The Intersection of Awe and Creativity

Research shows that awe expands our thinking, deepens curiosity, and sparks creativity. God wired us for wonder. Among other things, this allows us to encounter His glory more fully, continually renew our minds, and stir our imaginations. This can draw us back to Him.

A recent Psychology Today article, How Moments of Awe Unlock Creative Thinking, explores how moments of awe unlock creative thinking. The author argues that awe does all of the following:

• Expands our mental horizons

• Increases curiosity

• Reduces stress

• Promotes cognitive flexibility (our ability to think in new and unexpected directions)

  
  

If we're paying attention, these findings are more than neuroscience. They point to the One who designed us this way.

What Awe Does to the Mind and Spirit

Through prayer, observing creation, or engaging in worship, you’ve probably already experienced how awe changes you from the inside out. You didn’t need a research report to figure that out.

When we encounter something vast and wondrous, or something that temporarily eclipses our small worries, our brains loosen their grip on fixed patterns. We become more curious. More receptive. More willing to consider possibilities we'd otherwise overlook. Stress hormones drop. Creative thinking rises.

We get to look into a window of sorts to see how God works. He doesn't just want our obedience; He wants our wonder, too. And when we stop long enough to stand in it, He expands us.

Romans 12:2 invites us to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." Awe, it turns out, is one of the ways that renewal actually happens.

Awe as a Gift from the Creator

We are made in the image of God, Amen! He’s the One who created galaxies, ecosystems, and the human laugh. He’s the one who created all those species, even the ones humans haven’t even discovered deep down in the ocean or the one that lives under that rock in the most remote forests on earth.

That creative impulse in us is a reflection of Him. When awe interrupts our routine, something in us is awakened. We see so clearly how we are small, and God is great, which is really good news. That reorientation shouldn’t diminish us; it should free us.

Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Creation is not silent. It is constantly preaching. And when we pause to listen, our own creativity is quietly, wonderfully awakened.

Practical Ways to Cultivate Awe in Everyday Life

We can more fully live life to the full when awe is woven into ordinary life. Like most beneficial things in life, it requires intention. But the good news is that experiencing awe is accessible to everyone. Take time to think of ways you can incorporate some of the following practices into your weekly routine.

• Take an awe walk. Step outside with the singular purpose of noticing. This is not a time to exercise or think through your to-do list, but a time to go out and just notice.

  
  

• Read scripture slowly. Choose one passage and sit with it. Read it aloud. Ask God to show you something you've never seen in it before. Wonder is often buried just beneath the familiar.

  
  

• Keep an awe and gratitude journal. At the end of each day (or at the beginning of a new day), write down one moment that surprised, moved, or quieted you. Over time, these entries become a record of God's faithfulness and become a training ground for a more wonder-attentive life.

  
  

• Sit with unanswered questions. Not every mystery needs to be resolved. Bring your hardest questions to God in prayer and resist the urge to rush toward an answer. Sometimes the holiest posture is simply staying in the question and trusting the One who holds it.

  
  

• Celebrate the goodness of God in others. When you witness someone's gift, courage, or kindness, let yourself be genuinely moved. That, too, is awe.

  
  

Living Awake to God's Glory

Awe is not a luxury for the spiritually advanced or reserved for those who get to wake up and look out at a mountain or see the sunrise over a crystal-clear lake. God presents this opportunity to every believer, and in every season. As the research suggests, awe does more than make us pause; it stimulates curiosity and helps prepare the mind for creative exploration and problem-solving.

We get to see reality more clearly and respond more intentionally when we take time to experience moments of awe. We become more creative, curious, and grateful. We’re not only open to admiring His world and all he created, but we’re primed to go and create within it. The world needs what you have.