Numbers.

I’ll never forget my financial manager telling me one day, “Oh, I’m a numbers guy. I’m not creative.”

Now, this is a guy who creates extraordinary hedge funds, simple but effective spreadsheets, workable budgets, provides financial mentoring, and oh, by the way, plays the piano wonderfully.

But because he has an MBA from Vanderbilt University, he somehow thinks he is not creative.

What word would you use to describe yourself?

Take a moment and write it down.

When I quit the pastorate after 29 years and that one word (pastor) was gone, it created extreme confusion.

It took a while to get that word. My focus. Who I WAS, instead of what I DID.

I recently wrote a blog post and asked my readers, “What one word would you use to describe me?“

At about the 100th  comment, someone wrote, “Randy, I’ve only been reading here for a couple of weeks so I haven’t formed a word for you, but I find it fascinating that with all of these comments there is only one repeat word that I saw (creative). Certainly some interesting and positive adjectives could be ascribed to you based solely on that.”

Do I still seem confused? Why wouldn’t I?

Shouldn’t I be?

Are you?

What the heck is my word?

What is your word?

We limit and label each other with these words.

It is ironic that this Palm Beach Symphony Oratorio soloist and NATS finalist, was called upon to transition a traditional church to a contemporary one.

After thousands of hours in the rehearsal room perfecting melismas and Handel’s Messiah bass solos and after virtually memorizing the Baptist Hymnal—in the space of only a year—12 short months—I was required by my church to transition to this new thing called contemporary worship music.

I had to practice new skills.

Practicing to sing in a breathy tone with no vibrato, in my “head” voice,

My vocal coach from Julliard, God rest his soul, would turn over in his grave if he heard me singing today.

He taught me Faure and Shubert—not Tomlin and Crowder!

I had to begin practicing new ways of thinking…new skills….

I began to realize that I could sing with a vibrato and resonance AND I could sing with a breathy straight tone not because of the words of my title “Minister of Music” (does that date me or what?) — but because I’m creative!

I began to realize that I won all those vocal awards not because of the word musician—but because I’m creative!

I began to realize that I encourage people not necessarily because of the word mentor—but because I’m creative!

I began to realize that I paint with watercolors not necessarily because of the word artist—but because I’m creative!

I began to realize that I dream up successful businesses not necessarily because of the word entrepreneur—but because I’m creative!

How about you?

The creator God who created everything that is…created us in his quintessential creativeness.

In fact, the first verb of the Holy Bible is create.

But somehow, we’ve lost it.

So we have to go back to the beginning. Back to the garden.

We need to recreate ourselves.

We are ALL creatives. We just may not realize it…yet.

In the beginning God created…!

Question: Does this make sense? What word have you used to describe yourself in the past?

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