I’m not very artistic, I don’t think. I can hardly write legibly, much less draw. I’ve got some musical ability, but it’s pretty much limited to reproducing what someone else has sung or played. The bottom line is that I’m just not creative.
It’s not that I don’t want to create. I’ve tried writing some songs. I believe that there are songs in me. In fact, someone once even prophesied over me that I would write songs of the Kingdom of God. But I haven’t tapped into them–yet. So it’s not that I don’t want to; it’s that I don’t want to badly enough. So many other things line up in the “do this first” queue, so many other responsibilities and priorities. When I stop to consider how I spend each day, I’m forced to admit that I don’t spend very much time focused on creating. I do, however, spend a lot of time performing, mimicking, and copying other things that I’ve seen done.
I hang around a lot of creative people–graphic artists (Andy), musicians (the Joseph brothers), writers (Dannah), and pastors (Dan). I’ve read countless blog posts about cultivating creativity. I believe that I know a lot about creating, that I understand the process and what’s involved. To be creative, a person needs some mixture of interest, ability, time, and effort. Of course, there’s a lot more involved in the creative process that that short list, but those are the basic building blocks.
It’s been said that we are most like God when we create. God created us in his image (Genesis 1), and created a world teeming with life and beauty for us to enjoy and steward. God is the Master Creator, and we are his masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). Even deeper, he took all our sin, all the things that separate us from him and each other–and destroyed them! The Bible tells us that when we are in Christ, when we belong to him, he makes us into new people. The old is gone; the new life has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17.) And according to Ephesians 2:15, God’s creativity extends to the entire population:
He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.
Jesus is the Master Artist. From the first brushstrokes of Creation, to his creating a new life for those who belong to him, to his work of peace, the creative genius of Jesus is astounding.
Why did he create? Because that’s what an artist does. He creates. He doesn’t perform, doesn’t sell, doesn’t appeal to critics. He creates to express what is in his heart, to give voice or form to that which lies within. An artist doesn’t concern herself with approval or facebook likes. She doesn’t count copies sold or retweets. She simply creates, because that is what’s inside her.
Interest. Ability. Time. Effort.
Jesus was intentional about his creation. I suppose that’s what sets the artists apart from the rest of us. We all have interests and abilities. And we all have the same 24 hours in a day. But it’s the effort and intentionality that brings those other qualities into focus, that draws the art from within.
I want to be creative. Do you?
Here’s a little creative juice for you…
Listener “Wooden Heart” from Nathan Corrona on Vimeo.
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