Go and Create!
A Reflection by Christine Jurisich
I used to think I was not a creative person. Creative people were artists who painted and made beautiful pieces of art with their hands. That is not me. Yet through the years, as I grow deeper in awareness of God as Creator and God’s Grace as an invitation to co-create, I see creativity in a broader way.
I have come to understand creativity as an invitation to let God be God in me. I AM creative. YOU are creative. We are all called to be creative in our unique ways.
Connecting with your creativity is about opening the door to allow this Creator God to be The Creator in you. Unleash. Hold nothing back. Be undeniably you. All of you. And see what happens.
Connect with Creation
God is Creator of all that is good. Take inspiration from everything around you: sky, sun, moon, grass, trees, flowers, birds, and butterflies. Notice the tiniest ant crawling near your feet. Recognize the rhythm, patterns, and seasons; an evolution and cycle of life in plants, animals, the environment, and humans. Note the synchronicity and interdependence. How can this interconnectedness inspire you to take your place in the world in a new way? Be creative with your answer.
Connect with the Creator in Prayer
Experiment and seek new ways to pray, especially if you have difficulty finding time to pray or being still while you pray. Try something new. Be creative. How might God be wanting to uniquely communicate with you? Some expressions of love, sadness, gratitude, regret, and joy cannot be brought forth with words while talking or journaling with God. Coloring, movement, and music can reach those hidden places within your heart and soul—places you had no idea needed to be touched, named, nurtured, and released.
Involve your senses.
Open yourself to experience God’s grace in a new way. Walk outside. Be attentive to every smell. Where I live, I have been able to do this since the flowers began to bloom. It has become my walk of gratitude. Use your sense of taste. Slowly and mindfully enjoy a piece of fruit in season. Eat your breakfast with attention to texture and sensation. Allow that to be your morning prayer of gratitude for all who contributed. Listen to music. Experience a new genre if music is already part of your life. Walk barefoot. Notice how the grass, dirt, sidewalk, or sand feels on your skin.
Connect with Your Vulnerability
Creativity takes root in your vulnerability. When trying something new, allow yourself to be honest, open, raw, and real. Voicing a creative solution at work, sharing a poem you wrote, cooking a new meal for friends, creating a prayer ritual for a lost loved one, and finding a new way to pray can feel risky. You worry: What will people think? Or What will God think? Be gentle with yourself as you tenderly listen and then tell those voices to go away. Do not let fear get in the way of allowing your True Self to shine. Let the Creator God—who lives and breathes within you—freely live and breathe in you and through you. Deep in the place of vulnerability, openness, rawness, and humbleness is the invitation to co-create with the Divine.
Co-Create with God
Co-creating with God is not saying you are on the same level as God. Co-creating is agreeing to be the hands of Christ here on earth. In order for God to be a Creator God in you, you must cooperate. Partner with the God of Creation. Think up new ideas. Intentionally enter into this co-creating relationship. Give your daring yes and God will open your heart, mind, and eyes to see, taste, smell, touch, feel, and know in different ways. New ideas will stir inside of you.
These new ideas and thoughts may seem uncomfortable, wild, and even daring. Listen. Give them free space to roam around in your head and heart. Just because they are there does not mean you have to act on them. Nor that you need to, or even should. That is not the goal. The purpose is to let them be free. Give them space to wander. With time and space, you can discover which ideas and thoughts are worth turning into reality. Do not rush. Stay in this free space of exploration and discovery for as long as you wish. Get comfortable in this open space of the heart and see what surfaces. Perhaps it will be. . .
A new painting
poem
book
garden
song
New energy to place fresh flowers on your kitchen table and…
paint your bedroom
feel hopeful again
find a new home
seek different job
An open, more spacious place in your heart for…
a new way to mourn
a new way to heal
a new way to forgive
a new way to love yourself
a new way to be with a challenging family member
a new way to talk to yourself
a new way to communicate with God
Reflect on Your Creative Heart
How does tapping into your creativity help your prayer life? In what ways can it enhance your relationship with God?
Which, if any, creative practices do you already use in your prayer life?
How do you want your creative side to be recognized in your faith life or play a bigger role in your prayer life and relationship with God?
As the weather warms up, give yourself time to awaken the creative spirit within you. Create… co-create with the God of creation. Be open to the courageous, beautiful, and fruitful journey. Let it be an experience that opens all of your senses. Allow your creativity to flow with God’s grace and your uniqueness. Go co-create.
Listen to this reflection on YouTube
Share in a Sacred Circle
The second full week of the month, we offer three drop-in Sacred Circles on Zoom and two in person. It is a chance to share the monthly reflection in a safe and welcoming environment. You never have to share more than you want to share. Look for an invitation with the Zoom link on the Monday of the week’s sessions. Learn more here.
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How does creativity play a role in your faith? What is your reaction to this reflection?
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