The Things You Do
-An exclusive excerpt from Allen’s new book-
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.
We’re convinced some people have it—like writers, poets, musicians, and painters—and others don’t. Or that we’re too old, too young, too late, or too much. All of that is untrue.
We must expand our limited view of who is creative. If we define our creative worthiness on the constantly changing ways others define it, we will always be on shifting sand. Creativity isn’t determined by a degree or reserved for the elite to bestow as they please. We don’t need to win an award to prove we’re creative. Humans aren’t the ultimate gatekeepers of creativity. Our Creator created creativity. So let’s pursue what it is from his perspective.
Though you might not notice, you bring beauty, life, and order into your world in countless ways. Like when you help a client thrive. Create a peaceful atmosphere in your home. Coach a team. Plan a family vacation. Care for a parent with dementia. You express it when you paint a room or a canvas. Play a board game. Rearrange your too-full schedule or stretch your too-thin budget. Teach a distracted child. Train a puppy. Sing show tunes in the shower. Make something with your hands. Speak a story into existence. Cultivate a garden or a friendship.
Your creativity is breaking through—in what you do and how you do it. Sometimes we’re the last ones to notice, but it requires imagination, tenacity, and curiosity to see what could be and bring it to life. In this world of chaos, that’s an amazing feat. This highlights an important difference between chaos and a glitch. Chaos starts externally and tries to get in us. The goal is to not let it in. Our glitches tend to reflect things within us that aren’t operating as they should. The goal is to identify and fix them.
When the chaos around us and our glitches within us have free rein, we can feel stuck.
In these moments, it’s essential we don’t give up. Which brings us to the deeper reason that I know you’re creative...and why it matters so much.
(From The Creativity Glitch: How to Stop Being Stuck, Find Your Groove, & Create with God. Copyright © 2026 Allen Arnold.)
This reading was crafted to encourage your pursuit of story and creativity with God. Your donation makes this crowd-funded initiative possible. You can support it via PAYPAL (or by check to Allen Arnold at PO Box 62841, Colorado Springs, CO 80962).
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