It. Has. Been. A. Year.
Though every year is unique, the intensity of this past year has truly been like no other—another year historians decades from now will try to make sense of.
Through it all you, Dear Preachers, by God’s grace, you have served faithfully and prayerfully. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for your dedication to bring good news of great joy to all the people no matter what. I am proud to call you my colleagues!
Still, this year has drained the creativity out of many of us as we have tried to reach people through our preaching and ministries.
This year’s recommended gift list is intended to nudge your creativity back to life—because creativity heals heart, mind, and soul.
Enjoy!
Let Green Inspire Your Creativity
Plants are literally creativity in action as green sprouts more green! Here are two gift ideas for adding in some much needed greenery during the doldrums of winter and lift your spirits year-round.
1) Self-Watering Planters
This is the planter shown in my photos, but many varieties, shapes, and sizes are available.*
There’s nothing like a living plant to relax and inspire our creative spaces.
For those like me who never get watering right, there’s hope: self-watering planters!
Here’s a plant (below left) I started a few months ago and it’s going strong!
The way it works is the inner shell (below right) is threaded at the bottom (before adding the plant) with a small rope. The outer shell holds a low level of water (and fertilizer, if desired). The rope dangles in the water supplying a steady amount to the base of the plant which encourages root growth. Brilliant!
Now if I could just keep my cat from eating the leaves!
The plant, lifted from its outer shell. Photo: Lisa Cressman
2) Kitchen Herb Garden
Start a kitchen garden!
Not only will it bring living green into your home, but it will inspire fresh recipes, and hopefully, good conversation with those you treat to your home cooking.
Here’s one that looks good to me!
Get Back in Touch with Your Creativity
You do know you’re creative, right? School, unwarranted comments, and those inner critics might have convinced you otherwise, but you were born to create!
Time to revive your creative spirit with these gifts that will continue to bless you well beyond Christmas Day!
3) Zentangle Starter Pack
Think you can’t draw? I beg to differ!
Look, I’m the last person you ever call on to be on your Pictionary team. Even my own beloved husband will choose anyone else before he’ll choose me as his partner!
And yet, Zentangles are an ingenious, simple, and prayeful process that makes anything you do look great.
The Zentangle art form was invented by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts who are passionate about unlocking creative potential and subverting the inner critic who tells you you can’t draw!
Zentangle by Lisa Cressman. 4” paper tile, pencil and ink. Designs: Weave and Hollibaugh.
Photo: Lisa Cressman
If you add Zentangles to your gift list, I recommend asking for the Zentangle Primer Pack Vol 1 - Beginner Zentangle Set. I’ve given this as a gift many times and all the recipients have gotten hooked!
4) A Swim in the Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders
Named one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, and NPR, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain is one of the most creatively inspiring books Shaundra Taylor (Backstory Preaching’s editor in chief) and I have read this year.
If you’ve ever wondered why a good story works, you’ll find no better tutorial than this book to appreciate what makes for great writing and, thus, better preaching.
Saunders writes:
The basic drill I’m proposing here is: read the story, then turn your mind to the experience you’ve just had. Was there a place you found particularly moving? Something you resisted or that confused you? A moment when you found yourself tearing up, getting annoyed, thinking anew? Any lingering questions about the story? Any answer is acceptable. If you (my good-hearted trouper of a reader) felt it, it’s valid. If it confounded you, that’s worth mentioning. If you were bored or pissed off: valuable information. No need to dress up your response in literary language or express it in terms of “theme” or “plot” or “character development” or any of that (p. 6).
5) The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
What took me so long to get to this book?!
It’s been around for 25+ years and I’ve known of it for nearly that long. I don’t know what kept me from it, but when the student is ready the teacher appears.
On retreat this fall my eye was drawn to it in my Kindle library and I devoured it!
Cameron writes, “The heart of creativity is an experience of the mystical union; the heart of the mystical union is an experience of creativity.”
I can’t imagine a better summary about why creativity heals.
Cameron, Julia. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Creativity. Penguin (New York, 2016), p. 2.
5) The Creative Cure: How Finding and Freeing Your Inner Artist Can Heal Your Life by Jacob Nordby
There have been many books inspired by Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, but few have received her endorsement with a book foreword.
From the book’s introduction:
This book will offer you a path back home to what I call your inner creative self and help you more fully express this in your life. What do I mean by this phrase? Well, since creativity is the process by which imagination becomes reality, we can think of the inner creative self as the source of imagination. Creativity is the action that springs from this special place inside us. Your inner creative self is like a part of your soul, and it has been with you from the beginning of your life.
I haven’t read this book yet, but combined with The Artist’s Way, they look like an unbeatable combo.
Capture the Creativity
Don’t let all that creativity get forgotten in the cares and occupations of your life! Make space within to hear them, and space without to remember them!
6) A Leather-Bound Journal
Is it possible to be a journal junkie? If so, I may well need an intervention!
I have many journals, each of which I chose carefully to fit their purpose, but I don’t usually indulge in higher end types. I did recently however at a gift shop choosing a leather-bound, homemade-paper journal that I dedicated to capturing creative ideas.
It’s so beautiful, and the leather and thick pages feel so good it’s hard not to pick it up!
I noticed this journal that’s similar on Amazon, this one embossed with the tree of life.
It’s a fitting metaphor for growing ideas, compliments of the Holy Spirit, don’t you think?
7) A Book Binding Kit
Journal and photo by Lisa Cressman
Journal and photo by Lisa Cressman
You could also make your own journals!
With the help of YouTube videos, I learned to do Coptic stitch binding, and have had lots of fun making small pocket journals (above left) up to multi-signature calendars (above right).
(I didn’t know before I learned stitch-binding that a “signature” is one folded section of pages, commonly eight pieces of paper making 16 pages.)
You can get started well with a book binding kit like this one I found on Amazon.
To make a journal, first fold blank pages, or print your own lines, dots, or calendars and then fold. Second, create covers from cardboard, fabric, or leather. Finally, stitch them all together.
The best thing about stitch-bound books? They lay flat! No curve into the center binding, making for easy drawing, writing, journaling, or mind maps.
Plus, creating journals for others makes a great gift!
8) Mind Meister, Mind Mapping Software Application
I use mind maps all the time to capture my creative thoughts. I use them for sermons, writing, brainstorming, and organizing.
Though paper is preferable for the creative process, the problems with physical maps are their limited space and not being able to have other people contribute to shared projects.
Enter Mind Meister at www.MindMeister.com! This is my favorite digital mind mapping software by far—and I’ve nearly tried them all!
Available for every computer and mobile device through their website and the Apple and Google stores, not only can you create mind maps that extend to infinity (and beyond!), you can convert those maps into outlines, presentations, and even have them printed.
Plus, you can purchase additional memberships so more than one person can contribute.
Here’s an example of a snippet of one of my maps created to help me brainstorm ideas for a sermon on Luke.
With multiple colors and icons, and templates for note taking, brainstorming, projects, and getting things done, you’ll never have so much fun creating and visualizing your life.
9) Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sometimes the best thing for creativity is to tune out the world to expand your space within.
Definitely on the splurge end of the spectrum, noise-cancelling headphones are great for everyday “get aways” to be alone with God and your thoughts.
In addition, I find using them on an airplane reduces travel fatigue by cutting back dramatically on the engine hum.
Bose is one of the top brands for headphones and having been gifted with a pair myself, I can recommend them.
Apply All of the Above for Creative Sermon Crafting!
I always say that the best preacher is a happy preacher!
If you’re a happier preacher because you’re surrounded by green and bursting with new creative ideas, what better way to apply it than through your preaching?
The Sermon 52 Framework guides you through a unique sermon prep process you can rely on week after week—while leaving space for creative inspiration.
10) Backstory Preaching’s “Sermon 52 Framework”
Our Sermon 52 Framework provides the easy steps preachers need to combine Scripture, prayer, and creativity to craft sermons 52 weeks a year—and enjoy the process!
In just over an hour, learn BsP’s foundational sermon prep process—and renew your preaching life!
*Backstory Preaching is an Amazon.com affiliate. Amazon purchases made through this article support our ministry to you. Thank you!