Trying to get your arms around what creativity is can be like trying to corral the wind.

I made up the scenario with the doctor and patient (The Doctor Will See You), but the Creativity Glitch we face is quite real. It is the primary reason our creativity is compromised. Something within us is off, yet most of us remain completely unaware of it.

“Level with me, Doctor. Am I okay?”

“Thankfully, we don’t have to guess. Over the past month, your biometric watch has been constantly monitoring your heart, sight, brain, and voice for any…irregularities.”

Your creativity is reflected in what you do and how you do it. It’s one key reason I know you’re creative. But let’s not make that the main reason. It alone won’t sustain you.

Are you wrestling with the idea that you’re creative? If so, part of what’s in the way may be the world’s skewed view of creativity.

The constant pull is for us to try and make life work for us.

We do this with our friends, boss, spouse, children, and social media. And we do it with our creativity.

A North Star orients us as to where we are—so we can stay on track for where we’re headed. As we explore what it means to experience our creativity as it was intended, God is our North Star. He not only made the stars, but he made us creative. It is his design that we are after.

You’re incredibly creative.

Notice your reaction to my words.

We want answers. I get it. So why am I starting with questions? Because as Henri Nouwen wisely observed, “Answers before questions do harm to the soul.” Questions always lead to greater outcomes than answers alone—because they require curiosity and conversation.

Albert Einstein is universally recognized as one of history’s most brilliant thinkers. How did he come up with so many breakthroughs about time and space?

Whether you are satisfied or unsatisfied with your creativity, more is available. But what we don’t need more of is what we’ve already tried and found lacking.

People pursue and protect what matters.

If an important relationship was unraveling, we’d do our best to restore it.

We don’t tend to question our breathing. We intuitively know everyone alive is breathing—and accept it as part of our design.

When a person, pet, or job that once filled your day with purpose and meaning is suddenly gone, there is a major void—not just around you but also within you. 

The reaction of others doesn’t reflect…

I’ll admit it. The headline was a trick question. I can tell you how to create...but not what to create.

I bring a small journal with me wherever I go. Unlike a phone, it isn’t a distraction device. It is a sign that I expect to hear from God anytime, anywhere.

We’ve all had moments where we run out of patience, ideas, time or money. But more and more, I’m running out of words.

Dear World, 

You’ve done your best these past few years to derail our God-given creativity.

These readings regularly touch on the beauty and power of our God-given creativity. But there’s an aspect of it that deserves more attention—creative exhaustion.