CREATIVE MOMENTUM by Josh Young
“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something…” - Frank Capra
I believe that inspiration is what happens when our minds catch up with our Spirit. When we open our spirits, and pursue God’s presence, there is an exchange of life that happens - Spirit to spirit.
Whether we are taking in nature, listening to a song on the radio, watching an episode of our favorite TV show, or any number of experiences – they’re literally endless - God is constantly revealing Himself to us. His creative nature is on display all around us, and our spirits are like sponges absorbing all we come in contact with. We may not be aware of it , but we’re constantly encountering the love of the Father.
One thing is clear, we are in no way lacking for inspiration.
As creative people we often wait until we feel “inspired” before we sit down to create. Inspiration is an important part of the creative process, but it isn’t something that has to be left to chance. There are steps that we can take to stir ourselves up, and move into a place of creative momentum.
The Creative process is just that, a process. Life is full of processes. Generally we are focused on the “payoff” that they bring us, but there are many different steps to any process and we have to be aware that what we do today determines what we experience tomorrow. It’s the principle of sowing and reaping.
If we want to harvest a great creative release we have to sow into it. We must be willing to take time to create even without the guarantee of an immediate “payoff”. We might spend hours writing a song and at the end of our time it may appear that we have nothing to show for it, but we have to remember it’s a process. The creative process in and of itself is a form of worship, and even in the process we are connecting with Him. When we create we are emulating the Father. Just as an earthly father is not waiting for his son or daughter to mature before he displays his affection to the child, how much more does our Father in heaven desire to love on His kids. We don’t create to win God’s approval. We create from an awareness that we are completely loved and our creations become a release of love back to Him and a way to display His love for everyone to see.
Sometimes It appears that inspiration - in the form of a song, a painting, new choreography, or any number of expressions - comes in an instant. I believe that those moments are just a final step in the creative process.
Think of it this way. We’ve all been to a coffee shop that offers a “buy ten items - get one free” deal, or something of the sort. They give you a little card and every time you buy an item they punch a hole in the card. Once they’ve punched all the holes we get excited because the “payoff” is coming - free coffee! Each time we pay for a cup of coffee it brings us one step closer to the reward of the free cup. The first few steps in any process can be awkward and hard, but they are just as much a part of the payoff as the last step we take. In other words, you don't get the free cup of coffee without investing in the first ten cups.
As we give our self to the process daily - even for just a few minutes - we are stirring up our spirits. It‘s from doing this that we position ourselves for creative release. Our mind is aligned with our spirit, and inspiration is once again our friend. Most of the time the creative process is about getting our Body and Soul aligned with our Spirit. It’s like a combination lock. We twist and turn and turn some more, and when everything is lined up, there is a release. The sooner we embrace the process the sooner we will see fruit.
It's at this point that we move from the place of trying to make something happen to a place where momentum is on our side, and it’s in this place that things begin to flow with ease.
Momentum isn’t something we just stumble upon, but it’s something that we have a hand in creating. It’s from this place of momentum that we encounter those “payoff” moments.
So remember to embrace the process. Find hope and joy in the journey. Take heart in each step, knowing that great things can be accomplished one small step at a time.
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