I had a conversation with my son recently about creativity—about how so many creative people have trouble focusing on their work. We often sit around and wait for inspiration to come rather than pursuing it. But in reality, most great inspiration comes WHILE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS of CREATING. So in order to be creative, you have to create!
The young artist, Akiane writes about a painting she did at age 10, called Creation (seen left), "At the beginning of my painting I was sure I would paint space, but I had no idea and no expectation how the finished story and details would look like. [When it was finished} I was quite surprised that I had painted the very creation of the universes."
God didn't give us gifts so that we could bury them in the dirt, as the man in the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30). We must EXPRESS our creativity, because expressing it is an act of giving it away, and in giving it away, it flows right back to us like ocean waves.
As Francis of Assisi said, it is in giving that we receive. And when you give of yourself, you receive so much more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling! It's exponential! Wow! It's truly God's creativity that lives inside us! And the passion with which we use our gifts — well, I think that gives God an exponential warm-fuzzy.
What are your gifts? Are you walking in them? Are you re-gifting them?
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