Why I Create.

Often, I find myself reflecting on the question of why I create. Is it just to fill time? NOT. As a busy mom, wife, and professor, I don't really have so much free time that I am looking for extra things to fill it (though it might be nice to be in that position just once!). Do I create to escape stress and everyday life? Well, while creative work certainly does relieve stress and change my perspective on life, it is not to escape the day-to-day.

Why? I create because I firmly believe that I was CREATED TO CREATE. One of the amazing truths of God's word is that we were created by an amazing Creator God, made in His own perfect image. I myself am a creation of the superb artist/creator, the same one who fashioned delicate flowers, powerful ocean waves, colorful fall foliage, and the seasons themselves. The Psalms say that He knit us together in our mother's womb." Actually knit us....it doesn't say that He planted us in the womb and then set in motion some sort of developmental process that was automatic; no, He actively and creatively fashioned--knit together--every little ounce of our physical and emotional being. How amazing is that? It overwhelms me whenever I really stop to think about that truth. I am a creation made in the image of the Creator; hence, it follows that I was made to create, to be a creator, to be an artist.

There are many ways to worship God....praying, singing, praising, doing good to others. And CREATING. Yes, creating is very much an act of worship that is deeply spiritual and soul-nurturing. Why are art and creative activity so nurturing to the soul? My answer: Because it is what we were created to do. We are fulfilling God's intention when we create.

When I create, I commune in a very intimate and worshipful way with God. I believe that God is pleased when I use the mind and hands He gave me to create, just as he is when I sing a praise song to Him or create music on the piano. I believe that God takes great pleasure in His child bringing something new into being in a way that hasn't been done before. Whether I am painting a canvas, or cooking a new recipe, or decorating my home's walls, or snapping photos in an innovative way, or piecing together a scrapbook layout, I am giving praise to our amazing Father and Creator. It is what I was made to do. It is within me. It wells up inside me and overflows into how I live.

I don't buy into the notion that some people are "creative" while others aren't. I believe that God gifts us all differently and uniquely, yes, but everyone--EVERY ONE--is creative because each person was created by the Creator God in His image. Some people work to develop and express their creativity, while others choose not to. But creativity is entwined within our very being.


So, the next time you are creating (whatever that means to you), try viewing your creative work as an act of worship. It might help you eliminate any guilt that you have about the time you set aside for creative work, and it may give new meaning and inspiration to your creative endeavors. At a very real level, creativity is spirit-nurturing soul work.


And that's why I create.