Although we may not readily appreciate what some modern artists are trying to say to us, we should not shrug them off, since many are trying to put into communicable form concepts and images difficult to communicate in traditional forms. Modern man has certainly pushed forward mentally into new fields, so that we can expect to see expressed in contemporary art new forms we may not readily comprehend. And, without doubt, the effort to learn to appreciate new forms is rewarding. Creative artists often work with thought-expanding concepts and so extend and broaden their grasp on original thought. They are, often without knowing it, working with spiritual ideas, which to a degree they convey humanly through form, outline, color. The artist works to make these ideas visible humanly.

In my own experience, as I have developed both as an artist and as a Christian Scientist, my work has become much more abstract but closer to the basic elements of design—showing structure, proportion, geometric forms, forces, and directions. I am more aware of the intrinsic beauty of color against color, line crossing line, and the rhythm of forms as if they were notes of music. I find that through the flexible medium of abstract or semi-abstract painting, I can speak about the harmony and variety of things, and particularly my joy in them, which I could not as freely find means to express in the more traditional forms of representational painting. The possibilities in the field of the abstract forms of modern art are enthralling and virtually infinite.

Creativity, originality, and expansive thought belong to all men. Because they derive from God and man is His reflection, they are common property, and there are no barriers or boundaries to keep them from anyone. Each individual has these qualities to use.

Originality and creativity belong to adults as naturally as they belong to small children, who are unaware of having them and use them unselfconsciously in learning as well as in play. By these means they grasp ideas that are new to them. Seeing children learn and express themselves freely sometimes makes me wonder what seems to hold adults back. "I'm not creative. I don't have any fresh ideas." Isn't this feeling simply mortal consciousness admitting that it has no intelligence, no creativity, and no light? This same nonintelligence, nonman, truly says, "I am inhibited, I am not creative, my ideas are stereotyped," or even, "I can't remember ever having had a creative idea in my life."

Being the reflection of God, His image, man, is the compound idea of Mind. Man has intelligence because God, his cause, is Mind. And we are receptive of thoughts from God. Christ Jesus, the greatest exponent of God's man that we know on earth, said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." ^{John 5:19;}

Man, the real spiritual man that each of us is, is in tune with Spirit, knowing only the brilliance, magnificence, and originality of the all-knowing Mind. God, Spirit, Mind, knows continuously, and all the thoughts, all the ideas that Mind has, are pure, clear, intelligent, and radiant with spiritual truth. They are spiritual ideas living in the spiritual atmosphere or realm of Spirit. These ideas never become dull, never include mistakes or imperfection, never die or become useless. They are eternal, immortal.

The realization that we are spiritual beings created by God helps us see and appreciate God's spiritual universe. Understanding and appreciating Spirit is a magnificent adventure. The spiritual ideas we see and grasp expand and glow, continuously throwing light into our consciousness.

Students of Christian Science, creative artists, and inventors are, in some ways, treading parallel paths. They are all dealing with thoughts and concepts, thoughts that, as far as they are constructive, derive ultimately from Mind. People pursuing creative and original lines of thought find that the use or discovery of one new concept leads to another. Those who are involved in appreciating, analyzing, pursuing, and grasping new thoughts are utilizing capabilities that stem from Mind, divine Life. Many of these people will tell you that they love life, they are not bored, and the most common problem they have is organizing their time to follow through on all the projects that occur to them!

Mrs. Eddy, who discovered that the infinite universe of spiritual ideas (which Christ Jesus knew intimately) is here right now, writes, "As mortals gain more correct views of God and man, multitudinous objects of creation, which before were invisible, will become visible." In the next paragraph she continues, "Spirit and its formations are the only realities of being. Matter disappears under the microscope of Spirit." ^{Science and Health, p. 264.}

Each one of us has his own unique view of Spirit's creation to uncover. The challenge is a divinely mental one; the objects that Spirit creates are ideas, real and tangible to spiritualized human consciousness. As we discover something of how Principle operates, unifying and holding in orderly harmony all the diversity of Spirit's formations, we become inspired by the magnificence of it and find ways of communicating our individual view to others. Our human life becomes our unique pursuit of an adventure with Mind's life-giving ideas.