Resistance against creativity has filled my whole life,
My offences have been countless and painful.
Rationality has rebuked me,
friends have admonished me,
the example of others has reproached me,
your freedom has terrified me,
your treasures evade me.
You have seen and abhorred all my fears and
could easily have forsaken me,
yet you cling to me,
been gracious to me,
given me your help,
invited me to your table.
Now, I thankfully obey your call,
accept your goodness
surrender to your invitations.
I believe that you, creativity have many rewards.
I ask for your benefits.
give up my mind implicitly to your instructions,
trust and revel in your wonder,
revere and accept your calling,
pray that you will enrich my life.
I will not love a world that crucifies you,
nor cherish nor endure the critic that puts you to grief,
nor suffer you to be wounded by others.
So let me be what I am,
do as well as dream,
live as well as feel
creativity.
11 responses to “A Creative’s Lament”
You showed a lot of creativity in this post. This is a great reminder for everyone to acknowledge their creativity, let it out and progress. It is sad that some people don’t know they have it. Sometimes what I can do surprises me. Thank you for this inspiring post.
Wow, Lori. Wow!! We creatives need to validate each other every opportunity we have. We receive it so little from others.
Randy,
You validate my heart with your words and your art. It is strange you should send this to my inbox today, just now. I just sent the following to a close friend of mine in an email:
I continue to write here and there. Essays, or chunks of thoughts that might one day become a book. I don’t know. I really wish God would not have made me this way if He had no intention of setting me loose to be who I am, and flourish in that. I am not a desk worker at a hotel. That is not in my heart to do. He made me to be driven to follow my deepest desires to be creative and to have that mean something to someone else’s life. So far, it has not been manifested. For that I am always frustrated and confused. To quit; to give in and surrender to the pressure to be a drone is the same as death for me.
I somehow think the results of creativity are celebrated by all, but the process of creativity is shunned–especially in a system that wants to control rather than empower. So, those who create are treated well if they can mask who they are and how that plays out in the process of creating. What this means is we are accepted for an end, and refused for the means to that end. All the dreaming is a waste, never celebrated or acknowledged.
So true. Rich. Truer words have never been spoken. Thanks.
Um. Wow you both just helped explain myself to me and many others. This explains alot to me and I will make sure to forward it on to my family and wife. This blog and these comments will help me so much.
Thanks, Derek. That really makes writing this worthwhile!
I’m surprised at how many Christians fear creativity. Sometimes we worship the Creator while not realizing that creativity is one way of following in His image.
Exactly, Amy. Exactly. Can I hear an Amen?
What’s interesting. What drives me. Is that creativity is a gift. Yet we tend not to treat it as such.
Our ideas, inspirations and impulses arrive. Then pass through us. One minute – nothing. The next minute – aha! And either we receive it and pass it on. Or we don’t. Our choice.
We can’t take responsibility for our creativity. But we must take responsibility for our openess to receiving it. And our discipline in using it.
She’s a challenging lover, creativity. And we don’t deserve her love and attention.
But it’s the tension within this relationship from which truth and beauty can emerge. And it’s the tension that changes us as Creatives.
After all, our relationship with creativity is what creates (and recreates) us.
Powerful thoughts, Keith! “But it’s the tension within this relationship from which truth and beauty can emerge. And it’s the tension that changes us as Creatives.” Wow! Thanks for enriching this conversation.