Creativity is tricky. Who can say when and where creativity will strike? If it strikes once, will it strike again and will the same catalyst create a second creative outburst? The muse is a terrible and beautiful master. I write songs, blogs, short stories, academic articles, i am currently working on my first novel, and I know the value of the muse; of that creative burst that begins you on the journey of creativity. I also know the long arduous process of taking an idea from inspiration to completion, when the muse has left you and you are left to craft all that creativity into something you can present to the world.
In my world creativity is often, usually, a solitary endevour. Many of my friends co-write songs, and I have experienced co-writing on several occasions with my former band mates in my Las Vegas based band "Hooked", but in general, my creativity happens in a solitary manner.
I have learned over the years however, that in one area of my life I need creative input from many different sources. The area where I need the most collective creative input is in my full time work, where I am a Worship and Arts Pastor. Expecting all of the creativity for an entire church service, week after week, month after month, to come from one person is creative suicide.
Creative Planning Teams, creative collaborative groups of diverse people working together to plan weekends, series, and special events, need to be the foundation of what I do on a weekly basis.
Since moving to Kamloops in October of 2011 and becoming the Worship and Arts Pastor at Kamloops Alliance, I have not had a Creative Planning Team.
Now, finally, I have a team in place and we are preparing for our first meeting next week. I can't wait. I haven't been this excited in a while, and it is due to the fact that I will soon begin working collaboratively with other creative people.
If you are a creative person, find those people in your life who you can create with, and do it. I can't wait to see where our church goes from here.
