Creativity

Did you know that you were actually designed to be creative?

I hear way too many people saying things like,

“I’m not creative.”
“I can’t draw”
“I can’t dance.”
“I can’t paint.”
“I can’t write.”

Every time I hear words like that spoken out, I wince and my heart hurts because I used to say those things, too.

The saddest part was that, inside, I was desperate to express myself in creative ways. I figured that because my creativity didn’t look perfect or even really, what I deemed to be acceptable that I couldn’t consider myself creative. Not like other people were.

For my entire childhood, teen years and into adulthood, I grappled with this inner desire to express myself creatively; and this feeling that I wasn’t good enough to even try.

That feeling of inferiority kept me from living as my true, authentic self.

I WAS CREATED TO CREATE.

WE ALL ARE!

We are created in the image of God and HE IS THE CREATOR OF ALL.

His divine nature as a creative being bringing beauty into the world, creating something from nothing gives us all, the right and even the responsibility to create what we can to also bring beauty into our world.

If you feel a desire to paint, then paint.
If written or spoken word stirs you, then let the words flow.
If you desire to dance or flag, go for it.


Whatever creative outlet your heart desires, just do it.
Practise.
Don’t discount the desire.

Very few people have natural talent and ability but that doesn’t disqualify you from being creative.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 has an encouragement to move forward with all your might. It’s an encouragement to not hold back but to GO FOR IT. Psalm 33:3 has an exhortation that when you play an instrument that you would do it skilfully. Some people are blessed with an incredible natural talent but for so many of us – excellence and skill takes practise.

Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts wobble a little.

Think about a baby. When babies first start walking, they stumble, fall and wobble quite a bit but when they take those first shaky steps we excitedly say, “You’re walking.”

Can they do it well? Nope! Will they continue to stumble and fall. YUP!

But we speak into being what we know will happen with practise.

So if you want to write and you practise writing, You are a writer.
If you want to dance and you practice dancing, You are a dancer.
If you want to draw and you practise drawing, You are an artist.
If you want to take pictures and you practise photography, you are a photographer.

Speak it out.
Embrace your creative nature.
Practise creativity regularly and
Share the beauty that you are creating.

Now more than ever, we need beauty in the world and you, as a creative being, have a part to play in adding beauty to our lives and the world.

So the next time that lie comes to you telling you that you can’t create, that you’re not creative; STOP and declare the wonder of who you were created to be.

  • I am a creative being.
  • I am created in the image of my Father
  • I create beauty to share with the world.
  • I have permission to play and create in ways that are unique to who the Father made me to be.
  • I embrace creativity as part of my God given nature.
  • I am creative.

Progress over Perfection

As a child, I didn’t believe I could draw. Specifically, I didn’t believe that I could draw very well. Somewhere along the way I fully embraced the idea that perfection was the goal. Probably from the “practise makes perfect” saying. I thought I was SO bad at drawing and art in general that I would never be able to attain perfection and so I might as well give up and focus my energy on things that I could do easily.

It makes my heart hurt when I think about how much the little child version of me wanted to draw and create; and how hard I came down on myself because I couldn’t be perfect. I couldn’t create what I wanted to. I couldn’t create what I was feeling. I couldn’t create what I could see inside my heart and soul.

It’s very rare for me to be able to portray what I’m thinking or seeing or feeling; but I have no intentions of letting that stop me from creating – BECAUSE it’s not about perfection. It’s about the progress. I’m better now than I was 6 months ago, a year ago, 5 years ago. That’s not because I’m trying to be perfect. I’m just practicing creating. I’m repeatedly and habitually putting effort in on my creative journey; and the best part is that I’m enjoying myself.

Creativity is not about where or how I stack up against other artists. It’s about what I can bring into the world. My goal to bring beauty, joy and light into the world and to encourage others to do the same.

We’d love to have you join in the 30 Day Art Challenge on September 1-30, 2023. We welcome all levels of creativity.