A letter to a creative

Dear Creative

I have been pondering firstly, the concept of creativity and how closely it is linked to our being image-bearers of the Creator. And secondly, the fears people grapple with in creating because of the way society reacts or responds. One of the blockages to creating is that so much of what we create is intended for others; to please others, to get approval, for others to say they like it or are impacted by it. And this has been the way we operate, to the extent that I think that as a society we have lost something about the essence of creativity. By this I mean that little regard seems to be given these days to being creative for itself. Creativity does impact the world, should “speak”, will always touch people’s hearts, shift things and bring healing and so on. And how beautiful it is as it does these things! It is not my intent in this letter to taint the beauty and the glory of that in any way whatsoever, but rather to point out to you that there is also merit and beauty (perhaps even equal beauty) and glory in being creative as an end in itself sometimes. I am reading The Silmarillion again, as you perhaps know it is one of my all-time favourites, and I’ve been struck by J.R.R Tolkien’s descriptions of one of the Valar;

“but the delight and pride of Aule is in the deed of making, and in the thing made, and neither in possession nor in his own mastery, wherefore he gives and hordes not, and is free from care, passing ever onto some new work.”

Imagine being like that! Free from care in your creativity, taking pleasure in the deed of making and the thing made, and that not being shadowed by what will be after.  It made me think about the bliss of that simplicity in creating. So what if the book that you’re meant to write influences one or 10 as opposed to five hundred? What if God loves your voice in it but the publishers reject it? What if the painting that you are busy painting would be ripped to shreds by the “critics” but right now it is something beautiful between you and God? Perhaps, though it will not make it to some earthly gallery, it hangs in His halls amidst the colours of laughter. What if the song that you’re writing now is heard by heaven alone and the sound of your voice, though not so “well received” here, moves Him? Is that not enough?

You say you feel stuck creatively, perhaps getting unstuck begins with getting carefree and enjoying the process of the act of creating for itself. Find pleasure again in the simplicity of delighting in what you are making; you knew this well once, before the voices started shaping what you think is good or not good enough. You delighted in making sandcastles and finger paintings and play-dough food that no-one ate (though you sampled it often enough), you made up new songs and took great delight in your own clever riddles and rhyming poetry. All before the voices and the shadows and the fear. You have forgotten those simple pleasures, perhaps you are trying too hard to “adult”.

Ah! And then there is the profound and sheer beauty of co-creating with God! You do not do it alone, not even the making of a sandcastle. Don’t lose the wonder of that in the often noble, but sometimes distracting, desire to affect others.

For a long time I too did not write, because while serving in a ministry role many years ago in my student days I was told, though not in these exact words, that I’m not a good writer. My writing was never good enough, now I am not so proud as to think it was … by their standards. My critic’s writings were amazing and I was always wishing I could write like that! So perhaps it was true, that was not the point though, the point was that I allowed their rejection of my efforts to put out a flame in me for a while and that was the tragedy. God being kind, did not leave me in that state; one day I heard a whisper in my heart, “what if they don’t know anything anyway? What if it’s not good enough for them but good enough for Me?” And I began to ask myself, “shall I remain small and limited by what they think is good enough? Or shall I dare to believe this Voice, fan this flame and give wings to this creativity in me that yearns for expression?”

So I chose to rather let God be true and every man a liar, which is always a good practice to be sure! In the end, whose lens shall we look through? The one who whispers to my heart, “write for I will show you secrets that must be unveiled and your writing will be beautiful” or the ones who said so finally that I don’t have what it takes.

With some understanding of having been stuck as you describe, I can say now, many years and a few books and paintings later, that this choice was my ladder to the fresh air again. How wonderful it is to go by God’s words which always empower us, rather than man’s, whose rejection (mostly unintentionally) squash, quieten or put out the flame altogether.

It is true that not all creativity is equal. But then, who is to judge what is ultimately more beautiful, good or truly creative than the next, than The Creator Himself?

So join me in saying, “go away nay-sayers, I will listen no longer! Instead, I will listen to the voice that calls me to be bold, daring and triumphant… to write again, to paint again, to sing again,to invent again, to fly again. And I refuse to wear your cloak of shame and fear of rejection- I will not hide it from the world. I will be true to me and to Him regardless of what you think, because it’s not for you anyway that I sing this song.”

So take courage creative one, He wants to sing a song through you that heaven applauds, smells it’s fragrance and thinks is utterly magnificent!

Until next time then.

Warm regards,

Your friend on the journey of creativity.