What does it mean to be creative? History is littered with examples of people who stood out for their creativity.

The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of history’s most striking examples of creative genius. Despite dying at just 35 years old, he produced more than 600 musical works, many of which are still performed and studied centuries later.

Mozart once said, “Silence is very important. The silence between the notes are as important as the notes themselves.” His resourcefulness led him to use silence as a simple yet powerful tool to enhance his compositions.

Centuries later, Steve Jobs would demonstrate a similar way of thinking in the world of technology. As the co-founder of Apple Inc., Jobs helped revolutionize personal computing, mobile communication and digital media. His vision reshaped how billions of people interact with technology every day.

Jobs once explained his creative process this way: “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.” In Jobs’ case, creativity can be boiled down to finding connections that others did not see.

Few minds illustrate creativity better than physicist Albert Einstein. His theory of relativity transformed modern physics and permanently altered humanity’s understanding of space, time and energy. Yet Einstein credited his breakthroughs not to superior intelligence, but to determination, famously saying, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

These pieces of advice, interesting as they may be, still do not quite get to the core of what made these men creative. What was their secret?

To answer this, we must travel further back in time, before Mozart, Einstein or Jobs were born. Long ago, God, the most creative Being in the universe, created all things. He made the planet, the animals, fish, trees and many other exquisite life forms and beautiful sights.

The end of Genesis 1 records the pinnacle of God’s creative effort: “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness” (vs. 26). He made people. And being made in God’s image means we reflect aspects of His nature—including the ability to think, design, solve problems and create.

Because we are made in God’s image and likeness, we all have the potential to develop this same quality in our own lives.

God as the Creator

It is hard to fully appreciate all of God’s creative prowess. He created the heavens and the Earth with incredible structure, intricacy and balance. He set laws into motion that to this day govern light and darkness and the seasons of the year here on this planet. He made the stars in the sky. God wired that same creative genius into people.

The first command God gave to man was to dress and keep the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15). The first man, Adam, had a job on his hands right away.

Adam was responsible for both the plants and animals present there. He was also charged with naming the animals that God created (vs. 19). This would have required him to be observant, discerning and creative with his choices.

Other famous Bible writers understood God’s creative genius. Psalm 139:14 states: “I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Your works; and that my soul knows right well.”

Psalm 8:5-6 states that God made man “a little lower than the angels,” and “crowned him with glory and honor,” and gave him “dominion over the works” of God’s hands. Dominion implies responsibility, stewardship and the ability to shape and build upon what God has made—activities that require creative thought.

Creativity is not always expressed in the most obvious ways. It is not just limited to artists, musicians or writers. It has fingerprints in science, agriculture, parenting, teaching and simple, everyday problem solving.

Stimulate Your Mind

Scientists have found that creativity can be linked to processes in the brain.

One of the most important keys to understanding creativity is that multiple regions of the brain are all working together at the same time when you are creating something. One part, divergent thinking, gathers the pieces, and the other, convergent thinking, figures out how those pieces fit into the overall puzzle.

This might feel a little complicated. But there are simple, practical ways you can stimulate your mind.

If you are puzzling over a challenging problem, whether at work, at home with your family or related to a hobby or other pursuit, sometimes the best thing to do is take a moment to step away from the problem and focus on something else for a while.

A study by researchers at Stanford University found that taking a walk boosts creative output by 60 percent.

Other factors that can improve your creative thinking are being positive, spending time outside in nature and listening to edifying music.

Giving time for ideas to “stew” allows you to come back to working on them with a clearer outlook. Then, you can look at what you are doing with fresh eyes. The writer Henry David Thoreau once said: “…the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”

The biblical patriarch Isaac applied this in his life. On a regular basis, he “went out to meditate in the field at eventide” (Gen. 24:63). One could conclude that he obviously had something on his mind and needed time to think. We can do the same thing. Read our article Meditation – The Misunderstood Tool to learn more.

Allowing your brain and body to work together when you are solving a problem will elevate your creativity. A key is to be consistent. That will strengthen your brain’s adaptability and how you learn.

How to Develop a Creative Mindset

Creative people have natural curiosity. They are interested in how something works, and if there is a problem or issue, how to make it work better. They can attack a problem and emerge on the other side with a creative solution.

The word creativity is related to another word that we should focus on: talent. We all have favorite talents, hobbies and activities that are close to our hearts. Rather than ignoring them, we should be nurturing them.

Exodus 35 tells the story of a young man named Bezaleel, who used his talents. “And He [God] has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; and to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work” (vs. 31-33).

“Curious works” can mean imagination, invention, purpose, plan or machine. With God’s help, Bezaleel was able to be creative in his work! He exercised his talents in creating beautiful works of gold, silver, brass, stones and wood.

Verse 35 tells us about other individuals of that time who showed godly creativity: “Them has He [God] filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.”

Where do you start your path to becoming more creative? Take time to make a list of all the projects you are working on, would like to start working on, and all the things in your life that take time and effort to complete. Then pick one or two items to really focus on.

Spending even a small amount of quality time each day on a creative endeavor can build your creativity. Even 10 to 15 minutes will help. That will help you build a habit to get better at something. Just be prepared to put the necessary work in.

Next, there is an important question you should be asking yourself: What is on your list that you really love to do? Find the time each day and set it aside for creativity.

What are some of the interests that you have in your life that you would like to nurture? What about working with your hands? Want to become a better artist? Set aside 15 minutes to sketch each day. The same applies to music, comedy and athletics.

Working with your hands is a powerful way to engage your senses and strengthen your focus.

If you nurture your favorite interests, they can become creative outlets and influence how creative you are in other areas of your life. The same principles you apply to learning how to draw can help you solve problems in your workplace.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” Might means force, capacity, means, produce or strength. God wants us to work to be creative, whether at our job, with our families and friends or when enjoying our hobbies and interests.

It is up to you to make the time to be creative.

Putting the Pieces Together

You were designed to be creative. Every human being was created in God’s image, as Genesis 1 states. God wants us to maintain a mindset of wanting to find a better way to do something. So much so that He made it a recognizable aspect of how our brains work. Once we understand the connection, creativity stops being a mystery and becomes a skill we can all develop.

Look for places and situations where you can nurture your creative fire. Begin with the things that you love to do. Also, do not forget that creativity can be used to solve problems in every area, from our community to parenting, family and the challenges of daily life.

Now you are armed with a better understanding of your potential to be creative. Make the decision to develop it until it becomes second nature to you. You can emulate creative greats like Wolfgang Mozart, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Adam, Bezaleel, Isaac, and most importantly, the God who created all things.