Creativity

As a child did you love art supplies?  Our sons did. I was even able to set up a store after Halloween where they bought art supplies from me with their candy (who can resist glitter glue?). It was a win win as their sugar highs dwindled before their Christmas stockings resupplied them, and my chocolate stores increased for late night snacking 😆 Tanner seemed especially excited about painting so we asked our neighbor friend, Morella, to give him lessons.

Morella was a prolific oil painter & water colorist. We bought Tanner a large art box for Christmas and set up his first lesson with her. I brought a book to read while they painted. As they got started Morella offered for me to join them. I hesitated but decided to try. Tanner painted an Easter egg and later balked at setting up another lesson. I painted the ocean, beach and palm trees and fell in love.

Morella and I painted together for years. I still miss her instruction and company, as she’s passed on. Water color has always been my medium of choice for portability and ease of clean up, but as life has slowed down I’ve dabbled in acrylics too. In fact, I’ve just signed up for an in person colored pencils class and a beginner acrylics class. I can’t wait to see what I can learn! I hope to learn to really capture the ocean well.

This week I was discussing with a friend the power of creative pursuits in stress reduction. She is very clear she’s not a painter but she loves the written word. Creativity can take so many forms. Tanner has never come back to painting but he’s a master wood worker, talented carver, and excellent leather tooler among other things. I have friends who dance, and know so many talented at different types of photography. Whatever it is for you- sewing, singing, cooking, gardening, or recording family history (just to name a few), I hope you can carve out some time to practice it.

God created us and when do something creative, we can feel him smiling. “At the beginning You founded the earth; The heavens are the work of Your hands” (Ps 102:25). I know it can feel daunting, but being creative doesn’t all have to do with the end result. I’ve thrown out soooo many paintings over the years, but each one taught me something about the use of the medium or how to draw. I find it hard to worry while I’m creating. I go into a focused mode and get soul rest unlike I get from anything else.

Often, I’ve watched mistakes turn into something beautiful. The extra drip of water created a wash I didn’t expect or that amount of yellow with blue and green turned into a color I wish I could repeat. Isn’t that just like God’s grace? His miracle is that he can turn a mistake given to him, into something He uses for good. Nothing is wasted. Sometimes, I think He’s just teaching me patience- like when I made the sign in the photo for a friend and had to paint over it 5 times to get the letters right!

So let’s worry less about the end product and spend time being creative in the presence of our Creator. It will feed our souls, bring restorative rest from our “to do” list, and joy will bubble up like the strawberry & rhubarb juice did in this pie. Yum!