My kids were watching Brain Child the other day. The show was talking about creativity. I caught the part about how as you age you can lose it. “Now don’t you feel bad for your Mom and Dad?” I asked. They answered with a resounding, “YES!”
It’s true that “adulting” is not always conducive to living a creative life. It can drain us of our energy. Bills to pay, responsibilities to take care of, expectations to live up to.
Later, I was still thinking about it. I asked myself, “so what are you going to do about it?” It’s my creativity, it’s my job to make sure I don’t let it die.
See, I know what it is like to go for years, unable to create. Do you? Those were painful years. My head was in a terrible place. I stayed there way too long. I hadn’t written or drawn anything for years. Then a friend invited me to a paint night at a local artist’s gallery. I can never thank that friend enough. The joy I experienced that night while pushing paint around on a canvas was painful. I was like a dead thing coming back to life.
I loved it so much I asked all my sisters and closest friends to go with me again for my birthday. The night we went I was exhausted, cranky, and had a migraine. When I left I felt alive. My headache gone. Now the weeks and months I don’t get to paint regularly, I feel the activities absence. It becomes an ache inside of me.
Every human being is capable of creativity. Not only capable, but it is part of what makes us human. I believe creativity lives inside of YOU. Do you?
After finding my love of painting, suddenly the words inside of me came back to life. I have been writing like a mad woman ever since. Creativity lights the human spirit. It gives us wings. When we feed it, it grows and multiplies.
In the middle of a global pandemic, the entire world is tired, lonely, and stressed. I want to encourage you to be creative. If you don’t think your creative, your wrong. Get out the paper and crayons. Or maybe going for a walk outside and collecting leaves to make a collage is more your style. Go to the beach and make pictures in the sand. Do you live somewhere, where winter is blowing in like I do? Get or make a zen garden to play with. Make a snowman or crochet a scarf. There are so many ways to let your creativity shine.
Do you know what my favourite part of being creative is? It’s the part where it’s okay to be terrible at what you’re doing. Being good at it really doesn’t matter. It’s the doing that’s important.
So today or tomorrow make something. Then come back and tell me about it. I want to know what you did. Let’s stay creative together, and in doing so, let’s shine on this lonely earth.
When we are creative, I believe we are walking in God’s footsteps. I believe whether or not you share my faith, you where created in the image of God, the very essence of creativity. I can feel his presence when I create. Can you?
©Mary Grace van der Kroef 2020
Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash
Mary Grace Writing 
Thank you for the remind that it’s a choice. At our writers meetup Saturday someone asked if we view writing as a job or a joy. It stopped me in my tracks. I have decided to return to the joy of creativity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so glad you choose joy. I will chose it with you.
LikeLike
I’m grateful for the creator and all those gifted creations of His. Thank you so much for sharing your gift. For me I write because I believe in the power of testimony and praise. I write my praise song of which I’m so grateful to be able to do. Thank you again, I look forward to reading more of that gift of yours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The testimony of the writen word is a very powerful thing. Just reading your praises to the God you love uplift others. ❤
LikeLike
Reminds me of a quote I read a while back, “your writing is so beautiful, your mind must be a terrible place.”
Creativity comes from the strangest of places. I binge read blogs. Probably not the best places but some are awesome. And if I didn’t I would have found yours. Lucky you lol!! Jk..
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have no idea how terrible this mind is. I am just grateful that Jesus Christ lives in here with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Should I be concerned?? Lol!! Jk. The mind and heart are linked. And since the heart is desperately wicked, the mind follows suit. But yes! Jesus is the Water of Life and cleans as He flows!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes you should be. But not anymore or less then about any other human being. I have a long history of poor mental health. I am only alive right now by the grace of God.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know my presence can be overbearing. I’ve had people tell me and I’m not so many words I can be annoying. So if you have social anxiety please let me know!
I’m glad He’s had grace on you!
There’s been a verse on my mind lately, I want to share it with you:
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:21-23 KJV
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Words on a screen don’t give me anxiety. Yours have been rather good for me. Thank you for the verses. It has been a while since I have read those ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok I have to ask, do you think my poetry is any good? And you can be blunt honest!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is. I am not educated though in other forms of poetry other then my own, to go very deep into a conversation about ‘why’ or ‘why not’. But the last one, had emotion behind it. The words fit well, and they had something they wanted to say.
The more you use poetry as an expression the braver you get in how you put the words together. The more in tune with the feelings behind the words you becouse.
Keep going, and when I see a line or word that jumps out at me I will let you know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really appreciate that! I wish more people would give feedback. I guess I want depth. More than just the average comments.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I often feel the same way. Poetry is really hard to critique though. It’s so personal. It can be so different and out there.
I find the poems of my own that Inlike the most are not ones other people connect with. I will post a poem thinking its rubbish, and it will be the most popular that month. The very few Inhave had published where a suprise to be. The ones I think are awesome keep geting rejected.
The number one thing any poet can do to improve, no mater what style you write in, is to read it out loud.
Poetry is the music of words. You will catch way more awquard frames reading out load then in your head. You will find the words that may not be nessasary, and you will notice when something is missing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I enjoy poetry I can feel. Because it is from a heart. Well, some people write it from the heart. I can’t just write poetry, it has to come to me. I have to feel something.
I know too many people who think they write from the heart. But reading their stuff is painful lol.. or maybe it’s just not my particular cup of coffee.
I like to feel it, and it has to be written with tact. Not just like some nursery rhyme or rhyme with simple words. What is the intelligence of poem?
I certainly hope you don’t think I’m blowing smoke, I seriously find your writing well written, well flowing and with feeling. You have a gift! I shared the poem on my church messenger and have hearts popping up! So, your ministry is at work!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good. That is why I shared it. When I wrote it I felt compelled to post it online. It’s sometimes difficult to know what poems to share and what ones to keep for later. God knows what people need to hear right now.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The one person I wanted to see it first was the first one to pop up. So the Lord knows what He’s doing!
I won’t keep blabbing… have a blessed day Mary Grace!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, I will. ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people