Nonprofit-Performance-360-Vol-1-No-1-Maxwell

Marcia McFee Planning

Planning and Creativity An Interview with Marcia McFee

W e must talk about the processes of creativity: how we can work with each other, where the pitfalls are, and how we have different working styles. Those working styles can really be an asset at times,and other times, can bog us down. People work in so many different ways.The more we know about our team and the more we understand the working dynamics of our team, the better we can create a system. In the creative brainstorming stage, we don’t want the editor or the voice of judgment to be too quick to say that we could never do that when we don’t land on the correct answer first.We need to go on and say,“What’s the second correct answer, and the third?” If we play long enough, then we can really come to what is going to be absolutely perfect in naming the direction to go. Then we can begin to gather resources, and shape and edit first drafts which are much more detail oriented, and go on to finalizing scripts and detail organizing. There’s part of the creative planning process when it is really good to have a lot of voices.Then there is part of the process that if you have too many voices, you will get bogged down. So there is a flux back and forth. First using a lot of people, perhaps using the whole team.Then there are some parts of the process where we need to have the decision and the actual decision makers will be only one or two people.This back and forth kind of flux can really help streamline and grease the wheels of the creative processes in such a way that it actually works and you get things done.

Planning a season of activities all together can really help to create an experience that feels like it’s connected, that it has an anchor image, a frame, and a thread. These are all words that I use when I teach this process. You can really create a deeply meaningful experience this way. Some of the best ideas come at times when you’re not looking at it so hard, in other words, when you’ve relaxed. For me, the answer or the idea may come when I’m doing mundane tasks. If I am just working and looking at something so hard all the time and not giving myself breaks, I am less likely to let what wants to bubble up from deep within.This may be the exact right idea, but I won’t give it time to appear. I have to keep remembering that it’s not just about balancing personal and professional, but it’s about focusing and letting go of focus which is equally important. Dr. Marcia McFee is an author, worship designer and leader, professor, preacher and artist, with a background in professional companies of music, theater and dance. Dr. McFee received a Master’s of Theological Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology in Preaching and Worship where she received the Outstanding Graduate Award from the Alumni Association. She earned her Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies at the Graduate Theological Union with an allied field of Ethics. She has been a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty at twelve seminaries and is the visionary and creator of a worship coaching and resourcing site.

10 I Nonprofit Professional Performance Magazine