Gospel

How to Witness to a Creative or Artistic Person

by Honey Stone
04/11/19
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The first thing you want to do it to prove that you are not a bigot. This is because creative people have divergent thinking or feeling; whereas the rest of the population is on the convergent thinking and/or feeling end of the spectrum.

But let’s focus on divergent thinking which means that creatives can see many possibilities for an outcome. Convergent thinking means you can see only one solution – the practical solution.

So, how do you win a creative soul over? You need to prove that you are open-minded and I don’t mean spiritually. You can prove your flexibility in various ways. You can reveal that you eat more exotic foods than the average Joe. The average Joe would only eat meat and potatoes. You might express that you love gyros or that you visit an East Indian restaurant regularly. Start there.

You can occasionally wear some piece of jewelry that is not trendy or classic or creepy. It must be something unique.  Something thoughtful or meaningful. Something that proves you aren’t steeped into ‘group think.” Something that says: I can think for myself.

Simply reveal an area of your life where you are on or near the fringe. You could share your taste in music which may be eclectic or cutting-edge.

You can say that you are into spoken word and that you actually know something deep about it such as that it originated by Sojourner Truth and then Martin Luther King Jr.

Quirkiness works well. If you are a gardener and have a collection of 50 types of irises in your backyard than that may lead a creative person to think: this person it a little bit out of the box.

Maybe your car is neon green, or your pet is an iguana, or you are taking a trip to Camaroon because you are fascinated by the culture.

Once you have revealed your open-mindedness in another area of life, the creative person will feel more comfortable with you. They may even let their guard down if they heard you were a Christian. You may hear them say, “You don’t seem like other Christians.” You may respond, “That’s because I’m not religious. I am more about a relationship with God and not just about following rules and regulations.”

There you go. What do creative people hate? The answer: unnecessary rules and regulations. Also, when people stifle their creativity. They hate it when people follow others without critical thinking.

Creative-feelers hate it when people judge their beliefs before they get to know them as a person. For some strange reason, creative-feelers think that building on commonality first is a good place to start rather than with an argument. What do you bond on? Try that route first. Do you both like cartooning? Start there.

That’s not so much true with creative thinkers. They may like to argue.

If you are in a relationship with a creative feeler than it pays to get to get know them and to accept them as a person before you judge them on their beliefs. Because if you understand what is undergirding their beliefs than you can find their particular and peculiar way to Christ.

It may sound foreign to your thought process but creative people like to be considered unique, and they like that God thinks they are special. You may have a temperament that likes to fit in; not so for a creative. They like to stand out. Making them feel like an outsider for thinking 'out of the box' will not gain their loyalty toward you nor your Savior. You have to value that part of their personality.

What are demographics you find in creative thinkers and feelers? These are artists of all kinds, professors in higher education, social activists, inventors, and entrepreneurs who have created something new such as a product/system/philosophy. I call these people “influencers.” They are small in number but they are the ones who initiate change in society.

If you find one of these influencers then work with the Holy Spirit to win them to Christ. This will lead to the building of a World with positive change. Yes, creative people can build society up and bring in new ideas. They are about 'what can be' rather than 'what is."

Not everyone can win a creative person to Christ. It is a special calling. It means that you may have to take some hits before you get to speak.  So, you will have to learn to let go of pride.