The Daily Writer

I had an interesting conversation with someone recently about a hypothetical situation: what if a sincere, devoted Christian legitimately can’t stand the music at their church? How should they deal with this problem? In this episode, I’ll offer 8 suggestions for people who are struggling to enjoy the music at their church. You’ll learn to gain a new perspective on music and how you can be a suppor...

Are worship songs too complicated these days? How does the key of a song affect its “singability” in church? What lessons can we learn about worship songs from Chris Tomlin’s “How Great is Our God”? These are some of the questions we’ll answer on this episode, which is Part 5 of our series, “Whatever Happened to Singing in Church?” We’ll look at several musical factors that have impacted engagemen...

How has the role of the worship leader changed over the last 10-15 years? Is the struggle between authentic worship and entertainment a new development, or an old one? And how do you choose between a worship leader with a great heart, and one with more talent? These are some of the questions we’ll answer on this episode, which is Part 4 of our series, “Whatever Happened to Singing in Church?” We’l...

How do sound, lighting, and video impact people’s participation in worship? Why is it important for a church to invest in good equipment and training for tech staff and volunteers? And why should you treat them like royalty? These are some of the questions we’ll answer on this episode, which is Part 3 of our series, “Whatever Happened to Singing in Church?” We’ll look at several environmental fact...

How do art and music programs in public schools affect worship in the church? How does pursuing excellence in worship impact those who aren’t musicians? And how do visitors feel when they come to church and see people singing together, which doesn’t happen much in everyday life? These are some of the questions we’ll answer on this episode, which is Part 2 of our series, “Whatever Happened to Singi...

One of the most important ways that we express ourselves   creatively is by worshiping in song with a faith community. Singing is the oldest, and still the most widely practiced, way that God’s people worship together. In this episode, we’ll begin a short continuous series on why people don’t sing in church anymore. I’ll share why I’m talking about this topic, and three reasons why singing in chur...

If you’ve ever traveled in a car with kids, you have probably heard the question, “Are we there yet?” But it’s not only kids who have trouble waiting. We adults are just as impatient, especially when we’re in the midst of the struggle to reach our goals. In this episode, you’ll learn three lessons from my recent struggle with learning to be content while trying to reach my goals. These lessons are...

Do you ever feel like your art is in a separate “box” from the rest of your life? Maybe you feel a disconnect between your art and your church … between your art and your faith … or your art and the broader culture.  But what if there was a way to integrate your art into every area of your life? One of the best ways to do this is by getting back to the basics and studying artists of the Bible. Whe...

I am a huge fan of “Hamilton,” the s mash Broadway musical created by Lin-Manual Miranda. “Ha milton” won 11 Tony awards in 2016 and has been the most talked-about musical in decades. It’s one of the greatest works of art that has been released in my life. But there’s another reason I’m such a big fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda: he took the time to send my son a handwritten card in the mail. As a resul...

As creatives, it’s important for us to understand why and how stories work. A great place to begin is by studying screenwriting. You may not consider yourself a writer, or don’t plan on writing a screenplay. Even so, understanding the storytelling process can help you in a variety of ways. In this episode, you’ll learn how screenwriting principles can help you, and why you should check my hands-do...

La La Land was one of the most well-known movies featured at this year’s Academy Awards. It’s a bright, inventive film that takes place in modern-day Los Angeles and hearkens back to the days of old movie musicals. La La Land completely won me over by its playful spirit, engaging story, and sheer audacity. In this episode, I’ll share three specific lessons on creativity I learned from La La Land ....

Most of the time, we don’t give a lot of attention to organizing our workspace. But it’s worth setting it up for maximum efficiency since this is where you create your art and do your work. When you work in an uncluttered environment, your mind is free to focus and be creative. In this episode, you’ll learn five steps to clearing the clutter from your workspace. The result? You’ll have less stress...

When we see other creative people who are successful, it’s difficult not to feel jealous. The question foremost in our minds is, “Why do they have ______, and I don’t?”  In this episode, you’ll learn to ask better questions that start with “What” instead of “Why.” This small shift in your vocabulary will have huge results in your creative life because you’ll be focusing on what you can proactively...

Most of us dream of having large blocks of time we can use to think and write. For most of us, this dream rarely becomes a reality. Most of us lead very busy lives filled with jobs, family commitments, and church or community responsibilities. In this episode, you’ll learn how to get more writing done by using four unusual methods. These tips will help you take advantage of the time you do have an...

One of my readers, who is a college student, recently sent this email: "With all these different things I want to do and hope to achieve, I sometimes get lost in keeping track of all the things, and I get a bit discouraged. In my head, I keep trying to create an inhumane time schedule for each day. And maybe it’s not unachievable, but it’s also quite strict, and I won’t be able to keep up wit...

After many years of feeling guilty for my mistakes, I am finally learning to see my failures as stepping-stones to success. Some of my biggest failures over the last two or three years have involved business decisions that didn’t go quite as planned. Although I wasted a lot of time spinning my wheels, I learned several valuable lessons from these experiences. In this episode, I’ll share the backgr...

I recently sat down with an artist friend of mine to see how she was doing. Diane was feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities. She longed to have more time to do creative work that refreshed her soul and would help her move forward. Diane felt stuck. She was on a hamster wheel and didn’t know how to get off. Have you ever felt that way? I have! In this episode, you’ll learn how to get unstuck by...

One of the biggest frustrations for artists is a lack of time to create. Despite having access to devices and technology that are supposed to save us time, most people feel busier than ever. If you want to make more time for your art, you must first see where your time is going. The best way to get an accurate picture of your time use is by keeping a time log. In this episode, you’ll learn why it’...

We are almost into February now, but the idea of goals is still on many people’s minds. January has come and gone, but it’s never too late to think about what you want to accomplish in the coming year. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use a year to its full advantage and make your goals a reality. I’ll share a very simple, 5-step system I use for creating and tracking my goals. For the post th...

Sometimes the little things in life can make a huge difference. Over the last few months, I have been making more of an effort to integrate a habit of gratitude into my daily life, and it’s had a profound impact on my overall perspective. In this episode, you’ll learn several simple practices that can help you develop more gratitude in your life. I’ll also share four ways it is changing my life an...

I recently launched a new Facebook group called Born to Create . When I asked the group to share a problem or struggle they are currently dealing with, one of the members said, “The number one fight is definitely fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of not finishing, fear of too many things!” The fear of success seems totally counterintuitive. If success is something we all want, why we wo...

One of the hardest things for any creative person to do is set limitations. We like to be free spirits, unchained and unhindered by any limiting factors. That’s what being creative is all about, right? Actually, the opposite is true. Limitations and boundaries can be the best thing for your creative life, and they are a natural byproduct of clarity. In this episode, you’ll learn four specific ways...

Every artist wants to make excellent art. No one ever sets out on the creative journey and says, “I only want to be known for making mediocre art.” We all want to create art that makes a difference. In this episode, we take a look at an artist who has been making a difference for decades—Tony Bennett. You’ll learn from his example how to create excellent art, develop the right attitude, and make a...

Do you ever feel stressed out, confused, or overcommitted? Yeah, me too! We may point to busy schedules, too much work, or conflicting priorities as the reasons we feel this way. But there’s a deeper issue at the root of it all: you don’t have clarity in your life. In this episode, you’ll learn what it means to have clarity in your life, why it’s so important, and how it can help you find joy, dir...

There are many reasons we start to “drift” in our creative lives: being too busy, feeling overwhelmed, not having clarity, or just being tired. Whatever the reasons, the end result of drifting is the same: we lose focus and start heading toward the danger zone of confusion and frustration. In this episode, you’ll learn how to stop drifting by asking four great questions. These questions will spur...