I've been hearing and learning a lot about the divine gift of creativity lately. This week I got the chance to watch the BYU dance devotional, which focused on creation as an expression of love. The whole presentation got me thinking: Why is creativity so important?
I've often struggled to think of myself as a creative person. I've never been the type who is very good at crafts, design, decorating, or scrap-booking. I've never taken a dance class in my life, and when it comes to drawing and painting, even producing a recognizable stick figure can sometimes be a challenge for me. Sewing is not my forte, and my photography skills have never been worthy of display beyond the galleries of my Instagram feed. It's sometimes been difficult for me to be surrounded by creative women who seem to spontaneously be able to produce beautiful and wonderful things, while I struggle to even draw a straight line with the aid of a ruler.All joking aside, I, like most of us, have always felt a drive to create, but have struggled to find an outlet that fits my interests and abilities. At times I've felt inadequate, especially when the creation of beautiful things has been so closely associated with womanhood and femininity.
What I've come to realize is that beautiful and powerful things can be created in many ways. The drive that I feel to create doesn't necessarily have to be channeled through traditionally “creative” outlets. There is no form of creativity that is inherently more "feminine" than others. Creation can take place in art, singing, dance, writing, or music; in scientific studies, in family history research, in cooking, in engineering projects, in missionary work, or in rock-climbing. Creativity may take the form of a new coding system for keeping your scripture study organized. It may come as you find new ways to train for a triathlon. Creativity is the core of any endeavor that produces progress.
Our capacity to create can have an eternally significant influence on our lives and the lives of others. The power to create that is a part of each of us can be a source of healing. There is an amazing talk by Mary Ellen Smoot, entitled “We Are Creators,” that sums it up better than I can. Sister Smoot says, “If you are unhappy, if you are feeling weary, troubled, or disillusioned, may I ask you to try something? Instead of dwelling on your troubles, focus instead on creating something remarkable, something of eternal significance. Nurture a testimony, strengthen a relationship, write a family history, go to the temple, serve.”
Creativity is a part of who we each are as divine offspring of Heavenly Parents. Just like not all siblings inherit the exact same features from their earthly parents, the way we show the creativity we've inherited from our Heavenly Parents can manifest itself in different ways. Finding something you truly love and then nurturing it, improving it, beautifying it, or seeing it in a new light can help you to understand who you are in the Creator's eyes.
P.S.
Article by Jessica Croft
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