Creativity

Every Sunday morning I wake up at 7:00, make coffee, pick up my sermon outline, and tune in to VH-1 for the Top-20 Video Countdown.  It's my way of keeping up with what's popular these days, a habit I probably picked up from the old man who has been known to still watch MTV on occasion. I watch the videos as I study my lesson.
   Rachel Perry, the VJ, had something interesting to say about the Counting Crows latest hit, Accidentally in Love this past weekend.  The song was written for the soundtrack of Shrek 2.  Perry said that Adam Duritz, the lead singer for the group, was given certain guidelines to follow in creating the song, primarily that he could not use any reference to Shrek whatsoever. She went on to say how Duritz said it was a very difficult song to write.  
 
I'm not sure how much of what she shared was truth, how much was publicity, and how much was clever writing, but I am sure that she was probably right.  
 
Ever since then I've been thinking about creativity.  Talented people are able to create their best work under the most extreme conditions.  Sometimes, the more restrictions you place on their creativity, the more creative the end result.  The end result for Duritz and the Counting Crows is one of their best songs ever. It's a wonderful song, the tune is catchy, and the video is fun to watch.
 
For many of us, the time we have to create is limited.  Indeed, the time we have to even think creatively is severely limited, but sometimes those restrictions can help us focus our creativity on what's really important. Unfortunately, we all too frequently use our restrictions as a convenient excuse to stifle our own creativity.  Whatever our talents may be, sometimes obstacles and restrictions exist to help us rise to the occasion and create something better than we ever could have without opposition.