The Core of Creativity

Last night I taught my final Creative Writing class of the summer at the church. Five weeks have passed since I embarked on this new adventure. I've taught the Bible and theology and spiritual discipline but never a creative subject like writing. As I approached the course, I didn't even feel remotely qualified to teach the subject. I despised English classes in high school and college and have run away from good grammar ever since. Sometimes I read books. Sometimes. Rarely do I finish a book. In fact, last night I stared at my foot-high bedside stack of books and just sighed. I've started every one over the past two years. Been neglecting each ever since. I read a lot of magazine and newspaper articles every day, though.

One thing I love is a good story. You know, hero or heroine battles dragon or pirate, with adventure, suspense and the sort. Maybe that's why I find myself drawn to movies and music, history and legend. My imagination can hardly contain its excitement when I hear the Marty Robbins ballads "El Paso"and "Big Iron" or when my eyes marvel at "Forrest Gump" or "Lord of the Rings." I wish I was talented enough to write such marvelous stories and maybe someday I'll come close. Maybe not. Back in the day I used to tell stories in my newspaper columns and I've relayed a tale or two via e-mail, blog and journal, but I've never finished writing that "great American novel" every writer dreams of penning.

Teaching creative writing was a wonderful experience not because of my own skill but because of my students. I had a good class size for the subject. Not too many, not too few. They were all able to share and do the assignments and laugh along with me. And they were all very creative, even if they didn't think they were!

Last night I closed the course with an observation about creativity made by songwriter, author and Bible teacher Michael Card. Michael sees creativity as being a response to God and not something that originates within us. We don't cause creativity to happen, he wrote in his book, Scribbling in the Sand, just like we don't cause worship to happen. Worship comes as a response to who God is and what he has done. So it is with being creative. We create because we were created. And we were made in the image of our Creator. So our expressions of creativity, like worship, are responses to God's person and work. So we should, as followers of His, be active in creating not because we think we're talented and awesome and such but instead because it's a response of praise and worship towards our Creator.

Interesting, eh?

But I don't think art (creativity's physical expression) has to be "biblical" to bring praise to our Creator. It doesn't have to include a cross or folded hands or a Bible character. As musician and author Charlie Peacock notes, "Everything God created is good. Therefore, everywhere and everything should be the subject matter of the lyrics Christians write (and art they create, I add). Christians should speak to what they know, and what they know should represent every aspect of creation." He does add a caveat, though, in the recognition that the arts, like the rest of creation, is fallen and subject to the twisted darkness of sin. As a result there is a lot of unholy art in this world. But if the Christian reflects a kingdom mindset (all is God's) when they go about the work of creating then it will glorify our Creator.

Makes me want to go out and create!

— Be God's!

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