#44 Why Creativity really is a Super Power

On being a disciple and the power of artistic expression

In a world where ‘Christian art’ (whatever that is) is often seen as second rate there is one mission driven organisation whose tagline is both catchy and profoundly meaningful to its members: 

“Creativity is my superpower”

The Christian Creative Network (CCN) was founded by my good friend Josie Gamble and their exciting mission is to ‘Champion creativity in the body of Christ‘. They are achieving this through a national network of local gatherings and an online Christian creative directory.

Supporting everything from painting to illustration, photography to filmmaking, and fashion to animation, CCN seeks to empower Christian artists of all kinds. As Josie says in one interview:

“We want to see creatives reaching their potential and influencing their world, through championing creativity in the church. When creative individuals get together exciting things happen; collaborations take shape, passions are ignited, skills are shared, opportunities are created and ideas are expanded.”¹

Pic: Me with founder of CCN, Josie Gamble, during the Parallel Faith tour

Creativity challenges the norm

My own passion for creativity can be traced back to my earliest days.

Most people don’t know this about me but from a very young age, all I wanted to be was a cartoonist. Ask my mother, and she will tell you how I drew endless cartoons, going through reams of A4 printer paper night after night. I used to write complex stories that went on for multiple series. Many were 50 pages plus, consisting of hundreds of storyboard boxes, a smorgasbord of characters, and speech bubbles filled with rather funny jokes (in my humble opinion).

As I grew up I began to express my creative spark in ways that unintentionally challenged the status quo. One unusual memory of school-life illustrates this well.

As a young student we had to create a group presentation on sustainability as part of an annual school-wide competition. Each small group in the class was given one of the major energy sources to promote: Wind, Solar, Coal, Gas, or Nuclear. The winner of the class round would go on to compete in a final with the whole school to win a grand prize. The goal was to get the students thinking about energy and sustainability for the future. Not a bad message for 30 years ago!

Most of my class went about planning boring charts and dry fact based presentations but I randomly thought of a plan that came out of nowhere.

Bear with me while I explain it.

One of the most popular shows on UK telly in the 1990s was Blind Date starring the late great Cilla Black. The premise involved a contestant choosing a date from three potential suitors hidden behind a screen, based solely on their answers to questions asked by the contestant. 

Here was my idea: Why not sell the benefits of each fossil fuel by creating a fake drama starring Blind Date-style characters based on each fuel type?

And so Wendy Wind, Katie Coal, Nick Nuclear, and the gang were born. 

I wrote a script that portrayed a version of the Blind Date show where the host would ask the guests questions that cleverly explained the advantages of each fuel source. Whoever we choose to go on a date would show the audience why our energy source was better than the rest.

Surprise, surprise, we won our class competition by a landslide! The message went out across the whole school that something different was emerging from one of the classrooms this year. It caused every other team to rewrite their work, pull out all the stops, and create elaborate performances of their own. Thinking outside the box raised everyone else's game.

That's what creativity does. It rewrites the rules. 

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” Steve Jobs

For the record: We lost in the final round in front of the whole school… It was a total fix. I am sure the government got involved…! I’m still bitter.

Creativity runs deep

Paradoxically, I achieved my best exam grades in English and my worst grade in Art, which made me want to pursue a career in the Arts just to spite myself. Creativity is often a form of rebellion even if it is against yourself.

I carried on developing my love for words and pictures through a Graphic Communication course at Loughborough College of Art & Design. Despite the daily 3-hour return bus trip, I made the effort perhaps because I was secretly driven by still wanting to be that cartoonist. Nethertheless, my passion for communication was now well and truly ignited.

University opened my eyes to the digital realm, shaping my path toward founding Sidewalk Design Services, a self-employed business for creative design and print. I made a living for a while by creating leaflets, logos, and brochures. This business had its ups and downs as I’m sure any self-employed person would be able to relate to. The first leaflet I ever designed had a spelling mistake in it that accidentally invited people to a so-called ‘pubic meeting’ rather than a public one!

Yes, you probably need to go back and read that last sentence twice.

It wasn’t all that bad though! One of the best commissions I ever got to do in that season was create a billboard for a Christmas Campaign by a local Council. It featured a cartoon Santa taking his recycling to the tip in a sleigh. I finally got to be that paid cartoonist!

But creativity is about so much more than just making a living. 

Pic: Me staring at a picture wondering if it is art

Creativity provokes change

I will never forget a moment back in Art College that made me see how creativity can be used to stir spiritual curiosity or, at the very least, provoke a spiritual reaction.

We were asked to create a visual project on a favourite piece of literature or poetry. I chose the timeless words of 1 Corinthians 13 and developed a series of bold visual displays.

On the day of the gallery presentation, one of my fellow students came up to see my work hanging on the wall and read the Bible verses taken from the Message Translation:

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Her reaction was unexpected. Instead of being inspired and throwing herself at the feet of Jesus she became very upset with me. 

“THAT’S NOT LOVE!” She cried out. “Nobody loves like that….”

It messed with her narrative and prompted a long discussion about the nature of love from God’s perspective.

Creativity always sparks a conversation. 

I discovered this again back in 2016, when through Kleer Series, I co-developed 24 short discussion starters for young people comprising of a presenter, creative piece, and a poem. This kind of creative approach was a revolutionary concept in the days before TikTok and Instagram made short-form video the norm. Video is such a great way to tell stories and start conversations.

Kleer Series has since travelled to multiple countries, been used by thousands of churches, garnered 750,000 views on YouTube, and facilitated countless small group discussions on faith, spirituality, identity, and purpose. I still hear stories all the time of young people who have come to faith as a result of how God has used the creative resource.

This passion for storytelling has also recently inspired my new book for teens called Like or Follow:What Every Teenager Needs to Decide about Jesus. At the end of each chapter you can scan a QR Code to watch a Kleer Series video and continue the discussion. It’s such a fun way to explore faith for young people.

In a world that often feels stagnant and uncreative, the ability to envision something better is a rare and crucial trait. The founder of world famous AirBNB, Brian Chesky, recently talked about creativity in a way that described it as so much more than just paint on a canvas. Chesky described creativity as a form of an addiction, something that grew and gripped him from an early age. 

When asked what his core business skill was Brian defined himself as an artist even though his job role as CEO didn’t obviously connect to that title. This made me consider again if an artist is more than someone who creates on canvas?

“Many people are dissatisfied with the way the world is now, when we could imagine something different and better, but we don't have enough people who can take creative leaps of the imagination and really understand how to design something better than what we are in now…” Brian Chesky  

The implication here is that creativity extends beyond a single act and encompasses a mindset, an approach that ignites transformation in all spheres of life.

Creativity is your super power too

The other day I was watching my son Micah prepare his GCSE Art course work and I marvelled at how incredible his portfolio of work was shaping up. What was most meaningful to me is how similar our style was even though I had spent hardly any time ‘teaching him’ how to be creative. It was just in him. A big part of his GCSE course work was pages and pages of cartoons! His folder was full of storyboards, speech bubbled jokes and reams of creative characters. My innate love for storytelling is something my own son has intrinsically picked up without me ever telling him to do it or showing him how.

I swear it must be in his creative DNA. 

Maybe, we all have creativity in our spiritual genes? I have learnt that if you stick me in a darkened room I am probably going to create something. Why? Because when God was in a darkened universe he couldn't help but create you.

Our creativity comes from our creator. 

Many people I know are afraid to share their creativity with the world, so they prefer to observe other people's work instead. People hide their creativity for various reasons, including fear of criticism and lack of confidence. Pressure to conform, the demands of cultural norms, and personal insecurities can also play a role. Add to that fear of failure, lack of time, and a desire for perfection and it often contributes to withholding our creative work.

What a shame if we let self-doubt lead us to hide our creative talent from the world!

How many songs are left unsung because someone is afraid their voice won’t matter? Your voice does matter.

How many books are left unwritten because of the fear they won’t ever become a bestseller? Your words still matter. 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

We define creative success poorly if it only involves seeking external validation, getting wider reach, garnering views or likes, selling massive amounts of stuff, comparing oneself to others, prioritising financial gain or fixating on outcomes you can’t control, whilst endlessly striving for perfection. 

But creativity does not play by the rules of the world. Nor should you. 

True creativity is born out of obedience.

You may not see yourself as an artist but most people are way more creative than they think. They often feel like they need permission to step out in it. Jesus gave us that permission when he commissioned us to go!

In Chapter 13 of my book Parallel Faith I talk about how we can all harness creativity to signpost people to the gospel using words, pictures, expressions and symbols; both implicit and explicit, secret and revealed. We can use our creative power to offer a doorway to spiritual formation and even become a cultural change-maker.

So if there is something creative stirring in your heart then is it not time for you to let it out? The world needs you to create…

• A song that stirs the emotions

• A picture that captures the heart

• A social media post that makes you think 

• A poem that causes you to ponder 

• A speech that moves you to take action

• A photograph that stops you in your tracks

• A film that challenges your perceptions

• A book that stays with you for days 

• A fashion item with an engaging message

• A sculpture that reminds you of something that may otherwise be forgotten

• A play that invites you into a novel experience 

• A marketing campaign that gives you clear next steps

The list of creative possibilities for you is endless.  What if God is calling you to create something that matters? 

Creativity is not just about creating art but about connecting dots and envisioning a better world. It's a form of quiet rebellion against mediocrity, a spark that kindles change, and a path that leads to unexpected destinations. 

Please don't let that toothless lion called fear rob you and the world of your creative superpower today. 

1. https://loveblackcountry.org.uk/featured/creativity-is-my-superpower/