Take responsibility for creating a collaborative atmosphere for your team...

I don’t particularly enjoy collaborating within an authoritarian leadership structure… And that is largely the structure we encounter in church: Leaders who feel it is their responsibility (or even their “divine right”) to make the final decisions.

I am fortunate to work with a pastor who trusts me to make good choices…

Several years back, however, I worked with a different pastor who was quite the authoritarian… He was the person who introduced me to the pitfalls of collaborating in this context…

In authoritarian settings, I have found my creativity squashed by the realization that, ultimately, the guy in charge was going make a decision… That his opinions were (by default) more weighty than mine, regardless of his level of understanding in the medium…

Frustrating.

Don’t frustrate the creatives under your leadership.  Frustrated creatives do not produce the best results… Often, they give up and go away before the produce any results at all…

Here are a few “do-unto-others” rules for leading collaborative efforts with creatives:

1. Start with a clear vision of purpose. A vision of purpose will allow creatives to flow in their creative gifts, not just in their artistic skill.  A few years ago, I worked with a graphic artists to put together artwork for our Holy Week activities. I told her the theme, asked for a clean, modern look and let he go to work. She came back with several great ideas. We used all but one of them.

In the end, it was satisfying for the artist and I was rewarded with an end-product that far exceeded what I was capable of even envisioning by myself.

2. Start with a clear vision of outcome. This is different than a clear vision of purpose. A clear vision of outcome requires little or no collaboration, only instruction. If you are looking for a specific outcome, don’t ask for creativity, just tell the artist what you want the end result to look like in very specific terms.

Most artists are accustomed to working under specific expectations. The basis of most commercial art is commission… Someone with resources hires an artist to create something specific.

3. Be a team player. This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised at how many leaders see themselves as apart from, or even above, the rest of the team. When you enter into a collaboration, you have to allow that some of your ideas will be trumped or even cast aside…

4. Remember that being the leader does not make your ideas better. This requires a cultivated humility… a choice to view others as more important and their needs before our own.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  (The Bible, Philippians 2:3)

When I direct a show, I have a few key moments that I want to play out just as I envision them. I lay these out clearly to the actors, musicians or technical artists… I will have other occasions, in the same show, when I specifically request collaboration. In these cases, I layout the theme or message that I want to convey and let the team run with it…

I also allow myself the artistic and human freedom to be wrong. Sometimes, the blocking or technical aspect doesn’t work the way I thought it would… Since the team is accustomed to having the freedom to collaborate, they can help fix it.

If your team does not get the opportunity to routinely question and critique your ideas, then you may not get the input you need to make your collaboration maximize it’s potential awesomeness.

As a leader, take responsibility for creating a collaborative atmosphere for your team… Then sit back and watch the magic happen…

Josh, as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls

This is Josh.

Got a story about your own misjudgement? Know a decidedly “unartistic” artist? Share…

Love.  Love.  Love.

Theatrical productions are rife with opportunities to collaborate… It is the single most compelling reason, in my thinking, to do full-scale theatre in the context of arts ministry: It gives purpose, context and accountability to collaborations.

Purpose…

I did a gallery wall at LVC last year as a prelude to launching our arts ministry… It was… nice…

But it lacked any sort of real purpose. The submission ranged from photographic art to pencil drawing to graphic design to painting… It looked diverse and aesthetically pleasing, but floundered thematically in the realm of “inspirational art,” lacking any kind of cohesion.

Our Godspell production, on the other hand, has a great deal of thematic cohesion… While focused largely on Jesus, Himself, it is also filled with themes and images of community and those themes are filling every creative aspect of the production.

Context…

I’ve observed that artists produce best in the context of a larger project. We’ve seen it in our Night In Bethlehem programs that we do with the LVC kids’ ministry… Activating about 70% of the adults and students in our church is a daunting task, but the larger scope and context of the project is part of the allure to volunteers… They can see that they are participating in something much bigger than themselves… There’s a sort of transcendence in it that keeps us coming back to it year-after-year.

A theatrical project gives the same opportunity to use our gifts and talents within a larger context.

I’m not a dancer. So, when it comes time to do a musical, I need a choreographer. Watching her work with the cast and watching that aspect of the show come together is a huge thrill for me. Even when my contribution is limited to operating the iPod…

Accountability…

If space-aliens were to break into my house and judge the whole of humanity by what they found, they’d conclude that earthlings have a strong aversion to finishing projects. Most of the creatives that I know personally have a similar struggle…

Projects with deadlines are either going to make us or break us…

That is, of course, the risk that is inherent in allowing artists to lead artists… I’m pretty sure that our pastor at the LVC has spent a considerable amount of time in prayer about Godspell… specifically regarding it timely completion… He has graciously declined to say so… out loud… but I know that it worries him.

Fortunately, I have the collaborative effort of a stage manager, an assistant director and a production assistant… to keep us on track and on schedule…

We haven’t missed a single deadline… Which reminds me:

Be sure to bring in a few left-brains when you start a big project.

Finally, remember what the Bible has to say about getting together:

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
- Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 10, 12

If your in the Denver area and would like to attend our production of Godspell, you can find out more and register for free tickets at GodspellColorado.com.

"day 49: creativity block" by Jessica <3's you! on Flickr

I was exploring some of the groups on Flickr.com that feature the work of Christians. Some if the work is really amazing… some of it is really cheesy.

One of the things that I love about Flickr (and have been missing since my camera broke) is the interaction of the artistic community.  There’s a sort of esprit des corps among the participants (especially in the groups) that allows for encouraging words, honest critique and artistic development.

My photography improved measurably when I was participating in the discussion regularly.

But the format also allows broad room for one of the most rewarding and challenging creative endeavors:

Experimenting.

Left to my own devices, I like to do the same thing again and again.  There are two specific locations near my home in Denver that I really enjoy shooting. One is a hilltop park with views of the Continental Divide. The other is a small chapel adjacent to a mountain retreat near Rocky Mountain National Park.

Experimentation does not come naturally to me, but in these two locations (where I have already shot the most obvious images) I find myself looking for new angles, different perspectives and unusual compositions. In this case, my familiarity with the subject has given me the opportunity to experiment.

I’ve seen this at work in other artistic areas as well.

The choreographer that I am working with on Godspell has, on several occasions, tried out moves that she can “see being really cool” in her head. Most of the time, it works brilliantly… Other times: not so much..

I’ve known directors that would be nervous about any level of experimentation, but I love it. And I LOVE the way she goes about it.  One time, she even expressed the nature of the experiment out loud…

“Let’s try this and see if it works.”

While this particular young lady comes to the table with a broad understand of dance and choreography, as well as years of experience as a dancer, she knows that there is pure awesomeness lying just outside the realm of what she knows. She also understands that the only way to get at that awesomeness is to risk trying a move that is untested.

When leaders in a project can have this experimental approach, it invites collaboration, creativity and risk-taking from the entire team. I can’t wait until I get the opportunity to see the cast take this process to the parables in the show’s script.

So, the encouragement is to risk an experiment… You never know what beauty you might discover that was just beyond your conscious grasp.

What kinds of successes (or spectacular wrecks) have you experiences with your artistic experiments?

Jesus, as he is portrayed in the film version of Godspell...

I have to launch into this with a disclaimer:

I’m not a big fan of the clown imagery in Godspell.

Can I have my eternal life back now?

Seriously, as a follower of Jesus, I find the idea that Jesus is a clown a bit disrespectful. I don’t really think that was the Tebelak’s intent in writing the character that way, but calling someone a “clown” is not generally a favorable comment. Tebelak is no longer around to question about this, so I’m going to speculate on his intent and extrapolate (what I believe is) a better alternative.

The notes by Stephen Schwartz that have been added to the Godspell script since Tebelak’s death, give us some basic instructions about the character of Jesus in the show:

It is important that Jesus be the leader at all times… Even when a game or parable is initiated by another, there should be a clear sense that it is done for and with the master’s approval… It is easy for the show to appear to be “Jesus and His Nine Zany Friends;” this is wrong… (if He is) too “serious” or passive, the balance of the show is distorted. He is, if you will, the Chief Clown, in that He must drive the action at all times…

Jesus… must be the most charismatic individual in the cast. High energy, charming, funny, gentle but with strength. He is the sort of person others instinctively follow.

Tebelak’s use of the clown imagery was influenced by Harvey Cox’s essay and lecture entitled Christ the Harlequin, in which Cox emphasizes joy, festivity and holy mirth, saying:

The recent focus of theology has been on doubt, unbelief, or on the church’s mission to the world. All this is very important, but what has been missing is the joy of serving.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,838029,00.html#ixzz1CMCiLgyB

This also correlates to Tebelak’s view of the Church, which I’ll tackle in another post, that the experience of following Jesus should be one of joyful volunteerism and fun. He even goes so far as to contrast this with the dutiful piety of the Pharisees.

The other obvious reason for using a theatrical device like this is to cast off the “religiosity” that has come to surround the image of Jesus. I’ve said before that I find it difficult to relate to most (if not all) of the iconic images of Jesus. And it was for the sake of relating to people that Jesus put aside His equality with the Father and “became flesh” (Philippians 2:6-8)…

Jesus should be, above all else, relatable… or we’ve missed the boat. It is not blasphemous or irreverent to portray Jesus as a real guy, with real feelings in a theatrical setting… I’m not talking about a “Buddy Christ” who winks at wrong-doing, but rather a relatable Jesus who is touched by our weaknesses and loves us in spite of them.

A Jesus, worthy of worship… worthy of sharing…

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…  (The Bible, Philippians 2)

So, we’ve decided to make sure that we’ve removed the religious trappings from Jesus’ appearance… No beard, for starters, and embrace a “normal” and simple style… a T-shirt-and-jeans-Jesus who might meet you at Starbucks or McDonald’s…

Which, by the way, I’m off to another meeting about our Godspell production…

There have been some questions about the show from friends, from production leaders that I have recruited and from my pastor…

Valid questions and concerns along with non-issues that grow out of a misunderstanding of the show’s actual content… some of the misunderstandings are centered around the 1973 film version of the show and some of them grow out of rumor and innuendo that has little ground in fact but has, nonetheless, persisted in evangelical and traditional Christian circles for nearly 40 years.

About a month ago, I jotted down a few thoughts in the form of a single post with the title, Defending the Godspell, but as the questions have piled up, I decided that it needs a bit more treatment than my typical 500-word format will allow… The single post has grown into a fairly protracted discussion that I have moved from the GodspellColorado website to this one for a number of reasons…

First, this is primarily a discussion between Christ-followers and the GodspellColorado site is primarily used to promote the show to non-believers… We Christians have a reputation in the world at-large for being argumentative and some of the issues with Godspell are polarizing among believers… I would rather have the “family” disagreement apart from the scrutiny of people who would not understand or care about the outcome of the discussion.

Secondly, I want to welcome the input of the community that has grown up around WorshipOnPurpose… The majority of the questions are going to come from a more theological worldview and I’d like to hear the thoughts of other artists and Christian leaders…

So, the first discussion is coming in a day or two… Prepare ye…

NEXT UP:  Jesus in a Superman shirt… The controversy that I still don’t understand.

"Dude, I think these artsy pants make my butt look big."

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Hanna Krohn, a dancer that I’ve worked with at LVC… Hannah goes out with a very creative “look”… not exactly au couture or avant guarde style, but a creative flair that might include a kimono or authentic village pants from Turkey…

A singer/songwriter that I know pretty much always looks like she walked off the set of a music video…

The worship pastor at LVC has that fitted-T and jeans style that epitomizes popular rock bands…

When I wear a polo shirt and jeans to meet with these guys, I wonder if I look creative enough…

It’s not that I lack the skill to do the whole creative individualist thing… I’m a trained costume designer… with a sewing machine… It’s just that the whole polo-shirt-and-jeans thing really works for me…

As a pastor…

As the dad of a 5-year-old…

As a 40-year-old-kinda-outta-shape guy…

But I can’t help but wonder if it diminishes my street-cred with the artistic types when I show up looking like and extra from Dad Life…

What do you think? Does the style that a person sports make an impression about their creativity? Do you judge the book by the cover?

Mary Freeman is a well-read, mom-of-three from Georgia, USA… I love people from the South: there is an frank realism and open-hearted truth about them. Mary did not disappoint… She shared with me about her art… About how God used it to heal her heart-wounds… About how she shares that with other women… About moving her youngest child off to college this year… About her own lingering insecurities over calling herself an “artist”…

I came away with over an hour of recorded interview and a sense that art really CAN change people… That artists really DO build the Kingdom of God… And most importantly, that God places great importance on what we do to touch the hearts of people in the way we practice our gifts.

Mary has always kept a journal… But a few year ago, with a desire to dig deeper into her own heart-wounds and invite God into those areas of hurt, she began experimenting with layering images, patterns and text into journal pages that captured words and feelings in a more coherent and impacting way.

As she shared this experience with her friends, the opportunities to share the technique with other women began to open… First, in a retreat setting…

“We were combining visual journaling with the practice of solitude… there were 80 women in the room and no one spoke for over an hour… It was amazing…”

Opportunities to combine journal demonstrations with small-group counseling followed and she is setting up now to begin teaching workshops in the church she attends…

Along the way, Mary started taking the mixed-media techniques that she used in her journals into larger formats…

“The painting has several layers because I would paint something and be totally unhappy with it, (then) cover it and begin again. The finished painting was really a happy accident…”

Undeterred, Mary created the image you see on the right… And more after it…

If you were to visit Mary’s photostream on Flickr, you’d see that her large-format work has evolved to include the top of her worktable.

“That project made me realize just how much fun the bigger (paintings) can be… Standing on a bench and splashing paint everywhere…”

Since being a Christian is at the core of Mary’s identity, she has no problem acknowledging that her gifts come straight from God and that her life (including her creativity and artistic work) has the ultimate goal of deepening her relationship with Jesus… She passes this transforming experience along every chance she gets.

“Being a Christian is someone I am, not something I do.”

Mary speaks a “heart-language” that is very familiar to me… So, I asked her about her favorite author… I smiled as she began to rattle-off a list of who’s who in Christian counseling: Brennan Manning, John Eldredge, Larry Crabb… writers with differing methodologies but the similar theme:

Your heart matters to God and wholeness is possible…

Mary’s creativity and work echo that truth… and the key: God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes…

If you haven’t checked it out yet, go take a look… Mary also has an inspiring blog that combines her work with story-telling and personal meditations…

It seems like a pretty miserable existence to me… Constantly stressed about every detail of every project… Unable to collaborate, delegate or overlook the tiny flaws…

Don’t get me wrong, I stress about project details and I get focused on correcting issues, and sometimes, I have been known to push a little too hard.

But I learned a long time ago that outcomes are rarely perfect, but most of the time no one notices…

Except the perfectionists.

I hesitate to hate on the perfectionists too much, because I have some perfectionist friends… And I LOVE having a perfectionist on my team. As a leader, it’s a huge weight off my shoulders to have someone else that I can count on to stress about the details…

Truth is, I feel bad for a person who is locked into a destructive pattern of perfectionism… In general, perfectionism is “destructive” when it looks like this:

1. If you are always on edge…. The stress of getting every detail arranged according to your vision is unmanageable.

2. If it limits the scope of your leadership because you (like any micromanager) can only lead as much as you can do yourself…

3. If the fear of failure is paralyzing for you or you would rather not work on a project where the outcome is likely to be imperfect.

The ex-perfectionists that I know all understand a very liberating reality:

They aren’t perfect and (in spite of best efforts) never were.

So, after you suck it up, don’t forget to cut yourself some slack… Your heart will thank you.

Now, I gotta go look at revision 17 of this graphics project I’m working on…

NEXT in this series: Making Good Decisions…