welcome June 30, 2003 Issue

Creativity—'It's like breathing'

Marilyn Jones

Have you ever had that urge to drop everything you're doing and just pick up a paintbrush to splash onto paper the colors of the morning sunrise—or maybe play the guitar, plant some roses, or crank up the CD player and dance just for the sheer joy of dancing? That's creativity in its purist form—the desire to let your deepest feelings, thoughts, and impressions find form, to get out of the confines of your own imagination to take shape in ways that are visible to the rest of the world. I know at times I've been so involved in writing that I forget to eat, read the mail, or finish the laundry. I just have to put my thoughts into words so the rest of the world will be able to understand life a little better, to know how I've translated my experiences into something meaningful. Writing is something I have to do!

As the artists in this week's issue talk about the work that gives expression to their creative drive, it becomes clear that creativity doesn't belong to only a gifted few. Rather, creativity is a spiritual quality that every person has. Whether this creativity is developed through discipline, training, and apprenticeship is up to each individual. But everyone has creativity because God is the great Creator, and we are His image. As Deborah Huebsch notes in this week's lead article, "God is the great Artist." And each of us derives our artistic qualities from this only source, God.

Artist Edna Hibel says that painting for her is "like breathing." And isn't that what creativity is all about—the "breathing in," or the inspiration, of spiritual beauty? Actress Georgia Engel notes that she has found through her long career in the world of entertainment that spiritual qualities can always shine through. So, in whatever discipline, in whatever country—whether we're creative gardeners, fishermen, bakers, or tennis players—each of us can experience what writer Akuyoe Graham tells us that she finds in the music and dance of her native Ghana—the joy and celebration of life. Welcome to our celebration of the creative spirit!

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Letters
letters
June 30, 2003
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit