CREATIVITY … is a practice in hope. When things go wrong, if we can make something from it or if we can imagine a day when God will make things better, then we have hope that sorrow is not the last word.
– Carol Lakey Hess and Marie Hess
“Creativity Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens
(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)
Sorrow is a common experience these days. Whether it’s on the pages of the newspaper, or the flesh of our hearts, I think more people encounter sorrow than happiness. And when "happiness" is lifted as the supreme goal of life, then we meet many disappointed people.
Creativity is a rare practice these days. Competence seems to have taken over the market share of our energies. Of course, the ability to be critical and even cynical is thrown into the mix. But for me, creativity is indeed a practice of hope, because it directs the eyes to the future, to what is possible, to what can happen. Hope is so crucial these days. We’re not talking about some ill-informed illusion or lies, which deceive us and distract us from reality, we’re focusing on what REALLY is possible, and slowly see it ACTUALIZED! 🙂
That’s why sorrow, criticism, and cynicism can never be the last word. We mustn’t ignore them or silence them. I believe honest assessment is a must. Denial is cancerous in the long run.But, the chemotherapy of sorrow and critical engagement overdose can kill us too! That’s why I strongly believe in the hopeful potential found in creativity. I get the sense intuitively many of us feel it too, and we observe it’s fruits in the sketchy picture of a young child on a blank piece of paper. I discover it daily when Elysia remixed, improvises and even composes her own tunes. 🙂 She keeps me focused on my imagination.
Things will go wrong, bumps on the head are our staple diet, and tears are never too far away. So, it’s not denying all those facts. It’s just, there seems to be more beyond the mistakes, after the headaches and when the boxes of tissues are finished.