Creativity is a key ingredient for every successful book, but how do we become more creative, and what are we doing that may be inhibiting our creativity? Many people feel they have lost their creativity— is there a way to get it back? To help answer these questions, we will be talking with Jenny Randle, the author of Courageous Creative: A 31-Day Interactive Devotional (affiliate link).
For more than 14 years, Jenny has used her graphic design, editing, art directing, and leadership ninja skills to collaborate with some of the biggest studios, companies, and ministries around the nation.
What is creativity?
Thomas Umstattd, Jr.: In your view, what is creativity?
Jenny Randle: The simple definition is “the act of making things.” I love this definition.
A few years ago, I met a woman, and when she learned I was an author, she said, “Wow, I’m so impressed by your creativity. I’m not that creative.” But as we talked, I discovered that she ran her own business.
This conversation reminded me that we often have a narrow view of what it means to be creative. Many people think creativity is limited to being an artist or an author. However, creativity shows up in all kinds of fields. High-level business leaders are creative in their decision-making. Engineers demonstrate creativity in how they solve problems and construct solutions. Writers express creativity in how they communicate ideas and structure stories.
When we take a broader view of creativity, we can simply ask ourselves, “What did I make today?” When we look at it more holistically, we’ll see that we’re all engaging in acts of creativity, even if we don’t always recognize it.
Thomas: There’s a fascinating psalm that’s a bit of an enigma. In Psalm 82:6, the psalmist says to humans, “you are gods”—with a lowercase “g.” It’s one of those Old Testament passages that would be easy to brush aside, thinking, “I don’t know what that means.” But then Jesus quotes it to confound the Pharisees, which makes me wonder: What does God mean when He says we are “gods”? What is that psalm getting at? What was Jesus referencing?
I think part of it might be about the act of creation. When God created us, he gave humans the ability to create. When you write a story, in a way, you become a “lowercase g” god of that story. You’re crafting a world, shaping characters, and bringing them to life from the “dust” of your keyboard. That ability to create feels like a spark of the divine. I don’t think we could do it if we weren’t made in God’s image.
There’s something central to the human experience, to who God created us to be, that involves embracing creativity.
Jenny: I travel around the nation preaching the message that we are created to create and express. When we engage in healthy creativity, we’re bringing glory to God, the ultimate creator. I like to call everyone “creative ninjas” because I believe we have to really fight for our creativity. We have to be on a mission to express ourselves in a healthy, creative way.
I see creativity as one of the most powerful weapons we have to influence our culture, and I think we’re missing the mark if we don’t use it. We need to rise up and actively pursue the expression God has given us.
Where does creativity come from?
Thomas: Where do you think creativity comes from? What makes us so creative? And you can’t just say God because this isn’t Sunday school.
Jenny: This isn’t Sunday school, but you nailed it when you said God is the ultimate creator. The Bible opens with, “In the beginning God created…” and he created us in his image. That means we’re creative, too. I genuinely believe it’s in our DNA. But over time, we start to lose that spark, that childlike innocence. As we grow up, we’re shaped by rules, regulations, and preconceived notions of what creativity “should” look like.
In that process, we lose touch with our creative muscle, and I believe we have to work to strengthen it. Our creativity comes from God, but it also grows as we actively pursue it.
Thomas: If you think about it, every child is an artist, and every refrigerator is an art gallery. When you go to somebody’s house, the art in the home gallery is not by the adults. Typically, it’s from the children. In fact, I often feel that children are creating higher quality art than you’ll find at a typical art gallery these days, depending on which gallery you’re going to. And yet, our creativity goes away over time.
Why do we get less creative over time?
Jenny: I think we get in our own way. I tend to overanalyze, so after we finish recording this podcast, I’ll probably do that classic introvert thing where I replay everything in my head, questioning, “Why did I say that? Why did I do this?” While some of that reflection can be healthy and can help us learn and grow, it can also be a hindrance. We end up thinking, “That was so dumb. I’ll never say that again.”
I believe we do the same thing with our creativity. We lose that sense of innocence and start overanalyzing, blocking the free flow of ideas. Fear, rules, and the desire to please others can all play a part. Sometimes, we’re writing a book with an audience in mind rather than because we feel called by God to write it. Instead of writing with conviction or embracing redemptive vulnerability, we might just imitate how someone else did it.
There are so many things that can stifle creativity—procrastination, perfectionism, and the urge to people-please. These barriers can keep us from fully entering into our creative flow.
Thomas: My biggest creativity inhibitor is time—or rather, the lack of it. We have a new baby in the house, so my sleep and time are limited. It’s not a complete creativity killer since I’m still creating podcasts and courses. But managing time has become a real challenge, something I struggle with daily.
Lately, I’ve started trying to do something creative in the morning before checking my email. A few days ago, for example, I was recording a course on how to create a podcast. I started at 5:00 a.m. and kept working without checking my email. By the time I finally checked my email, everyone was mad at me for not responding earlier.
Jenny: I love that you’re noticing those moments in your day where you are most creative, and you’re leaning into that. Have you ever tried doing the same task at the same time every day? Is that called time blocking?
Thomas: Time blocking is when you set aside a block of time on your calendar to work on one thing without distractions. It’s similar to the Pomodoro technique, where people set a timer for 20 minutes and work continuously. I use time blocking by scheduling time in my calendar for working on tasks. I use Calendly to schedule meetings, calls, and podcast interviews. I have to book a lot of appointments with myself to keep my work time free.
Jenny: I think that’s so healthy because you’re protecting your time and acknowledging that the idea God has given you is valuable, so you’re investing in it. I struggle with time management in a different way. I can be a bit squirrelly and jump from task to task. I look back and realize, “Oh great, I did all these small tasks, but I didn’t tackle that one big thing I felt I was supposed to focus on.”
Thomas: That is me. Every day, I do email first. As soon as I jump into my various email boxes, I just run from fire to fire, and I end up creating nothing that day. For me, email is the core enemy of getting things done. At the end of the day, I’m bummed. When my wife asks, “How was work?” I say, “I feel like I didn’t get much done because I filled my glass with tiny grains of sand first, so to speak. Those emails were important, but they weren’t as important as the bigger projects I’m working on.
However, when I was an agent, that email was part of my job and couldn’t be ignored.
Jenny: It’s true. I know an executive of a high-level billion-dollar business who taught me that sometimes you have to physically turn off your internet to stay focused on one task. I’ve also found that I sometimes need to hide my phone to avoid distractions. Email, in particular, can be a huge distraction if it’s just sitting there, blinking every time something new hits the inbox. We really have to protect that sacred space when we’re focused on one area.
I think you’re doing a great job managing your inbox, your time, and your creative brain space. That’s so important.
Thomas: One way you can think of this is to imagine a chef who’s trying to invent a new dish. Now imagine that same chef trying to invent a new dish while getting dinner out of the kitchen for 100 various restaurant guests. That’s not the place or the right state of mind to be experimenting and creating.
The new dish might not be good, so it may need to be reworked. The chef needs to work on creative inventing before the guests arrive. If a chef has to do that to create dishes, then we also have to carve out time for creativity.
What else can inhibit our creativity performance mentality?
Jenny: The one I struggle with most is feeling like the more I do, the better I am or the more creative I am. But it’s just unhealthy.
Thomas: What does that look like? What does it feel like to have that performance mentality?
Jenny: Have you ever taken the DISC assessment or a personality test?
Thomas: Yes. I’m an ambitious achiever type.
Jenny: Me too. That means I’ll get stuff done, but it will be unhealthy because I’m trying to prove my worth through achieving. My go-to struggle is, “Am I good enough?” With my work and achievements, I strive to show people that I am good enough.
We cannot create in a healthy way from that mindset. I’ve really had to walk through that with God. When I first became a Christian at age 18, that mindset was getting in the way of my Christianity. I was serving in a church in my mid-20s all the time, and I was always reading my Bible and philosophy. I figured, “The more I do, the holier I am.” I thought that’s what it meant to be in a relationship with Jesus, but he taught me that was not the way. I already am enough because Jesus is enough. It shifted everything for me.
Sometimes, that mindset still leaks into my creative process. I’ll start focusing on the wrong things because I feel like I’m supposed to “show up” when God isn’t actually calling me to show up. I’ve had to set up accountability and time management parameters to help me preserve my creative space.
If you are a high-level achiever, you want to make sure you’re focusing on the right things. So that’s a question I’ve had to ask myself when starting new projects or working with new clients. In our marketing firm, we ask, “Is this the right thing for us right now?”
Thomas: My core prayer during this season of my life when I’m so busy is, “God, help me work on the right things in the right way.” Sometimes, I miss the mark.
I was speaking at this one conference, and I spent the entire day preparing a talk for it. But it was an “unconference,” which means at the beginning, everyone pitched their talks and voted on which ones they wanted to hear. Not all talks get selected. Despite all the effort I put into preparing, my talk didn’t get chosen. What was more disappointing than not having my talk selected was the feeling of having wasted the whole day. I kept thinking there were so many other things I could have worked on. Sure, there’s a chance I might give this talk in the future, but the conference wasn’t about writing—it was a business conference. The talk wasn’t relevant to the work of helping writers that I’m doing now.
It felt like a wake-up call. I’d had success at a previous conference, where I not only got selected to speak but my session was voted Best in Session. I felt like I had nailed it, and I thought, “I am the king of this. I’m totally going to rock this!” But then I went from feeling on top of the world to feeling completely deflated. I was brought low. And honestly, I felt like it was a message from God saying, “Thomas, this isn’t where you need to be right now. This isn’t your crowd. Teaching business people about project management isn’t where you’re supposed to be. That was your past season. That was yesterday’s manna.”
In hindsight, I realized I’d been working on the wrong thing. I could have used that time to push forward with the courses I’m creating for authors, record more podcasts, or even catch up on emails. But no, I spent the whole day on something that wasn’t in line with where I am now.
How do we reorient ourselves to work on the right things?
Thomas: How do we reorient ourselves to work on the right things? How do you make sure that the big rocks are going in first every day?
Jenny: I know from my personal experience in launching my first book, Courageous Creative: A 31-Day Interactive Devotional (affiliate link), I went into performance mentality mode. On one hand, you’re launching a book, and you should put all your energy into it because it’s a big deal. But I became consumed with getting endorsements. I put so much pressure on myself, and it was driving me crazy. I kept thinking, What can I do? What more can I do? It made me feel like I wasn’t doing enough.
One morning, as I was getting ready for the workday, I was in my usual routine when I heard that still, small voice—the kind that calls you out and gives you a reality check. At that moment, I felt like God was asking me, “Why aren’t you trusting me with this?” I was like, “Oh, God, this is getting awkward.” But the truth was, I wasn’t trusting Him. I was showing up and doing the work, but I was forcing everything. I was trying to control it all as if I were the one in charge.
The biggest lesson I learned is that you have to lean into where God is opening doors. When you see God moving, lean into it, show up, and show up big. But also hold things loosely and remember that he’s God, and you’re not. It’s about surrendering. Saying, “Okay, God, this is in your hands. Please help me and show me if I’m off track.”
When I finally surrendered the project and endorsements to him, something amazing happened. About 20 minutes later, I checked my email, and one of the endorsers responded, saying, “Yes, I’d love to endorse your book.” This was someone I didn’t even know. It was one of those moments that I could never have orchestrated myself. It felt like God was saying, “Help Jenny out and endorse her book.”
I’ve come to realize that much of life, and especially creative work, is about surrendering and asking, “God, what do you have for me today?” It’s great to have a big vision for your creative life, but the day-to-day matters, too. It’s about listening to God in each situation and moving where He leads.
Thomas: There’s a fascinating proverb I’ve been meditating on for years, and I still don’t feel like I fully understand it. It says, “A man selects his path, but the Lord directs his steps.” At first glance, it seems easy to skim over, but to me, it feels backward. Shouldn’t it be that God gives us the path, and then we figure out the steps ourselves? He gives us the big vision, and we determine how to get there—kind of like the “commander’s intent” in the military or business.
But the more I think about it, I realize that God wants to be with us in the step-by-step process. It seems that’s even more important to him than the big picture. Yes, we choose our path, but God is there to guide us through each step because he wants us to walk with him.
For example, when you’re choosing a college, God wants you to use wisdom in that decision, but it’s even more about walking through each day with him while you’re at college. I remember, as an 18-year-old, thinking that picking a college was the most important decision of my life. I figured I’d meet my wife there, my career would be set, and everything would fall into place. None of those things happened as I expected. I didn’t meet my wife in college, and my career wasn’t set in stone.
But the real point was that by walking with the Lord through those college years, he did a work in me that shaped who I am today. It affected my growth and my character, and, in ways I didn’t anticipate, it played a part in where I am now. All those things did matter, but they didn’t matter in the way I thought they would when I was 17, obsessing over choosing the “right” college.
Jenny: We put so much pressure on ourselves, wondering, “What path am I supposed to take? What does it look like?” I remember hearing a sermon from our pastor about purpose and dreaming. I’m such a dreamer. I’ll carry a vision all day long and try to cast it to anyone who will listen. But that can become overwhelming, just like you’re saying, “What college should I go to?” Those are heavy, important decisions that can paralyze you and make it hard to move forward. It’s scary because what if you mess it up?
Our pastor referred to a part of the Westminster Catechism, saying, “Your job in life is to glorify God, bring him glory, and enjoy him.” Hearing that changed me. I thought, “I can totally do that!” Because when you’re doing that, you’re hopefully walking in the vision God has given you. It takes the pressure off, lifting the weight of having to perfectly step into some grand, predetermined plan and “get it right.” Instead, it simplifies things. It’s not about doing everything perfectly but about glorifying God and enjoying him along the way.
Thomas: I recently walked to the bank to get some cash, and as I was heading there, I saw this homeless man on the side of the road. He was waving at people and smiling, holding a sign that said, “God bless you.” He was an older man, but he was filled with the joy of the Lord. I gave him a dollar. While I was standing there, waiting for the light to change, a car drove by, honked, and gave him the finger. The homeless man just waved back and blessed the driver.
I was struck by that moment. Here was a man who had nowhere to sleep that night, yet he seemed to have more joy than I did. I was burdened with the weight of the world—preparing for a big talk, juggling everything going on in my life—and yet this man, with so little, had such a deep, unshakable joy. I was really challenged by it.
You mentioned giving God glory, and in that moment, I realized that this homeless man, in his own way, was glorifying God. As he stood there, blessing people as they walked by he was spreading joy and honoring God. Not everyone appreciated it; some people clearly resented his presence. But he responded with such grace.
It was surprising and challenging because so often, we think, “I have to achieve something first. Once I become ‘king,’ then I can glorify God.” But the truth is, becoming “king” isn’t going to make it easier.
Jenny: I’m reminded of a time when I was working in Hollywood, editing a project that had to be delivered to the studios. The day before it was due, our entire hard drive system crashed, and we lost months of work. I cried. And then I ran straight for a Diet Pepsi. But my third response was, “Okay, God, will you help me in this moment? Let’s do this.” Going to him should have been my first two responses.
We had to rebuild the entire project within two days and resubmit it. But months later, when I moved on from that job, one of the producers on that project, who was an atheist, told me, “You know what? You made me believe in Jesus.” It wasn’t because I was the best video editor around. It was because, in that crisis, I shifted the focus from “me” to “him.”
When we get stuck in our own heads or make our creative process all about us, we’re not truly honoring God. We have the opportunity to bring him glory through what we create, how we create, and the journey of creating itself as it impacts the people around us. We can honor Him in that process.
Thomas: Living your life in front of non-believers in a transparent way is powerful. If you’re really following Christ, there’s something attractive in that. Non-believers get to see you following Christ in the good and bad times. They can see that following Jesus doesn’t exempt you from trouble.
Following Jesus can cause trouble to come into your life. And if you don’t believe me, Jesus actually said that. He said, “If you follow me, you will have trials, temptations, and persecutions, but I will be with you even to the end of the age.” He’s with us, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have trials. It doesn’t mean we’re not persecuted or tempted. That’s an important part of the writing walk.
How can we overcome writer’s block?
Jenny: I was dealing with writer’s block and draining the joy from writing by focusing on how hard it was and feeling sorry for myself. But we can remember that writing is both an honor and a joy. My top advice is to invite the Holy Spirit into your writing process. He will guide you, and it turns writing into an act of worship. So, recognize that writing is an act of worship and invite the Holy Spirit into your process.
Brain Dumping
A practical technique you can use is brain dumping. Just write down all your thoughts and let them flow. The goal is to get out of your own way. Personally, I prefer speaking over writing, so when I’m working on a concept or story, I’ll talk it out. I’ll record myself explaining it, then either transcribe it or use Google to do it for me. This method helps me avoid overthinking sentence structure or getting stuck on the perfect word. Talking through your thoughts can often help you move past mental roadblocks.
Walking in Silence
Another effective method is walking in silence. Ditch the podcasts and music and just go for a walk in silence. Spending time outdoors in nature can significantly boost your creativity. Studies have shown that walking in silence can increase creative output by up to 60%. This simple act can clear your mind and help break through writer’s block.
Mind Mapping
Lastly, try mind mapping. This technique helps you visually organize your thoughts and ideas, which can be incredibly helpful when you’re feeling stuck or unsure of your direction. It can give you a fresh perspective and open up new creative pathways.
Thomas: You can also pray while you walk. Take one walk in silence, then go around the block again, praying as you go. Share all your frustrations with God. Vent about your characters, your story, whatever’s on your mind. Whining to God is totally fine! The Psalms are full of people pouring out their complaints to him. God is okay with you bringing your grievances to him. He’d rather you do that than complain to others. So go ahead and take that walk. Use it as a time to pray and maybe even break through your writer’s block.
Jenny: I recommend airing your complaints to God on your first walk around the block, then being silent on your second time around and listening to him. He’ll call you out and help you.
Thomas: That’s good. You bring your sacrifices and your burdens to the altar so you have open hands to receive from the Lord.
Jenny: My go-to strategy is talking things out first and then writing second. Have you ever tried that?
Thomas: When I was crafting my book, a few of the chapters started off like podcast episodes. I recorded it, and then I’d have someone transcribe it and turn it into a chapter. Then, I would edit it.
You’re talking about brain dumping or stream-of-consciousness writing, where you get all your thoughts out of the way so you can focus on what is important. I don’t think I’ve tried that specifically, but I might have to.
Jenny: The Write or Else tool gives you a time limit. If you stop writing, it shrinks or goes dark, and if you stop long enough, it deletes everything.
Thomas: It’s a great tool for encouraging you to keep writing, even if what you’re writing is terrible.
Tell us about your book Courageous Creative: A 31-Day Interactive Devotional.
Jenny: I wrote it for leaders, the procrastinating dreamers, and wounded creatives. It’s a 31-day interactive devotional that strengthens your creative process so you can influence culture for Jesus. Each day includes a creative challenge designed to help you intentionally rebuild the creative muscle you may have lost. The book covers the foundations of creativity, addresses “creativity killers” that stifle our creative flow, and, in the final section, explores how we can unleash our creativity into the world. It’s pretty awesome.
How is your book different from other creativity books?
Jenny: It’s one thing for me to tell you how to do something and another for you to actually do it. This book is highly interactive, and it invites you to dive in and even get the pages messy. It follows a three-part structure, reflecting the story of our creativity: foundation, conflict, and resolution. We’re all a work in progress, constantly aiming for that resolution. Once you’ve completed the foundation section, you can freely move between exploring what’s killing your creativity and learning how to unleash it into the world.
It’s been amazing to hear people’s responses. Many have experienced deep healing through this book, which is something I never anticipated. I thought it was just a fun, creative book, but people have found healing for wounds they didn’t even realize they had simply by engaging with the creative exercises. They’re discovering that God created them to be creative, and they’re identifying obstacles like sin, shame, or pain that have been in their way. This book has given them an outlet to express these things creatively, and they’ve found such freedom in the process.
Thomas: “Unless you become like a little child, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.” One aspect of being like a child is having the ability to create without shame or ambition and just create for the sense of creation. When a child brings you a terribly colored piece of paper and is super excited about it, there’s a joy that the most advanced artist may not have, despite the fact that their paintings are selling for millions of dollars.
Rediscovering that childlike art is the work of the kingdom. It may help you write a better book, and that’s great. But more importantly, it’s about reconnecting with Jesus in a deep and fundamental way and in a specific area of your life that maybe he’s not fully Lord of yet. Go through this book and find out. There are always more closets to open and more redemption and rejuvenation by the Holy Spirit. I love how your book is a uniquely Christian journey with God to create like God.
Jenny: You mentioned creating without shame, which I feel like this is a really wise way to end your podcast episode.
A lot of times, we’ll present things to the world and feel like we have to give these disclaimers. What if we just stopped giving disclaimers and just presented it and let it be? Be confident in who God created you to be.
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