I didn’t know you could do this for a living, but apparently Donald Lau was the Chief Fortune Writer for Wonton Foods for 30 years. He wrote those little sayings that go inside their fortune cookies that thousands of restaurants give out after dinner. Mr. Lau recently resigned because he had writer’s block. He told Time magazine, “I used to write 100 a year, but I’ve only written two or three a month over the past year.” The company has given the job to another employee. I wonder how they advertised for the position.
So when the writer of fortune cookie wisdom gets writer’s block, where does he go for inspiration? That’s a tough one. I guess in any job or calling, we can find ourselves becoming dry and lacking creativity. Many people suffer from ‘creativity block’, a new expression I just made up.
As we learn in Scripture, we serve a God who is endlessly creative and has called us to exercise our creativity in him: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) We only need to watch children play to know that we are born with a great deal of resourcefulness and imagination. During our growing-up years, we work hard to ‘fit in’ and give the ‘right answers’ that are required in school or at work. Then, as adults, we often wind up feeling that we aren’t very creative. Sadly, too many people stop trying to create and express themselves in new and exciting ways.
So maybe it’s time you started getting creative again. Experiment with food and make a tasty meal; pick up some paints and cover a canvas; use your camera for photos other than selfies; dance before the Lord like no one else is watching; start writing a blog…I don’t know, just find something that allows you to express your creative side and do it unto the Lord. Don’t let the busyness of life and the corporate world take away the creativity that God has given to all of us. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)