Indoctrination is a lot of things. Art isn’t one of them.

Indoctrination is agenda-driven propaganda that purposely bends creativity, story, music, entertainment, social media, and “news” to manipulate a target audience. 

I want to share a practice that’s proven incredibly life-giving. 

Every morning, while still in bed, the first word I speak is “Jesus.” Often, I’ll say his name several times.

In a stressful situation, we often assume the only possible outcomes are the ones we can see. Don’t give into the pressure to make a quick decision between options A and B. Instead, try this…

You’ll find endless advice for how to stay creative. Most of it is formulaic or reliant on self-effort.

I’d like to offer a better, truer way.

Really creative people love to create. But most don’t really like to promote what they create.

The question isn’t what can you create. You can make a lot of things. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

The far better question is this: What are you uniquely created to create?

Highly creative folks are naturally talented in a lot of areas. The problem is they can spend their life endlessly dabbling in a lot of areas without ever mastering any. 

In this instant gratification culture, it’s hard to wait on others…or even on God. AI has conditioned us to expect immediate answers. And to see ourselves at the center of the story. 

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.