Creators! Let’s Create!
I went to church with my grandsons on Sunday. This was the first time the church was fully opened since the pandemic began. Opened, with the exception of limited seating that was maxed out and distanced. What amused me the most was when we walked up to the front doors, tables were set up outside with these bowls of wrist bands on them. Each color had a specific meaning for each one’s social desires: Red = “So glad to be here, but please keep a safe distance”; Yellow = “Ready to chat but prefer not touch”; Green = “Ready for hugs & handshakes”. I’m sure introverts loved the red ones; the non-huggers, the yellow ones; and, the social butterflies, the green ones.
I liked that creativity. I also appreciated the thoughtful way the rows of chairs were spaced a good distance apart with two seats between families. Creativity seems to have been a major plus during these times. Sometimes a crisis becomes a strong driver of creativity and innovation. We’ve witnessed it on many levels – families who became creative within their family dynamics – more outdoors activities, indoor games, creative projects and creativity and innovation at national, state and in educational levels here at the start of another school year.
Anyone who spends time on social media has probably noticed that hidden between the political rants and Covid fears are more interesting posts sharing someone’s latest craft-work, recipe, a talent being shown off, or a Facebook Live inspirational talk or some other kind of hilarious situation – many of which have gone viral. Most represent small, but important moments of creativity. I’ve seen many of my friends completing jigsaw puzzles. One couple was so creative that the 1,000-piece puzzles became an opportunity. When they placed a piece, they would offer up a prayer. 1,000 pieces meant 1,000 prayers.
The examples of everyday imagination we see on our timeline may not strike us as creative-with-a-capital-C. Clever family photos, meme creations, or Zoom singalongs may not be the best-of-talents, but we can’t let comparison diminish their value. If creativity is a light, it does not have an on/off switch. My view is that creativity has a dimmer switch, growing from a tiny bit creative to a little creative to creative enough to light up the whole room. I’ve seen that in the way my own family has come up with creative work spaces for school and work projects and backgrounds for videos.
The truth is we are ALL creators because we were made in the image of OUR Creator. Erwin McManus says: “Creativity should be an everyday experience — as common as breathing. We breathe, therefore we create.” We can take the beauty of creativity to another level in the way we treat others — by the way we speak to them and creating environments for them — conducive to turning darkness to light, animosity to tenderness and kindness, hatred to love and sadness to joy!
So, CREATORS!!! Let’s CREATE!!! Let’s get our “creative” juices flowing and start creating beauty and life with OUR words AND actions! Wouldn’t it be great if we could look at OUR creations, and, like God, say, “It is very good!” (Genesis 1:31)