Create: Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Stuff [Kindle Edition]

I've never met Stephen Altrogge but we've emailed a tiny bit over the years. He reviewed my first book a few summers back, and I kind of feel like a goober for never really giving him his own well deserved shout out. Here's the bottom line- Stephen is a terrific writer! He's known for his excellence in music as a Sovereign Grace song writer as well, but he really has a gift with the pen (or Macbook, Dell or whatever he uses to write!).

When I first heard about his newest book- Create: Stop Making Excuses And Start Making Stuff- I thought it sounded good, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought...ehhh...probably not for me. Something for the musician or artist but not the run-of-the-mill guy like me. So I confess- I read with a little bit of reluctance. Let me share 6 reasons why I think this book is a must read for your summer reading list.

1) You will be proven wrong if you think the book is only relevant to "artsy/fartsy" types. (Yes- Stephen uses that very phrase in the book so he gets an "attaboy" just for using it!)

It is a relevant book for EVERYONE. He persuaded me of this in the opening pages.

Because we are created in the image of God we all have an irresistible impulse to create and to establish order. When a painter brings forth beauty from the chaos of his paint palette, he is reflecting the image of God. When an accountant massages an unruly mass of data into an intelligent sales report, she is reflecting the image of God. When a writer assembles letters into words and words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs and paragraphs into pages and pages into a book, he is reflecting the image of God. When a wife tastefully decorates her house with paint colors and throw pillows, she is reflecting the image of God. When a chef mixes flower and sugar and eggs to create a cake, she is reflecting the image of God.
(Kindle Locations 116-121).

2) His writing style is fun, engaging and highly persuasive.

I think one of the unspoken strengths of the book is that the whole time Altrogge is talking about the slow, steady process of cultivating creativity, the reader is actually seeing the fruit of that process in Altrogge's own craft. He's just plain good. You will enjoy this book.

3) The book is inspiringly realistic (or maybe realistically inspiring).

Stephen does not make absurd promises about you becoming the next great singer, writer, business guru or entrepreneur. He is transparent and forthright about the realities of cultivating creativity. Something about his exhortations, though, made me want to keep at it!

But that's not how creativity works. Creativity is a muscle that gets stronger with use. When you first start a weight regimen, you're weak. Your chest is flatter than a golf green and you can barely do two bench presses. But after you've spent some serious time in the gym, and possibly shaved your chest, your ability to do bench presses increases. The same goes for creativity. You're going to stink in the beginning. In fact, you might really stink. But that's fine. It's okay. Get used to being lousy for a while. (Kindle Locations 281-284).

4) The guy quotes Stephen King- more than once!
All caveats up front. I'm well aware that King is not a believer, but I'm also well aware that he is a terrific story teller! Actually, I'm considering a mini-series of blog posts lamenting the fact that Stephen King talks more about honest life-suffering than most Christian writers and preachers. His grappling with the nature of sin and depravity (albeit without a Christian worldview) is, in my opinion, far gutsier than most things I read from Christian authors. In fact, it's time to out the secret. For the 4 people who have read all three of my books, I've made a reference to Stephen King in each one- kind of my own "Easter Egg." So I just got a great chuckle at Atrogge's unabashed citation of the same writing juggernaut. Here's one sample.
But that's not how creativity works. Creativity is a muscle that gets stronger with use. When you first start a weight regimen, you're weak. Your chest is flatter than a golf green and you can barely do two bench presses. But after you've spent some serious time in the gym, and possibly shaved your chest, your ability to do bench presses increases. The same goes for creativity. You're going to stink in the beginning. In fact, you might really stink. But that's fine. It's okay. Get used to being lousy for a while. (Kindle Locations 281-284).

5) It is super short!
I think it's taken me about as long to write this blog post as it did to read the book. Perfect summer read.

6) I think you will find yourself inspired to do something awesome this summer!
Stephen's book is as practical as it inspiring. I love the fact that he writes with a tone appropriate to the subject. He knows he's not writing about a super weighty topic, and he simply has a way of making you care about something that the back of your mind keeps whispering "yeah- that's right- you know what he's telling you is true." I have two or three things that I'm now inspired to tackle, and it's time to get on to those things.

Stephen Altrogge of Sovereign Grace Ministries is a versatile guy. And as a pastor, author, songwriter, worship leader and blogger at TheBlazingCenter.com, he knows more than a thing or two about creativity and productivity.

This is fortunate for all of us because Stephen has just released a new eBook, Create: Stop Making Excuses And Start Making Stuff. It's short enough for you to read in an hour, although you may want to take it a few pages at a time, marinating in its wisdom. You'll not only learn how Stephen finds the time to create art in multiple formats, but you'll learn from other skilled creatives as well.

Stephen doesn't teach you how to be creative -- he convinces you that you are. From there, he teaches you how to harness and hone your creativity, turning the ideas in your mind to finished work that can inspire, encourage, equip and admonish others.

The best thing about it is his biblical approach, from start to finish. Create begins in Genesis, then shares scriptural wisdom throughout each stage of the process. Along the way, you'll also get advice from Anne Lamott, Douglas Wilson, Stephen King, Bryan Chapell, Donna Tartt and Charles Spurgeon. Come on now, you know you want to read a book that sets Spurgeon and King at the same table, even if you have no desire to produce a song, book, sermon, apple pie, quilt or any other creative work.

In Create, you'll learn how to get started and overcome your fears, how to accept and learn from criticism, how to form habits that will strengthen your creativity, and how to persevere. This will be one of those books that I turn to again and again, when I feel like I've gotten stuck on a sandbar.

Buy this book now. There's no excuses. It's short (under fifty pages) and it's cheap (under three dollars). You will not invest a better $2.99 especially if you are longing to create something but are having a hard time getting started. Altrogge will give you the grace-filled kick in the pants that you need.

His thesis is straightforward:

This book is intended to help you use those gifts. It's intended to help you stop making excuses and start making stuff for the glory of God. (2012-05-25). Create: Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Stuff (Kindle Locations 90-91). Kindle Edition.

Altrogge offers ten chapters with ten practical tips.

Created to Create
Overcoming the Fear
Just Do It
Be Okay with Being Okay
Slow and Steady
Make It a Habit
Keep at It
Take It Like a Man
Take It All In
Share the Love

The writing is concise and colloquial. Anyone could read this with ease in one sitting. Using a penetrating humor, Altrogge will make you laugh only later you'll realize it was probably at one of your own foibles. One of my favorite quips was

And we should expect to put out a lot of crappy material at the beginning. Actually we should expect to put out a lot of crappy material for the duration of our careers, but especially at the beginning. Babies poop a lot more frequently early in life. I think that illustration works. (KL 304-306)

I read it, laughed, and then realized I have and do "put out a lot of crappy material." Or calling those who have finished one project but are hesitant to start their second "the Baja Men" of their respective fields (KL 621).

The big take away for me was creating in small amounts of time. I am working on two book ideas and have found myself discouraged that I can't break off four hours to work on them but Altrogge encourages creators to use that small chuck of free time everyday to finish your creation.