Good news : You are unique, and you are free to stop trying to be like everyone else.  In fact, I think the world is missing out on something you have to offer.

That’s why the most important part of consulting isn’t telling people what to do, it’s helping people ask the right questions.  And whether you’re looking for help that’s as specific as the design of your space or as philosophical as how creativity can shape your community, it all involves these three ideas :

- Developing a clear and honest picture of your community.
- Envisioning the future of what your community is to become.
- Implementing creativity to bring to life the uniqueness of God’s vision for your lives.

Here’s some more on each of these ideas, or you can skip to the end to send me an email.

Understanding Community

The movement toward creativity begins with understanding who you and the people around you really are.

Chili’s has good food, and it’s a safe bet when pulling off the highway in a new city. But if we would just be willing to open our eyes and take a risk, there is potential to experience something completely new that we would have otherwise passed by.

My grandfather used to own a grocery store in the middle of downtown Orlando that my uncle later turned into a restaurant. It had a decades long history and a personality of its own, and it added a unique bit of character to the neighborhood -something a chain restaurant does not do. When my uncle retired and sold the property to a developer, I wrote an article in the Orlando Sentinel saying that

these changes have the dehumanizing potential to change us from members of a local community into nameless, faceless consumers.

Whether it’s a restaurant or a local church community, we live in a culture of mass production where ideas are taken from one environment and placed into another without any consideration of the uniqueness of places and people. As a result, we lose the depth of individuality and the broadness of variation. While individuals are the sum of gifts, talents and life experiences; communities take on the unique qualities of the individuals that make up who they are. And something beautiful happens when we recognize and celebrate these identities.  This is the first step in discovering how creativity can be awakened in your community.

We do this by :
- Painting a picture of what your community looks like.
- Imagining the vision of what your community could and should grow into.
- Dreaming about the role your community can play in the world at large.

Envisioning the Future

The most exciting part of the journey is looking down the road at what’s to come.  As the picture of your community comes into focus, we can then ask God to show us His dreams for the future.

I’ve been part of a local church called Status for the last five years. I consistently brag on them for being an adventurous community that is willing to try almost anything and go almost anywhere in our worship gatherings. But what’s even more beautiful is that they have taught me that creativity is much larger than our human definition of art.  Rather, almost everything we do can be re-imagined through the lens of creativity.

So, when dreaming about the future of what your community is to become, it’s important to remember how limitless the possibilities really are.

We do this by:
- Leading – not only the artists – but all parts of your community through rediscovering their creativity.
- Exploring value in the old and dreaming about the potential of the new.
- Seeking out God’s plans for who you are to become.

Implementing Creativity

Most often, when leaders attempt to implement creativity in their communities, they do so without first considering that creativity is a journey.  As we begin to understand how God has uniquely made us and where He desires for us to go, we can begin exploring how we can get there.

We do this by :
- Assessing your community’s available resources.
- Discovering areas of potential.
- Developing practical ways of implementing creative expressions.

So, Practically, What Does It Look Like?

Just as every community is unique in size, experience, history and desire, so is their journey toward creativity.  For some, it involves conversations amongst leadership to develop a broad view of their community and what role creativity plays in their lives.
For others, it is as specific as developing creative elements, musical styles, graphic identity or interior and stage design.

I look forward to walking with you in your journey of discovering who you are and who you were created to be.   Begin the conversation by sending me an email at cole@colenesmith.com.

For more information about some potential next steps, take a look at these three examples from other consulting relationships.