Creating Things

I love creating things - new relationships, working with limited resources to be faster, better, more effective or efficient at doing all sorts of exciting things, especially in business.

While others see beauty in a tree and want to save it from the timber merchants, I see fireword, carving, construction timber and unlimited possibilities to create something. While others may see road or building construction as a nuisance, I love the focussed energy it brings. I’m excited by mankind’s progress and the improved efficiency and opportunity that the new road or building will bring to the world.

The process of creating is not always lineal. We creative people will pick up an idea and run with it until it is done, and can be passed on to another to finish, or run with, then move onto the next exciting creative task. It’s a different process from those boring logical people who want to start a project only once they know what they are going to do before they start it, who plan to the nTH degree and plod away at doing the needful, just as they are told to do it, regardless of how they feel personally about it all.

Hey, there’s no problem with that if they’re built that way but real creation comes from the heart. There’s passion and a little bit of what my staff call “crazymaking” that emanates from the creator. Fun to me is pain to them. Manic to them is natural to me. Insanity to them is logic to me. It all goes to make for interesting times at a business meeting around one table!

The idea that we creatives can switch off simply doesn’t work out in practice. “Can’t you just slow down a little?” a mate of mine pleads. You mean take a holiday or something, or work less? Sure, I can switch off easily when I sleep. Sure I can go snowboarding or camping or travelling, but I’ll still do it at 100%! Trying to stop a creative create, is like trying to tell a fish to stop swimming, or getting a bicycle to fly. Such words just do not compute!

But it’s not a total write-off though. With a bit of maturity comes a bit of wisdom, well it should, anyway. And there are ways to manage the creative processes. I’ve learned to listen to others and delegate my work. I’ve learned to measure a project a little more carefully before launching into it. I’ve learned to pace myself to work within my own limits, rather than push even my own insane schedules over the edge.

I’m in good company too according to the good book.

God created too.

He knocked up the universe in a mere 6 days, and did pretty good job of it too as far as I can see. At the end of the day, I really just put together a business or two that helps a few people. His work might be a little more spectacular than mine, but we’re in the same business of creating things as far as I can tell.

He says that He made man in His own image - so if questionned, I’ll point to Him as to why I’m built this way.

Genesis 1:27a So God created man in his own image 

At some stage the life we lead on earth will be measured. How we did; what we said, thought, created and achieved, given our resources, opportunity, skills and personality, will be up for eternal measurement.

It’s not smart to aim for the impossible and make a mess of other peoples’ lives. Good stewardship doesn’t require us to be something we’re not. It’s our job to be sensible, as well as to utilise our opportunities and resources to the max. No sense going bust over it, and the boom can be dangerously close to the bust.

It’s the VICTUS IN AMBITUS way then, to be true to self, and work within our own limits. Ahh, now that makes a bit more sense.