For the past several years, I’ve been expanding my creative outlets and thinking about what it means to create. Those of you who know me would probably say that you’ve always considered me to be a creative person, but I never saw myself quite like that. I think that’s because I was comparing my creations to those of other people. I’d look at my writing and think, “I’m too conversational and I don’t have any grand ideas. No one will read what I write.” I’d look at my whimsical, folksy paintings and think, “That looks terrible. I’m not a very good artist because I can’t paint realistic landscapes or portraits.” Do you see what I mean? We all do this. We compare our skill levels to those of other people and, when we fall short of what we consider to be the standard, we think we are not creative people.
I would suggest to you that we are ALL creative people because we were made in the image of the ultimate Creator.
My journey into contemplating creativity started a few years ago as an effort to distract myself from the stressors I was experiencing in my life. I now have quite a collection of things I’ve painted: wood slice ornaments, sea shells, and greeting cards. I’ve also learned how to bake bread, how to build and design a website with WordPress, and how to make my own graphic tees. I am trying to learn how to play the guitar and how to grow more plants and flowers. I’m writing more and planning on publishing a book. Not only am I making things, I’m waking up to elements of design and beauty all around me. I’m noticing color palettes and fonts and camera angles, the turn of a good phrase and new vocabulary words. I’m taking time to see details like the scalloped pattern on the cap of an acorn and the arrangement of the petals in different kinds of zinnias.
Only recently did I see the connection between what I was doing innately and what God tells us in Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” The interesting part is that this comes right after these verses: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)
When we are anxious, God has the answer–pray about it and then fill your mind with things that are lovely and true. When I am trying to decide what shade of green to use for the leaves of a tree I’m painting or when I try to select the font that best suits a design I’m working on, I have pushed out the anxious and troubled thoughts that were causing me so much stress. There is no room for them because I am thinking about things that are lovely, true, and praiseworthy, which in turn causes me to marvel at the creativity of God and to praise Him for His goodness and majesty. This is why being outdoors is also important. As I wrote about in a previous post, being outside helps me to rightly position myself in the world and recognize how small and momentary my troubles are in light of the universe and the amazing God who created it.
Why exactly God is taking me on this journey at this time in my life remains to be seen, though I do believe that as I’m walking this path, I’m supposed to call others to join me. I want people to join me in the process of creating, whatever that looks like for each individual. Try your hand at something new or lean into an area where you already have been dabbling. I want people to shift from primarily being consumers to also being producers and creators. Let’s stop watching or reading other people’s stories and go create some of our own! Stop comparing yourself to others and just relish in the process of making.
And then–go outside! I am firmly convinced that, contrary to the belief that the internet and all our devices have opened up the world to us, they have instead enclosed and trapped us in an isolation of our own making. We sit inside our four walls looking at the world through our iPhones rather than going outdoors and into the cathedral that God has built for us in nature. I want to gently push people out of their living rooms and into their yards. I want people to turn off their televisions, take out their ear buds, and listen to the birds singing in the trees. I realize that not everyone has a yard or a farm. Some people may only have green space that they’ve made on the balcony of their apartment building. But we can all go outdoors. The sky itself is such a vast and wondrous thing to behold if you take the time to really look at it.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
So, won’t you join me on this journey? Pray and give your worries to God. Then go create something!
I highly suggest reading Andrew Peterson’s books, God of the Garden and Adorning the Dark. Both have really helped me think more about the spiritual implications of working the earth and the beauty of creating. They are, in many ways, acts of worship.
