creativity as imgo dei

A few years ago I would not have chosen to describe myself as creative. I think our educational systems give us creative labatomies at about the age of 12. We are not encouraged to think or draw outside the lines. I have been recently regaining some of my creative memory and imagination. I have been discovering in myself, in scripture and in community with others that all people are creative for that is one of the essential ways that we image God. God is creative and we are all therefore creative people due to the reality of us bearing and reflecting God's image, DNA and reflection. Francis Schaefer in his comments on art and the Bible said, "we never find an animal, non-human, making a work of art. On the other hand, we never find anyone anywhere in the world or in any culture in the world who does not produce art. Creativity is a part of the distinction between human and non-human. All people are to some degree creative. Creativity is intrinsic to our humanity."

I am not an artist but I am creative. I love to cook. Ask my wife I can make a sandwich out of anything left-over in the frig. As my kids I can make some incredibly tasty and creative smoothies. I love to write poetry and am getting better at that. I just got a new digital camera and am looking forward to playing with that. I like to take old, discarded things and make them new. I am turning an old door into a coffee table right now. And most of all I believe that my preaching is creative. The spoken word ought never be without imagination and creativity.

Once agiain from Francis Schaefer, "No work of art is more important than the Christian's own life, and every Christian is called upon to be an artist in this sense. She may have no gift of writing, no gift of composing or singing, but each person has the gift of creativity in terms of the way he lives his life. In this sense, the Christian's life is to be an art work. The Christian's life is to be a thing of truth and also a thing of beauty in the midst of a lost and despairing world."

It is not a question of whether one is creative or not it is question of what you are doing to nurture and develop your creativity. Investing it burying it?