way as a musician. I thought I was awesome. Then I went to a Deliriou5? concert and I decided to give up. I couldn’t live up.

I felt this way as a graphic design. I thought I was great. Then I saw Barton Damer’s work (and now all the great art contributors from Sunday| mag) and I decided to give up. I couldn’t live up.

I climbed up the door frame, yelled out “I’m Jonathan Malm and I’m cooler than you,” then I fell. But the tragedy was that I stopped climbing after that. My humiliation was devastating and I couldn’t climb again.

Whether you’re arrogant or humble, we all fall and fail. We all feel inadequate at times. But the arrogant climber/creator/artist has a harder humiliation. It’s harder to get up.

That’s why I’m choosing to climb quietly. I’m choosing to create something for the love of creating something…rather than getting a chance to yell how cool I am.

Will you join me on this journey? Will you be a quiet climber with me?

I abandoned an amazing blog project. I left my fledgling company in neglect when I lost interest. I gave up my magic career.

I lacked conviction.

Too many dreams become abandoned orphans with no one to look after them. We think someone else will pick them up and care for them better. But no one does.

There’s a reason that vision was yours. You need to realize you are the best and only person to make that dream a reality. You need the conviction to answer, “Why me?” for your dream.

So many people could have created Sunday| magazine. But I’m the one with the conviction. I’m the one best positioned to make it happen. Sure, a large company could have made it happen. But it would lack the organic, ground level personality that makes it a success. Sunday| magazine didn’t need deep pockets and millions of contacts. It needed heart. And I was the one that needed to make that happen.

Conviction.

Do you have conviction for your dream? Do you know why you are the one who needs to make it happen? Maybe you need a little encouragement and a shot of self-esteem:

You can do it. And you are the only one who can.

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I’ve received that sentiment in my last two city moves. I think those who said it were encouraging me to take the plunge into the new city and embrace it.

But I truly hope…even in the move I’m about to make to Dallas…that shortly after I get there people will give me the same compliment: “Your brain doesn’t really belong in this city.”

I want to constantly think bigger than my surroundings. I want to challenge the status quo and think beyond what those around me are thinking. This isn’t arrogance. This is both the call of the creative and the Christian (1 Peter 2:11). We’re aliens and strangers. Our mentality is not the mentality of those around us.

Revolutionary ideas and exceptional living come from living contrary to the ways of your surroundings. It’s not about being weird for the sake of weirdness, it’s about avoiding the black hole of culture around you. It’s about thinking differently. It’s about acting differently. It’s standing out.

Those who fit into the status quo help define a city…a culture…a common makeup. But those who break the status quo have the opportunity to revolutionize a city. They have the opportunity to raise the bar and challenge others to follow along.

I don’t ever want my brain to belong. I don’t ever want to find my “perfect city” that I “fit into perfectly.” Once I’ve found that I’ve stopped being revolutionary.

Are you revolutionary in your city? Or do you belong there?

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Blogs are a dying art form. It’s true there are many successful ones, but there are 10 times as many that fail. Magazines, too, are a dying art form. Yet again, there are some successful ones. But so many are going under.

I don’t think blogs are a bad thing. I don’t think magazines are a bad thing. But but very few blogs and magazines are adapting.

Very many people have encouraged me to change Sunday| magazine into more of a blog or more of a magazine. “You should post daily instead of posting once a month.” Or, “You should make a print version of the magazine.”

But why would I try to convert what I have into a dying art form? Change requires doing something different. And blogs and magazines need change.

So I’ve created an online-only magazine with no paid staff or writers. I sell ads differently. I count subscribers differently. I don’t even require any extra information from my subscribers other than their email addresses.

It’s an experiment. It might fail. Or it might be the model that changes the industry.

I’m shooting for success. Not trying to change the industry. But those things that change the industry are rarely intended to do so. They’re intended to create success. Then others follow. But the change is revolutionary because no one else is doing it.

What do you need to do differently? What should you be doing that no one else is doing? Change requires doing something different.

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One of the funniest things I’ve noticed about this process is that I’m basically planning my own demise. I’m anticipating every possible way I could get screwed in this deal. What if this happens? What if that happens?

I trust the company I’m dealing with. I have a great feeling about this situation. But wisdom requires I prepare for the worst.

I’m planning for it, but I’m not scared of the worst. None of these doomsday scenarios will keep me from acting on this collision of opportunity and vision.

There’s wisdom in preparing for the worst. But there’s foolishness in shriveling up in the corner because those scenarios scare you.

Great endeavors require cautious juggernaut-ism. Prepare for the worst but plunge on ahead. Without both of those elements you either do nothing or fail big time.

Which element have you been neglecting? Have you been plunging ahead without any forethought? Or have you been hiding in the shadows for fear of failure – fear of your own demise. I encourage you…go for your dreams… cautiously…but go for them.

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That’s one of the reasons I keep these blogs so bite-sized. People, especially creatives, are busy and overworked. It’s risky business to sit down and read a lengthy blog – not knowing if you’re wasting your time or if it’s something valuable.

So I go bite-sized. And since creatives tend to be a rather verbose bunch, I thought I’d share some of my tips for making your art, writings, music, etc bite-sized. How can you capture the essence of your art in bite-sized bits?

1. Complete thoughts aren’t necessary. One of the greatest keys to bite-sized thinking is eliminating unnecessary steps. Sometimes you have to allow your audience to leap between points on their own. Comedians are brilliant at this: “What’s the deal with airline food?” That joke works on its own because people can easily make their own connections and finish the thought.

2. Familiarity is your friend. This ties in with the previous thought. Incomplete thoughts are ok when it’s something people are familiar with.

I wanted to tweet about a phenomenon I’ve noticed with worship leaders. I call it the coffee/water shuffle. It’s when a worship leader has two cups in their hands…one with coffee and the other with water. He takes a sip of coffee then chases it with water. Worship leaders think that helps lubricate their throats.

That concept is neither familiar nor bite-sized for most people. So I avoided the topic.

3. Edit and replace with cleverness. Remove those excess bits. I could tweet, “I really hate it when people cut in front of me in line.” That’s lengthy and not clever. Instead, try, “Line cutters suck.” I created my own word/concept and edited out the excess words. Now I can leave it like it is or add some more context to make it more interesting.

4. Invest time. One of the biggest reasons creatives have a hard time making their art bite-sized is that it takes effort. It’s easy to speak for an hour. It’s easy to make a lengthy video. It’s easy to write a 700-word blog. But short takes effort. Be willing to take the time and wrestle with your art. Decide what’s necessary and look at things from a different perspective.

So those are my thoughts. What do you do to make your work bite-sized?

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I worked with detail oriented people. It’s not like they were sloppy. But detail-oriented people often micro-focus on the small details and miss the big picture. They were so focused on the articles and getting the facts perfectly correct, that they missed the major things.

I see this happen so much: commercials, newspaper, magazines, tv shows.

I made an internal promise when I worked at that newspaper that I wouldn’t get too focused on the small details and miss the big details. I decided I’d rather miss a small detail than miss a big detail. I decided I wouldn’t beat myself up when I missed a small detail because I knew I rocked the big details.

Creatives tend to be super detail oriented. And we tend to beat ourselves up over those little details. Are you that way? And do you frequently miss big details?

Perhaps it’s time to make a similar promise to yourself. Don’t get so bogged down with the little details. Give yourself some grace when you make little mistakes. Save your self-anger for the few big details you may miss. You’ll be much nicer to yourself and like yourself more.

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A pretty little bow.

But that’s not what life is like. Life is about wrestling. Man deals with depression over losing his wife. Man finds hope in God. Man fights a winning battle with depression.

It’s important to realize the value of wrestling in our stories – the stories we tell through our art, our sermons, and our church services. Preachers are notorious for putting pretty little bows on their sermons. “If you follow these three points your life will be perfect.” Perhaps that’s not what they’re expressly saying…but it can come across that way.

People want honesty. People know that life is about wrestling. To tell them life becomes perfect is misleading and unfair. And people don’t need that.

In a good story, even though there’s a happy ending, the pain of the loss is still there. It’s something the main character will always wrestle with.

• Even though the ring was destroyed, Middle Earth was ravaged. Many died.
• Life is Beautiful…the loss of the main character’s parents.
• Inception…the loss of the main character’s wife.

So keep your story honest. Don’t remove the fight from it. Give people hope for the conflict. Because we are ultimately victorious.

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But a church that ignores creativity loses their edge. They sink into lifeless traditions. The message is bland and lifeless. It’s unpalatable. People attend these churches because their friends attend or because they would be at church no matter what.

Creativity is salt. The message is the meat. Creativity is never meant to be the main course. If you’re focusing on entertainment you’re just feeding people salt. And they’ll grow thirsty for something else. If you’re good enough and creativity enough, people will stick around. They’ll even get excited about it. But you won’t be meeting their needs for the meat.

But that doesn’t mean you cook without salt! You also don’t want to be shoving flavorless meatloaf down people’s throats.

Be balanced. Be healthy. Don’t put too much or too little focus on creativity. Focus on the meat. And focus on the salt. Let them work together to create an amazing meal for your congregation.

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But you can seriously screw yourself up with great ideas. 

I have a pretty good thing going with Sunday| magazine. And there are so many great people offering help and suggestions. I just don’t have the time or resources to implement most of their ideas. This doesn’t mean I ignore them or dismiss them. I’ve implemented a few ideas. But the majority of ideas people give me get a big “no” response.

You have No Power – the power to say “no” to great ideas. If you don’t learn to say “no” to great ideas you can wear yourself out. The great thing you have going will become a tiresome chore. You’ll feel so guilty that you can’t implement all the great things you want to.

I want to start a forum. I want to expand the magazine to include youth and kids’ ministry. I want to create a video promo for the magazine. I want to do all these things. But I’m not going to.

And I don’t feel guilty. I don’t feel bad. I feel happy to work on Sunday| magazine the way it is.

What are some good ideas you need to say “no” to?

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Isn’t that hilarious? Some churches still haven’t joined the website revolution. Some churches have already outgrown the website revolution. This is how fast culture changes…and how slowly some churches move.

But this shows me something interesting: you can do something “right” that becomes the wrong thing if you’re not intentional. And you can do something “wrong” that becomes the right thing if you are intentional.

It’s against modern logic for a church to not have a traditional website. But in some contexts, very successful churches are www-less. It is the right thing for them. But that “right thing” is the wrong thing for most churches. It’s about intentionality.

What this means for you. Don’t be afraid to do the “wrong thing” if it is the right thing in your context. You might seem Neanderthal in your methods…but if you’re being intentional…you might be a revolutionary. Sometimes old school concepts in a new school mind are revolutionary.

Don’t throw out right ideas just because they are the wrong ideas for other people.

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But I just got back from Argentina for 20 days. During those 20 days I stopped running. I’m not sure what I was anticipating when I got back home. I think I was expecting an apocalyptic scene with carnage strewn about…waiting for me to clean it up.

But that’s not what was waiting for me. The world adapted to a life without me. I actually felt pretty useless when I got back. That’s life. The world keeps spinning with or without you. Sobering thought.

What should we do with that knowledge?

Whatever you want.

That’s the beauty of this idea. You aren’t all that important. You don’t have to feel trapped. So many church-workers feel indispensable and they run themselves into the ground. But you can take a break. You could even follow a different passion than the one your job requires.

Let someone else take over your job responsibilities while you do what you’re most passionate about.

Take a sabbatical.

Perhaps just relax a little and know that the world won’t blow up if you don’t get everything done this week.

A stressed creative doesn’t produce great creativity. Remind yourself that you just aren’t that important. The world will go on long after you’re gone. Relax. Chill. You can stop running whenever you want.

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But as we walked down the street, guys would stare at her. They didn’t just glance, they did the full, up and down, stare that a pervert does when he thinks no one is watching. But there was no shame.

There were even times when I wasn’t holding her hand that guys would walk by and whisper things in her ear. I had the “pleasure” of overhearing this once. This time I heard it:

Estas re linda, boluda (an offensive word).

Basically, he said, “You’re beautiful, idiot.” The nerve! What was that guy thinking?!

A couple days later I had the privilege of asking a true Argentine guy why they do that: “Does that actually ever work?”

He answered, “You never know. It’s worth a try.”

Wow. There it is. Argentine guys are the definition of optimism.

Couldn’t we all use a bit more optimism? You never know. It’s worth a try.

Are you afraid to write that song and share it with people? You never know. It’s worth a try.
Are you afraid to try something scary and different? You never know. It’s worth a try.

I encourage you. Approach the opposite sex like a gentleman or woman. But approach life like an Argentine guy. Don’t be afraid to tell life, “You’re beautiful, idiot.” You never know. Life may respond.

We had two options…complain or make the best of it. We made the best of it. I whipped out my iPhone and played the Wifi finding game. Each stop I tried to find a signal, connect, and check my Facebook before we moved again. It was a blast! And when we were moving, there were low hanging branches to dodge (refer to the above video).

Three hours of yawn turned into three hours of fun.

There’s huge value in the concept of play.

Children play. They turn everything into a game. Children are extremely creative.

When was the last time you turned a boring situation into a game? When you start seeing life as a series of games, you open your mind up to a new world. You start creating fun in a world of boring.

Next time you’re on a three hour tour…don’t complain. Have a little fun. Dodge some branches and find some Wifi.

But he didn’t always live in such a plush house.

Behind the pool was a tiny pool house. It was a pretty modest pool house…but not a great house. His family of four used to live there.

It’s pretty common in Argentina to buy a piece of land, live in a tiny house, and build your new one on the same property. What a cool idea! You buy the land cheaply, live modestly, then reap the benefits later.

I think we need to be more like that when it comes to our dreams. I think we need to move into the land that our dream occupies. Then start building. Too many people wait until they have everything together to start working on their dreams. But we never have everything together. Those who accomplish big dreams move to the land. They commit themselves to it. They live below what they could to make their dream a reality.

Have you moved into your dream’s real estate? Have you committed yourself to it? Or are you waiting for all the resources to come together before you start.

Let me encourage you. Start.

Note to my Canadian and US friends: Upon seeing Iguazú Falls, Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed, “Poor Niagara!” These falls are awesome.

But there’s a dance far more dangerous and exciting than tango. It’s the dance of the auto. Driving.

Who needs lanes? Who needs stop signs? A three-lane road quickly turns into five (if there are “lanes”). An intersection rarely has stop signs. I still haven’t quite figured out how driving in Argentina works.

I’ve noticed you turn on your emergency lights whenever you break (so you don’t get slammed into). You honk your horn as you’re approaching an intersection (so you don’t get slammed into). The highways have cars traveling at 50 kilometers per hour in one lane, and 150 kilometers per hour in the others. Road signs are more suggestions than rules. It’s electrifying.

I’ve watched my wife’s family drive us around so skillfully. I literally feel like I’m watching the tango. It seems like there’s no rhyme or rhythm to the movement of the cars. But for some reason it works. It’s beautiful.

I think life should be that way. It should be a dance. Instead of living in neat, straight lines…life should be lived dynamically. We should be willing to adapt to the lives around us. We should be able to relax as the world swirls around us. We should live our lives like a dance.

I’m going to try. Will you try with me?

It’s like I’m in a dream within a dream within a dream.

If you remember the movie, inception was placing a thought inside someone’s mind by digging into their dreams and subconscious. I’ve been incepted.

So many thoughts and ideas have flooded my mind. And that wouldn’t have happened unless I’d escaped my comfort zone…multiple times.

Though this trip has been a blast, each move away from “home base” has been less and less comfortable. I need a place to anchor, and that’s been pulled away from me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. My anchor needed to be lost.

Does your anchor need to be lost? When was the last time you slipped into a dream within a dream within a dream? When did you allow yourself to be subject to inception? Inspiration?

Are you married to comfort or do you let yourself get a bit uncomfortable at times?

Let me encourage you to get uncomfortable. It’s worth every second.

But sometimes she can’t remember some of the English words. But she’s smart. She’s noticed that many English words become Spanish words by adding an -a or -o to the end. And many Spanish words become English words by changing their suffix to -ation.

For instance:

• Globe becomes globo
• Active becomes activo
• Activación becomes activation

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work. So she’s known at school for making up some pretty gnarly English words.

For instance:

• Question = Pregunta
  So she says, “Let me ask you a pregunt.”
• Pool = Pileta
  “Let’s swim in the pilet.”
•  Pen = Birome
  “Can you pass me a birom?” 

I think it’s awesome. It’s awesome because she tries. While I’m afraid to speak Spanish because I might make a mistake, she’s communicating in English. I hold back and make no mistakes…but I also don’t talk. She talks and makes mistakes…but at least she isn’t a mute turtle – descending into her shell of fear.

Let me ask you a pregunt. What are you afraid to try for fear of failure? Is that fear holding you back from something awesome?

She makes a mistake and she laughs at it (along with quite a few other people). I’d rather make mistakes and laugh at them than to never try at all.

It’s actually quite curious to see. In Brazil I saw people drinking mate while waiting for the flight to Argentina. When I visited clothing stores I saw the clerks drinking it behind the counter. You can go to gas stations to get hot water for your thermos to drink it on the go. As I type this my bus driver is drinking mate.

It’s a symbol of pride, really, for Argentines. Even though other South American countries drink it, they consider it something uniquely theirs.

It’s an excuse to gather and chat.

It’s an excuse to have a little luxury throughout the day. Instead of sipping on their coffee or tea, they sip on their mate (providing the same stimulant effect as those others).

And that’s the thing I like most about mate. It’s an excuse for a little luxury. Even in the middle of a hectic workday, they take a moment to relax and unwind. It’s not always “go time” for Argentinians. I could use a little more of that in my life.

When I see my wife I won’t be too revved up to enjoy time with her. When I lay down to sleep my mind won’t be racing trying to figure out what happened in my whirlwind of a day. I might take more time to drink in my life and use those experiences to create better. I might find inspiration in the simplest of places instead of being caught dry when it’s time to make something.

Do you allow a little relaxation and luxury into your day? Do you unwind even before you run yourself into the ground? Why not try that today? Take some time for yourself to get recharged. Go to a hipster coffee shop and drink some mate.

But even in all the fun…I didn’t realize how much I needed a break. Carolina and I retired to an apartment in the city last night for some much needed rest. I woke up rejuvenated and ready to play some more.

Church creatives are notorious for running themselves into the ground. It’s easy to. Our work is fun. But sometimes you need to take a break from it all. You need to steal away and relax some.

When was the last time you took a break from playing to calm down and “sleep”?

Last night I went with my wife’s uncle to feed the homeless in a small town in Argentina. He and his wife were addicted to cocaine before God changed their lives. Now they go each week around town to feed the homeless. They’ve never missed a week in six years. And at times they can barely make it to the end of the month financially. But they never miss. They go to a tiny church and really live a life like the early Christians in Acts.

Afterwards, I found myself in a conversation explaining my magazine and blog. I felt humbled explaining why churches need massive stage designs, incredible sound, and great creativity.

I was worried I would feel silly after explaining such an odd concept to my wife’s uncle. But I realize when I finished that I was completely satisfied with my explanation. I fully believe in what I’m helping the church do. I fully believe in the necessity of my sites. What a refreshing thought!

I believe we should all sit down with someone like my wife’s uncle each year. Then we should defend our actions. There might be some things we realize we shouldn’t be doing. There might be things we realize we should be doing.

You might not get the chance to talk to my wife’s uncle. But you should know why you’re doing what you’re doing – enough to explain it to someone in the trenches on the other side of the tracks.

Could you explain why you do things at your church to my wife’s uncle?

But do you know what his family considers a delicacy? McDonalds. Yep…they love McDonalds. It’s actually more expensive than steak here. I can’t imagine every wanting to visit McDonalds when there’s beef like this. But it’s special for them.

Isn’t that always the case? The grass is always greener? The steak if always tastier?

Many artists approach their art that way. They see something they don’t have and want that. But they might not realize they have premium steak in their arsenal. You might be creating something unique and amazing, but wishing you could create something like McDonalds.

Appreciate what makes you unique. Don’t get sucked into the trap of being like everyone else. The world doesn’t need more McDonalds. The world needs more Argentine steak.

But one of my new cousins is a pre-teen girl. I can barely understand pre-teen girls in English. But in Spanish?! I can barely follow the first word…then she spews a river of syllables and tones that I just can’t follow. She’s so excited to tell me her story…but I’m completely lost. I just smile and nod.

I really want to understand her. But I just can’t follow along. She’s using words and concepts that I just can’t wrap my American brain around. I’m sure her stories are hilarious and fun…I just can’t reap the benefits of them.

Her parents, on the other hand, speak slowly and use simple concepts. They might have to scale back their communication so I can understand. But I do understand.

Are people understanding your creativity? Sometimes we can be like pre-teen girls. We get so excited about communicating and creating that our audience just doesn’t follow.

It’s much better to be the mature communicator than the pre-teen communicator. You might not be able to say all that you want…but at least people will understand you.

• Explaining what I do to my wife’s family members (I’m not even sure I know what I do)
• Exploring Iguazu Falls (one of the great natural wonders of the world)
• Tasting produce and meat that destroys the stuff we get in the US
• True Argentine tango
• The massive European influence in a South American country

I promise to finish each post with something inspirational and practical. What Argentine topics would you like me to cover?

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I realized I was fighting for my idea instead of the philosophy behind my idea. I was fighting over implementation instead of what I was trying to accomplish. My implementation was getting in the way of what I was trying to accomplish. Let me explain more concretely with what I was fighting for:

We have three Sunday morning services. The middle is super full and the first and third have ample space. Easter’s coming up – the busiest day of the year. We either have to turn people away or come up with a creative idea to accomodate them.

My idea: tickets to the services. Announce to our congregation that we’re offering tickets to the services. We make tons of first and third service tickets and very few middle service tickets. We explain that this is a guarantee that they’ll have a seat if they get a ticket. Of course we wouldn’t be rigid by requiring them to bring their tickets and we’d have tons of room for unexpected guests. But the idea was to help spread out the load between the three services.

People hated the idea. “Tickets don’t match our church’s culture.” “I’ve had bad experience with services that require tickets.” Many reasons why we shouldn’t use tickets. All hope was lost.

Until I realized tickets were just one way to accomplish my philosophy. The idea was to tell people they were guaranteed a seat if they came to the first and third service. Why not just tell them that?

Perhaps it wasn’t a great idea. But it was a great philosophy.

I spent a bunch of time arguing for my idea when I could have explained my philosophy and come to a great idea much sooner.

Don’t be so married to your ideas. But be willing to fight for a good philosophy.

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1. Curating allows you to get much more done than creating.
   A museum curator doesn’t create all of the paintings. He displays them. He makes a much larger impact by resourcing other people’s work.
2. Curating makes you a better creator.
   This follows the “teacher learns more than the student” philosophy. As you are taking in all the resources, you learn to discern what makes good art and what makes art that shouldn’t be displayed. I’ve been learning that running ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com. I’ve become a much better stage designer simply through curating other people’s designs.
3. Curating keeps your creativity well full.
   It’s much easier to get inspired when you’re consuming massive amounts of creativity.
4. Curating keeps us from becoming self-absorbed.
   A curator highlights others’ work. Though they are vitally important to the process, they don’t get the glory from the pieces they display. You rarely hear of curators chopping off their ears and marrying their cousins. The self-absorbed artists do that.
5. Curating keeps us humble.
   We are all curating. There’s nothing new under the sun. Every idea is built upon previous works. When we acknowledge that we’re merely stewarding the inspiration and ideas that have been passed down, we stay humble. Ultimately every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. It’s vital to remember that.

How well have you adopted the art of curating?

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It’s easy to forget that most of the hymns in our hymn arsenal were a result of young musicians wanting new music to worship with. Martin Luther set many of his songs to popular folk tunes from his time. He believed the devil shouldn’t have all the good music.

That’s right, Martin Luther was ripping off songs from Heinrich and Hans at the bars like Hillsong is ripping off Coldplay and U2 today.

The old hymn writers were revolutionaries. I’m sure they were constantly accused of not honoring the traditions of the faith. When their churches were doing their songs, they weren’t in the hymnals. They were new.

It seems like the same folks fighting for their songs nowadays were fighting against their songs in their time. Isn’t that ironic?

What that means for you: you’ll receive opposition from the same folks who will love your work in the future. Don’t let the fear of man put you in a snare. Honor our beloved hymn writers by blazing your own trails. Make your own new hymns.

There are cats and Dubstep videos at our churches. They are things people just like regardless of their creativity. People love singing along with songs. People love clapping – it gives them something to do with their hands. People at our churches love getting together over a meal.

Sometimes creativity can get in the way or cats and Dubstep videos. We want to be cutting edge and creative so we neglect the things people love. Don’t fall into that trap.

Sometimes the creativity in our church doesn’t outweigh the benefit of letting people watch their favorite dubstepping cat video. Sometimes you just gotta give the people what they want.

Be careful that your desire for creativity and newness doesn’t alienate people from something enjoyable and effective.

Vilfredo Pareto noticed an interesting phenomena. He noticed that 80% of the wealth in Italy was held by 20% of the population. It’s called the Pareto Principle and it applies to more than just Italy. In almost every country, 20% of people hold 80% of the wealth. That means a small percentage has the largest potential for impact.

I’ve noticed this is more than just an economic principle. I’ve seen it in my life. 20% of my activities yield 80% of my results. That means the majority of my activities are fairly unproductive. What if I could just get rid of those activities?

Ideally, if I could identify my productive 20%, I could do that 5 times and get a 400% result. I could get four times the amount accomplished if I focused on the right activities. That’s phenomenal, right?

Unfortunately, no one can function perfectly like that. You’d either neglect your family or run yourself into the ground. But what if you could do as little of those unproductive activities as possible? What if I could focus on the 20% of productive things. Sure, I might only function at 80% capacity…but that gives me room for so many things. I can drop everything and just relax with my wife for an hour. I don’t have to feel guilty.

If I have some extra time I can add in some of the details that give me 20% of my result. But those aren’t that important.

What are you doing that only yields 20% of your results? What can you drop from your routine that isn’t that important? What should you remove from your schedule?

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Now imagine I was threatening the life of a loved one. Does that $50,000 seem so unattainable now? I promise you could find ways to get that money. You’d use massive creativity and make it happen. You might not even have to break any laws.

The human brain is much more creative than we give it credit for. The problem isn’t the capacity for creativity. The problem is the motivation and desire.

How badly do you want to create something that matters? What’s motivating you to do it? If you don’t feel like your life depends on it, you’re missing out on some of your potential.

What if you created like your life depended on it? Imagine your potential if you take your art that seriously. There’s no limit to the extraordinary things you could accomplish. Your art could have a lasting impact on this and future generations.

Add a bit urgency to your creativity. See what happens.

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Wonder and curiosity happen in ambiguity. Wonder and curiosity are foundational to creativity.

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. F. Scott Fitzgerald

That sounds almost schizophrenic. Doesn’t it? Two opposing ideas being true at the same time? Ambiguity.

Intelligence (and creativity) are really about the ability to deal with ambiguity. It’s the ability to acknowledge you don’t know everything. And it’s the desire to keep searching. It’s the willingness to accept that two seemingly opposite ideas are true.

The Bible’s filled with these seemingly schizophrenic ideas: one God in three persons, being dead with Christ yet living…

I’ve been consumed lately with this idea that creativity happens between two extremes.

Light, for instance, is a seeming contradiction. It functions like a wave. But it functions like particles. Light functions in two different ways…but in one way. Learn more.

The point. Give yourself some room for ambiguity. I’m not saying to embrace sin or go universalist. But don’t be so quick to judge. Don’t be so quick to discount an idea because it doesn’t fit your model of how the world works. Embrace others and others’ ideas. Embrace a bit of schizophrenia in your art.

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Did you know most people don’t get past page 18 in the books they buy? They lose interest. And many of these books are amazing books – best sellers. That’s why people buy them. But those first 18 pages lost the reader’s attention.

It doesn’t matter if the story was incredible – life changing. The reader will never experience it because the writer lost the reader’s attention.

We have such limited time that people give us. Will you piqué their interest in that time? Or will you lose them?

I often skip over what I later to find to be my favorite song, simply because it took too long to get started. I often tune out in a lecture that others find life changing because the speaker didn’t bother to grab my attention. I often eject the Blu-ray in the first 15 minutes because the moviemaker lost me.

Even though those may all be artistic masterpieces, they won’t be appreciated. Those first 18 pages are critical.

What is the “first 18 pages” in your art? Identify it. Are you grabbing your audience’s attention during that critical time? Or are you losing them?

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1. Criticism
2. Stagnation
3. Exploration

Criticism
Most “artists” choose this path. Instead of creating, they turn into the critics. They know enough art to consider themselves experts. So instead of creating they analyze and dissect other people’s art.

Even though a critic is surrounded by art, he is not an artist. Criticizing art is easy. Creating art is hard. That’s why so many choose this path. It’s easy.

Stagnation
This is the second largest group of artists. These are the artists that feel accomplished enough to stop reaching. They don’t necessarily criticize other people’s work, but they don’t strive to make their’s better.

Many professional artist are stagnant artists. They make enough money and receive enough praise that they don’t need to stretch themselves anymore.

Stagnant artists are married to rules and formulas. They’ve brought the artist success in the past, so he relies on them to fuel the rest of his work.

This is a far better option than criticism, but no true artist wants to live here.

Exploration
This is the humble artist. He enjoys every attempt at art. Instead of criticizing a bad piece of art, he learns from it. He picks up new techniques and ideas almost daily.

His world is filled with reaching and risk. It’s what fuels him. He fails a bunch, but he doesn’t wallow in his failure. He keeps exploring.

This is where every artist needs to live.

You
Have you stopped exploring? Have you stagnated? Or worse, have you become a critic? Get back on the road to true art. Begin exploring again.

Two artist’s roads are easy. One is difficult – overgrown with uncertainty and adventure. Take the road less traveled.

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2. Anyone can have a great idea. Listen carefully to every idea. How many great corporate ideas came from janitors or lower level employees. Don’t discount an idea because of its source.

3. Not everyone has what it takes to make a great idea happen. Just because someone comes up with a great idea doesn’t mean they are the right one to implement it. Sometimes great ideas come from those without the resources or skills to make them happen.

4. Great ideas are often slight changes away from being bad ideas. Good ideas can quickly become bad ideas when you get away from the heart of the idea.

5. The more pride you have the more resistant you will be to good ideas that aren’t your own. If you find yourself resisting many ideas, you’re probably dealing with pride. Get that under control.

6. Great ideas aren’t always new ideas. Just because an idea has been “done to death” doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. There’s often a reason things get done to death…they’re great ideas.

7. Just because “everyone’s doing it” doesn’t make it a good idea. Sometimes there’s a reason everyone does something a certain way. But sometimes they just lack imagination or the energy to do something different.

8. A great idea in the wrong context is a bad idea. 

9. Great ideas often entail a large risk. Since good ideas are a few changes away from being a bad idea, they’re risky. What if they go bad?

10. Great ideas are worth the risk.

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