Pen to Paper

Photo by Chris Gladis

I recently read an inspiring blog post entitled “Creativity – Where is the On Switch?” by V. Furnas of Life 4 Me By Me.   The author of this post writes that she derives creativity from driving.  Roadtrips are her inspiration.

Naturally, I turned her thought-provoking questions about the source of creativity back on myself.  How am I inspired to be creative?  One thing in particular immediately came to mind:

Rain.  Something about rainfall sparks my creativity, putting me in the mood to write, or paint, or compose.  You know that hush that sneaks up on you right before a good rain?  Everything gets quiet, like the world is holding its breath, waiting for the downpour.  And then it comes – loud, pounding rain, drumming overhead.  Those moments remind me of a quote from the movie Little Women, in which Jo says, “Late at night my mind would come alive with voices and stories and friends as dear to me as any in the real world.  I gave myself up to it, longing for transformation.” 

Thankfully, my creativity is not restricted to the weather alone.  I’ve found that it is largely derived from the little things in life, like the way glass reflects sunlight, or a conversation I just happen to overhear, or  a singular expression I see on someone else's face.  Those small moments are capable of influencing an entire work of art. 

V. Furnas writes that “creativity is not some random magical gift bestowed on the few.  It is the result of the winning combination of environment, experience and skill.”  Everyone is capable of finding their own unique form of creativity.  Blogger Sonya McCllough also shares her own insights on this topic, stating that the human race was created in the image of God and is subsequently endowed with creativity.  We are a creative race by birthright.  Step outside and take a look at the world around you – can you imagine a greater artist than the one who created the earth and sky?

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