Dazzled by God

We’re going to look at the Three Stages of Creativity for the next three readings. If you’ve ever felt stuck or lost in the creative process, I think you’ll find this helpful. 

Curiosity is the first stage.  

This is where you enter the playground of imagination, questions, and wonder. A time of “what if?” You are trying on ideas, like coats, to see which fits you best. The process is almost always tied in some way to what you’re currently wrestling with or can’t quit thinking about.  

The goal is to discover what you’re most passionate about…not what’s most popular. What makes your heart beat faster? That’s important…because as I often say, no great art is ever created without great heart.

It’s essential in this stage that you remain more fascinated with the Creator than your creation. In his novel Les Misérables, Victor Hugo describes a priest this way: “He wasn’t a man who studied God but was dazzled by God.” Yes, that’s it.

Yet formula steals our awe and wonder. God becomes irrelevant to the process. Formula trades seeing what could be for getting things done through a repetitive cycle that duplicates what’s worked in the past. There’s no need for curiosity —or God—as long as you follow the predictable pattern.  

Don’t rush through the Curiosity stage. Let go of the urge to be efficient. Slow down. Savor big questions over quick answers. Don’t move on until you know you’re ready to fully commit to the idea you can’t quit thinking about.   

We’ll pick up with Stage 2 in the next reading.

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