Being a ‘creative’ is an odd vocation. My job is to come up with ideas. Some are good. Some are not. But what is the response you get when you throw out ideas. Lately, for me, they fall into two categories:
It’s either:
‘We can’t do that!’
or
‘How can we do that?’
The difference is subtle, but clear. The first question is actually an answer – NO. The second question is actually a question. Basically the person is asking for more information. ‘What would it take to accomplish what you are proposing?’
So I turn the question back on myself. When someone comes to me with an idea, what is my first response? Is it a resounding – NO! We can’t do that! Or, is it – ‘I don’t quite see it yet, but explain to me how can we do that?’
I think this has application for all areas of life, church, job, family, etc. What if, the next time someone asked for your input on a creative idea, you chose to say, ‘Ok, how can we do that?’ Instead of saying, ‘No.’
Food for thought,
Matt
Matt Odegaard 