A "MUNDANE" ROUTINE THAT LEADS TO CREATIVITY

I am writing this as a result of a Facebook conversation about creativity. It started as a post by FBer Paulette Insall, referring to an internet article, "How Mundane Routines Produce Creative Magic". 

My approach is the antithesis of routine, and not mundane by any means. Please share in my comments section after this post, about your daily routines. I value your opinion and would appreciate your input.  

1) Do you have a daily routine that helps you create?

I concentrate on staying in constant communion with God. Very simple.

  

Hard to maintain at times, but I am growing in staying in this constant flow. I diligently work at cutting out distractions of any sort. When I first consciously explored this approach, I spent several days, even weeks, in my room alone with God. I did not plan on fasting but the Lord pulled me into it. No food or drink for days and not even missing it! I would get lost in His presence. I have found that it's easy to enter the disciplines when God woos you into them. They become effortless. If you want to change the way you think or behave, to come more in line with God - stand in His presence. It's hard to stay there and not get some of Him rubbing off on you.

I had my phone and sketchbook with me in my room, which enabled me to write/sketch out revelations from the Lord.

Many years ago, I attempted to maintain marathons in His presence like this, but I would inevitably be the one leaving, never God. He would say, "Don't go." I would later realize that in my hurry to run off to do errands, I didn't hear the rest of what he was telling me, "Don't go, take me with you." Those last four words have turned my lifewalk upside down.

I noticed that when I first started applying those four words, I had extreme difficulty. It's easy to be isolated, but very hard to reintegrate into a world that marches to the beat of a different drummer. I would leave my room on the second floor. By the time I reached the last step into the first floor, I had left my flow, and fizzled into an old man mindset, as if I had never had any exchange with the Lord. But God as Jealous Lover of my soul, patiently brought this to my attention. I retreated to my room as a saline puddle on the floor, crying out for a solution to this problem. I say this because all of this is His doing. It takes God to know God. I can only know Him by His revelatory permission, only entering in by His grace. There is nothing in me that enables me to access Him, other than the blood-stained garment of Christ (Hebrews 10:19-22).

This approach keeps me in constant flow. It may be quite different than other means. I run away from seeking my own expression. Part of being a minstrel (visual minstrel) is dedicating and surrendering my expression in favor of seeking out God's expression.There's power in the unaltered song of the Lord (music), or vision of the Lord (visual arts). Like King David, prophetic worshipers must be priests after God's own heart, a kingdom of priests. I never lose my identity in this. My expression always comes through in the process. God loves the soulic part of my being (when it is lined up with Him). HE SAVORS OUR FLAVOR. That's why I can say I'm His favorite and His flavorite.

One of the benefits, of using this "routine"(anything but mundane routine - a thrill for every second):

The creative element flows into everything you do. One can become a musician orchestrated into the symphony of life (even if you have a tin ear and don't know how to play). In other words, it provides the means to practice the presence of God, thereby enabling one to "walk in the Spirit". This is just the beginning. This is NORMAL CHRISTIANITY, the way God intends everybody to walk (that's a direct quote from the gospel according to TONY, he-he-he! Good thing there's no such book). Good thing, there's no such book!

Even when recent illness (Quad bypass heart surgery and resultant nerve damage) derailed my ability to paint or play trumpet, God so wanted me to worship Him without skipping a beat that He brought in another avenue for me to explore: writing and poetry. He gave me the ability to focus my thoughts in words. The day before, I could not write. I mean I knew how because of schooling, but couldn't put words together, couldn't rhyme. Often, in school I would be the last one turning in an exam. I would get frustrated at the blank sheet, whenever I attempted to journal. God so loves me that He provided a way for me to express my love to Him, when my other routes became too painful. Isn't that something how much He cares for every detail of our lives? I love Him so.

One of the most difficult things I find with this approach:

1) Time oriented things

Schedule is an area that I find most difficult. I am on God's schedule, not my own. When I spend long hours before God I find myself in the timeless place with the eternal God, the Ancient of Days. Because of that, He has stretched my understanding of schedule, of anything related to time. He has taught me to view things from eternal perspective. I now know the value of pulling back from viewing things from a human mindset. I don't always do it, because I am a work in process. But at least, I am aware that God's ways are high above man's ways of thinking.

During the long stretches with the Lord, He began showing me another discipline (like fasting, silence, or solitude). It is an outgrowth of the Watch of the Lord. I call it the discipline of the "Surrendered Schedule". It's not for everyone, most cannot grasp the importance of it or even the validity. But it is another form of voluntary weakness. It causes a wooing cry within your spirit. It is yet another avenue to walk while worshiping God. If you have time for it.

I used to work as a limousine chauffeur. I always had to be on time, in fact, early and well prepared for my client's needs. When my client arrived I was on their schedule. They paid by the hour and I did whatever they wanted (well almost whatever), drove wherever they wanted to go, even if it meant driving across multiple states. Whenever I went on these long excursions, It was so difficult to return to the usual everyday schedule of airport transit. So it is with serving God in this manner.

2) People think you're anti-social

While He is working this way of living into my life, it will seem that way. But I have noticed that He causes me to view people in a different way. It seems that everyone has become precious to me. When I am around people, I find it easier to give wholeheartedly into their lives. I can say this because I used to be a sourpuss. Even now, when I grow distant from God that's a sure way of knowing I'm off. I return to my curmudgeon dudgeon dungeon.

I see that He isn't going to let me stay a miserable shambles. I think it's because of those dangerous prayers. You know the ones, "God do whatever it takes to...", or we've all prayed, "make me just like Your Son". I think I winced immediately when those words rolled off my tongue. I think Misty Edwards knows exactly what I mean. Listen to her song ,"You Won't Relent (Until You Have It All) -Track 4 on my blog's Mix Pod above. My Heart is Yours, oh God, most worthy, most holy! You are my everything, my. . .

. . .Where am I? . . .What's my name? I just fell on the floor. Oh Yes, back to writing.

Is this isolated approach worth all it entails?

Even with the difficulties, it is absolutely worth everything. It is worth all the things I give up, the things I used to call "loss". Now I see them as gain. I am finding that God is helping me reintegrate back to a do-able schedule. What I gain is a slight shift in thinking that enables me to re-enter whenever I feel I am growing distant.

Walking this way is like learning a new embouchure (mouth formation) on the trumpet. At first it seems like it's not worth it, but after a while you gain confidence about why you made the change in the first place. Well worth all the changes and times when you thought you couldn't do it.

2) What are the most important triggers for your creative state of mind?

Only three:

Abba Father, Overseer

Jesus, Darling Son of God

Ruach, Spirit of the Most High God

3) What happens to your creativity if your routine is interrupted?

I fall out of sorts. It can lead to personal mayhem. It's both disastrous and painful to dull down once you become sensitized. It's like reintroducing poison into your body's system after you have worked hard to detox. The great thing is God wants me to succeed. So even when I fail, He brushes me off and helps me get back up. Yay God. None of this would be possible or even fathomable, if I were an atheist. But then again, God doesn't believe in Atheists. Yay God, again.