People have the urge to create because we were made in the image of God, the Creator of all.
We were born creative. In fact, we were born creative geniuses. According to NASA when children enter school, 98% of them are creative geniuses. By eighth grade, only 2% still are. We learn, often through painful experiences, that we shouldn’t be creative, that we shouldn’t make things.
That is not how God made us, though. He made us in his image, and he is a creator of the greatest magnitude. It is clear that humans are creators, too.
In Genesis, we read that he said, “Let us create man in our image.” That image didn’t stop at the physical—not at all. In Orthodox Christian doctrine, Jesus took on a body at the Incarnation to be fully human as well as fully God, but God the Father doesn’t have a body. It would make sense that being made in God’s image wasn’t about something physical. So if being made in God’s image isn’t about having arms and legs, what is it about?
One of the things it is about is being a creator. There are many different ways to be a creator. Here are some:
Writing
Dancing
Singing
Painting
Sculpting
Constructing
Engineering
Architecting
Gardening
Parenting
Lesson planning
Video creation
Acting in theatre
Not every creative pursuit has to result in income. Sometimes, and in some people, the urge to create is massive. In others, it’s mild, and in far too many, it is buried so deeply that it will take time to excavate.
You should be creating something. You can have a positive influence on the world, and as people of faith, we know that what we do has eternal ramifications, so that positive influence you have with whatever it is you create will last forever.
The Lord has entrusted each of us with abilities, and we should use them to create results and serve others. Imagine hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant” because you did what you could with what you were given. If you have knowledge and experience, you can and should use it to help others. Writing is a great way to do that. Don’t worry if you don’t know how. Many resources exist to help you.
Writing is one of the means of creation that I am most familiar with, so I’ll talk about that a bit here.
Writing can leverage your time and effort. It is more efficient than having the same conversation repeatedly. You can say, “Here, take a look at this blog post (or book, etc.).”
Writing a book is an instant credibility booster. The moment you tell someone you wrote a book, you’ll see instant respect written on their face. “She wrote the book on it” is in our vocabulary for a reason.
Writing opens doors and leads to opportunities. Because you have proven you are an expert in your area and can contribute in significant ways, you will have more chances to consult with organizations, speak publicly, and participate on boards or panels.
The bad news is that most authors do not make money directly from their books. In fact, most authors are lucky to break even on a book. So why write? Your published pieces are tools, promoting you or your business, opening doors and bringing many opportunities to minister to others. Writing can certainly lead to higher income; it’s just usually through indirect ways.
Your learning and growth will benefit both you and your readers. Through the process of researching and writing, you’ll affect others.
A book that has your name on it as the author (or as one of the authors) proves a few things:
· You were here.
· You had something to say and the guts to obey.
· Your life and your work mattered.
· You generously and bravely contributed something to the world.
If you don’t know how to write a book, that’s okay! You can relax. You just need a recipe that works [HS1] and the willingness to follow it through to completion.
Writing is a skill anyone can master. Stop asking, “Should I write?” and start asking, “How can I start right now?”
To write your book or blog posts, you will need to brainstorm ideas and then organize them in a way that makes sense and serves your readers.
You’ll need to outline your piece well at the beginning. Once you have a detailed outline, then your books or blog posts will seem to almost write themselves. Then you’ll need to walk through each of the other steps in the process.
Regardless of whether you write for Kingdom work, personal motivations, or business strategies, writing will benefit you and others. Remember that your message matters, and like your other actions, it will live on forever.
You can write and publish impactful books or blog posts. The hardest part will be taking the first step, which is committing to the journey. I’ve created resources, courses, and writing tips that will teach you exactly how to write your nonfiction book and blog posts. Sign up here to gain free access to some of those resources.
Bio: Believer and achiever Jennifer Harshman has been a writing and editing professional since 1992 and has helped hundreds of people write their books and blog posts to make their dreams come true and fulfill their purpose. Recently, she has become known as The Book Baker for sharing the recipe for writing helpful nonfiction books. Jennifer is a homeschooling mother of three with special needs and can be found at HarshmanServices.com and on social media:
Facebook personal profile: www.facebook.com/jennifer.harshman
Facebook business page: www.facebook.com/harshmanservices
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferharshman/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jennifer_harshman
[HS1]Some future posts can be linked to from some of these phrases.