Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
I believe it’s easy for technicians to dismiss themselves as “not creative,” simply because of how we’ve become accustomed to referring to creativity in the church world.
Many times, we are actually conflating the terms “creativity” and “artistry” (and likewise, an “artist” and a “creative”), labeling those who create content for their job (like graphic designers, video editors, musicians/songwriters, etc.) as “creative” because their role involves “creating” content.
In truth, those people are really better known as “artists.” Because while they are creating content, that’s not the full embodiment of what it means to be creative.
"Blessed are the peacemakers” can also be read as “blessed are the problem-solvers.”
True creativity is problem-solving. It says that there’s a need that must be met in a certain way, delivered through a certain medium, and done by staying within constraints imposed by time, personnel, resources, etc.
And in fact, since all of us are created in the image of God, and since he “created” in Genesis 1, that means that we, then, are all creators and possess our own unique spin on creativity!
While a church tech may not be an “artist” (when compared to those making videos or graphics) per se, a technician often has to more fully embody creativity than just about anyone on the broader church team.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult for many of us to see and embrace this. Perhaps we are more “black and white”-types who only see life through binary means. There are ones and zeroes, and nothing in between. Something either can be done or can’t be done. There are no maybes (or, like Yoda, there is no “try”).
So, when we’re presented with a challenge or asked if something is doable, we can often fall back on the either-or approach. Either it can work in its proposed state, or it can’t. End of story.
The Bible clearly states that we need other people’s help to solve problems.
A key part in doing our jobs well is being able to live in the gray and peruse the margins of what is or isn’t possible. Instead of quickly labeling something as impossible, we need to allow ourselves the time to play around in the “what if” realm and think about what actually could be possible and what constraints or variables might need to change or be considered in order to open up new doors of possibility.
And while this may not be a natural approach for many of us, that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from trying. It just means that, since I’m a leader, I need to prioritize time to learn and grow and stretch myself to be able to explore new ways of thinking.
So what does it mean to try and develop my own level of creativity? To start thinking beyond yes or no as my only options? To consider new ways of thinking and acting that maybe I haven’t explored previously?
The first step, as it often is with so many processes of personal growth, is self-awareness. Are there certain situations (or in certain environments) where I struggle to see more than just black-and-white options? And if I have a hard time identifying some of those, are there people close to me who I can ask for feedback and can tell me what they see in me?
I may discover that there are certain people with whom I tend to shut down more frequently (or more quickly) than others. Why is that? Maybe there are certain environments (like specific meetings) in which I have a pattern of responding a particular way. Perhaps there are certain topics that trigger certain responses from me. Is it due to my insecurity? Lack of knowledge or experience? Past failures?
I love finding people that don’t understand anything about my role and asking them for feedback on things.
When I’m self-aware, I then have the ability to grow and improve, because I know understand my natural tendencies and why I’m inclined to move in those directions.
Once I’ve taken that step, now I can begin to grow myself.
As an example, years ago, I began to realize that nearly every time one particular person came to me with ideas or suggestions, I would almost immediately shut them down. When I was able to step back and ask myself why I did that, the root was really my own insecurity over something that had happened previously in our relationship, and I was able to address that.
By doing that, I allowed myself to think more freely and clearly, and it enabled me to think about different ways of doing things when that person approached me with new ideas.
Likewise, at one time I had also spent months convinced that it was not possible for us to do something technically in our main auditorium, due in part to not wanting to admit that I didn’t know all of the ins and outs of our video system. But when I was finally able to have the humility to step back and examine myself, I embraced the fact that I still had learning and growing to do, and the new knowledge I pursued then gave me new ways to solve problems.
And really, again, that’s what creativity is: problem-solving.
When I become self-aware of my own tendencies, it then gives me new perspectives and abilities when I need to solve problems.
When I realize that I immediately answer “no” because I’m too insecure to admit that I don’t know how to do something, I allow myself to start working through that feeling to learn more about my craft and find others who can help provide advice or guidance.
When I understand that I push back against certain ideas because I struggle to see the problem from other perspectives, that enables me to find people who see differently than I do so they can help educate me to different viewpoints.
Creativity isn’t necessarily something that people are born with, but it’s definitely something that can be developed after we’ve become self-aware enough to realize our own limitations and blind spots.
So how can I develop that mentality? How can I take steps to get better at solving problems and thinking differently?
For me, the most critical piece was carving out time on my schedule (just a few minutes once a week) to get out of my usual environment.
I discovered that when I was in my usual workspaces, it was nearly impossible to think about anything other than all of the pressing issues that had to get dealt with. It took finding a completely different place for my mind to feel freedom from the burning fires to actually start thinking about different things.
I would use this time to make notes, brainstorm, or journal about new ideas, challenges that needed to be solved, or areas where I wanted to grow. I would challenge myself to only think about “what if” scenarios and allow myself to go down rabbit trails of thought, just by asking questions.
“We can’t solve this issue.” Why not? “Because there’s a certain variable in place that won’t change.” Well, what would it take for that variable to change? “Certain factors beyond my control.” Am I sure they’re beyond my control? Have I done a good enough job communicating the details to all invested parties? “Yes, and those factors still won’t change.” OK, so knowing those factors can’t change, what other angles of the issue am I overlooking? Are there other variables that can change to help lead to a different outcome?
And so on and so forth.
It becomes easy sometimes to just shut down at the first sign of “no” and not stop to ask more “what if” or “why” questions. But by taking time to train ourselves to explore those trails, we can slowly learn to shift our own real-time thinking.
Also, I would train myself to start asking those questions in real time during events and services. Instead of just shutting my brain down and zoning out if things were going well, I’d start to ask Plan B-type questions of myself.
If the mic cuts out here, what’s our backup plan? If the computer crashes, does the graphics volunteer know what to do? If there’s a power outage, how would we communicate updates to the pastor?
Thinking of back-up plans and alternative solutions is a learned discipline, and it’s a version of creative thinking that I can train myself how to improve. By thinking along these lines, I now give myself the mental reps to solve problems before they happen and have solutions ready to deploy when needed.
While these are steps I can take by myself, nothing beats developing with help from others.
Just like self-awareness sometimes can only happen when we open up to outside perspectives, problem-solving is the same way.
In fact, the Bible clearly states that we need other people’s help to solve problems. Proverbs notes repeatedly (in 11:14, 12:15, 15:22, and 24:6, among other verses) that plans succeed thanks to the help of wise counsel providing guidance and advice.
I love finding people that don’t understand anything about my role and asking them for feedback on things. It can be easy to completely discount the ideas of non-technical people because “they don’t understand what we do,” but sometimes that’s the beauty of it.
Because they don’t understand what we do, their perspective isn’t colored by the same biases and viewpoints that we have. This can sometimes allow for an uninhibited angle at things that I otherwise never would have seen because I’ve never approached it from that side.
I can learn from anyone, and it doesn’t take technical ability or years of experience to be able to help solve some problems.
One translation expounds that when the Beatitudes are listed in Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (v. 9) can also be read as “blessed are the problem-solvers.” Instead of being content with tension or ignoring an issue, I can receive a blessing when I take steps to find a solution and solve that problem.
Personally, I know how limited I am in my own abilities, so I need all the blessings and help I can get!
To think creatively means to think differently. That comes from asking questions, embracing new perspectives and input, and having the humility to admit where we need to change and grow.
There’s more to each issue than just black and white. And over time, I can develop my ability to live in the gray, and doing so can lead to more blessings and influence!