Doing one's job can definitely be a form of service to God. I think a larger principle is at work here: that of transfered action to God. (Or, in nerdy metaphor, maybe God can be the indirect object of every verb.) We have intermediate purposes for our actions -- such as getting a paycheck, helping a friend, learning a concept, etc. -- but the actions can still be aimed Godward though they also pass through intermediate goals. I used to say roughly this, that school or whatever was ultimately for God, but I rarely brought it into focus at the time of the action, except as a last-ditch self manipulative motivator. But when you really mean actions are for God, it makes a difference in several ways. Yes, attitude and thinking about God are part of it, but definitely not all. If you're doing something for God, you'll drop it if you have indications that doing something else would serve him better. If you're working for God, other recompense doesn't matter as much anymore -- not that it's wrong to accept the paycheck for work or the appreciation of a poem and still be working for God, but rewards from other people are more of a welcome byproduct than the main point.
Your comments about creative versus manual service are basically valid, but I'll qualify them again. So yes, creativity is a really amazing manifestation of our likeness to God, we can do gorgeous things with it, and I think he's pleased when we do. But bending to do what's below one's capacity is also a beautiful characteristic of God. Working (at anything) out of love taps into another of his fundamental aspects. Creating is wonderful, but I don't think it's right to give it a preeminent place among acts of worship -- ranking them at all is probably questionable.
But I agree with what you said about the genuine mattering. You say "from the perspective of the heart" -- what other perspectives are we looking at with worship? (Real question.)
*sigh* I wish we could get back the intended interpersonal aspect in communion more.
Well, I'll leave it at that for now.
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