Inspired

I've been reading a lot of blog posts lately that have really fueled my desire to be creative. Not just in a crafty way (though clearly, I've been doing more of that too...see pillow cases below) but in all ways. I've been thinking about my writing and how I've let it slide. I've been thinking about my other skills and talents that I haven't given much attention to in a while, and I miss the thrill of playing a piano piece flawlessly and the satisfaction of finding the right word to express myself.

One of the posts in particular talked about creation as a part of healing: "Creativity and its power to heal resides in each of us--we each have different time, talent and financial constraints, but with a bit of soul searching, everyone can find a healing art."

The more I've thought about that, the more it has resonated with me. Creativity, or rather, the power of creation, can be a constant in both tough times and good times. Creativity is our innermost expression of beauty and love and order and emotion, and to find a way of expressing ourselves when emotions are at their deepest is infinitely valuable.

Lately I've just been inspired by everything. Not just blog posts and submissions at work, but also the way the sun and clouds shape the mountains when I drive to work every morning, and the memory of first falling in love with my husband. Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, I've been itching to redecorate or rearrange my house. I have never before considered it "creative," but I think that homemaking, however outdated that term may be, can be a form of creativity. I think it might be one of my own creative outlets, my way of creating daily beauty. And what I've noticed is that I am a better, happier, more giving person when I have created something, whether it is a clean kitchen or a row of quilt squares or a blog post. In giving part of myself, I am fulfilled.

One more quote to end with:

"I am reminded in a world of force and power that some of the greatest power lies in the simple beautiful acts of creation. There is something in the visual buzz of colors on canvas, the exalting crescendos of music, the rhythmic word cadence of a poem, the captivating narrative of a book, the embodiment of an experience in a play or a film that seems to dance in our consciousness. Art is personal if it touches our spirit in a unique way. It lifts us, exalts, makes us feel the depth and measure of our experience. I believe in God because of the testaments of great art created by man....The arts have a way of stilling or enlivening our souls, in resonating with our humanity and divinity. They serve as companions through the experiences of our lives."

Amen and amen.