At what age did your creativity come the easiest? During childhood, I remember finger painting as a preschooler, designing and sewing doll clothes when my fingers became more dexterous and my desire to emulate my mom and older sister was strong. I remember making up puppet shows, plays, games and stories with our favorite baby-sitter. When I was a teenager, I found my home in speech, theater and music. My niche in high school was being one of the “creative kids.” But everyone is creative, aren’t they? We just may not know it or claim it.
When did your creativity become the most difficult? Creativity is most difficult for me when I am tired, grieving or overwhelmed. Yet I believe that using my creativity or at least my playfulness is the best way out of exhaustion, grief or overwhelm.
Where are the moments in our daily lives when we could break out in song, play with colors, do a little happy dance, write a kind message, throw some different ingredients together for supper? Where are the moments in our daily lives when we could stop plodding through tasks and play with our to-do list?
Artists, woodworkers, poets, and parents are makers. To make something, we use our creativity. Everyone makes a life, so everyone is creative. M.C. Richards wrote, “All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life.” May we encourage one another in our big art of life!
Yours,
Dena
Rev. Dena McPhetres, Associate Minister