When discussing their works, I often hear people say, “I don’t want to be preachy!”

On one level, I get it. No one expects your art to preach a sermon. We have preachers for that.

But on another level, the enemy can use that fear to water down your creativity.

I saw a sign at the front door of a new Mexican restaurant I visited last week that said:

In a Hurry? Please Try Us When You’re Not.

When I was a boy, the only thing cooler than the Batmobile was the bookmobile. And unlike the Batmobile, the bookmobile was real. It would show up at our elementary school a few times each year…and I would lose myself in shelves of stories.

We can move so fast through a day that we miss the micro victories. Especially when it comes to our creativity. 

It’s rare to have a day to focus solely on your creativity goals. At least it is for me.

Most days, we’re grateful to have a half hour—either before the rest of the world wakes up or before we fall asleep at night.

Artists are forerunners in their specific area of creative gifting—bringing something new into existence that changes the atmosphere for all who encounter it. 

God-given creativity threatens modern, elite group-think.
They hate independent minds and those who see without first being told how to see.

God gave us a memory and an imagination. When they work together according to his design, we can see our story more clearly. When they don’t, we find ourselves stuck in the wrong story.

We’re drawn to movies and novels where the protagonist experiences great adventure, romance, and purpose. Our story can seem insignificant compared to that.

We all have our favorite place to be creative. And that’s good. The environment has an impact on our creativity.

But don’t limit this concept to earthly options.

What limits have you placed on your creativity? 

It’s helpful to remember those limits are from you rather than from God.

The creative process doesn’t begin with doing. The first step is simply being. 

When you’ve given it your best and it still isn’t enough, what then?

The best art simultaneously disrupts and invites. It helps people see something in a new way so they can then experience life in a new way.

“Hurry is an attitude which comes from an agreement with a lie that God is expecting more than you can do.”

Those words from a good friend rocked my world a decade ago.

All of life is spiritual. But that’s not how we tend to see our days. 

We’re not even halfway through the first month of 2026. And already, our resolutions are beginning to show signs of failure. Even if we’re faithfully keeping them, they are proving incapable of filling our hopes, longings, and empty places.

The process of creating requires many things, with time being near the top of the list. Because if we have no time to create, nothing will be created.

Ever wonder why God gave you an imagination? He didn’t have to. 

In these high-tech times, I’ve recently rediscovered the simple joy of puzzles.