“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps 19:14)

This blog post almost didn’t happen. Writing an original blog post each week along with other fresh material can be a daunting task. Because I write in a devotional format, I don’t feel comfortable just throwing something up on my blog for the sake of meeting a deadline. I approach each entry thoughtfully and with prayer so that the Lord can use my words for his purposes.

I maintain a long list of possible blog post topics, but even though I had potential subject matter on hand, I couldn’t dredge up the words to pull it all together this week. When I prayed for guidance, I heard…silence. And then I realized that the silence, the lack of an idea, the difficulty writing a coherent blog post, was the idea for this entry.

Like anything in life, creativity levels have peaks and valleys. When I reach a point where my creative well runs dry, I know I have to stop and refill it. As I walked through the valley this week, I noted several ways to regroup and refocus so that God can still use me.

1. Go for a walk. One of the best ways to revitalize my creativity level is to walk my dog, Lilly. There’s something about physical activity that allows my mind to wander. As I’ve written before, Lilly loves our walks. She meanders here and there, and I know not to be in a hurry. Sometimes, I listen to a podcast, and other times, I pray, or both.
2. Take a break. Stepping away from a project to wash the car, do laundry or dishes, or listen to worship music takes my mind off myself. The break doesn’t need to be long—fifteen minutes or so is plenty to reset my mind. For longer breaks, I meet up with friends to visit over coffee or dinner.
3. Grab a power nap. When I was younger, I couldn’t sleep during the day. If I tried to nap, I’d give it thirty seconds before I was back up and running. Really, who has time to nap? There’s so much to do. But my attitude has changed in the last couple of years, and I’m now a proponent of the power nap. I nap no more than 20 minutes, or I feel groggy and sluggish. It’s just long enough to refresh my mind and my body to finish the day.
4. Read or meditate on Scripture. Often, my well is dry because I haven’t spent enough time in God’s word. I receive an email daily with a Scripture reference, so I pause and read that email. I may read an entry in the Bible plan I’m doing or search for verses on a specific subject, such as anxiety, to soothe my spirit. Sometimes, I simply sit and listen as my Bible app reads to me.

The harder I try to force myself to be creative, the less creative I become. By implementing one (or more) of the steps above, I’m able to get back on track. I know my creativity and ability to write come from God, and he is faithful to restore those things when I stop looking at the problem in front of me and focus on him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for showing me ways to restore my creativity when it wanes. Help me focus on you as my source of all things creative. Amen.