The power of creativity is beyond words. When a watercolorist places a brush to paper, an oil painter to canvas, a sculptor’s fingers touch clay, a pianist touches keys; when a boat maker sands, a flutist mouth the reed, a violinist sets her bow to string, or a writer lets his mind wander, the world vanishes.
We are in the thick of a serious season, of course – one in which even creative souls might pause to note, laying aside their brush, wheel, sandpaper, flute, violin, or pen – time to vote. But the opposite is also true, and could be you, as it is me. Much as the times make a heartache, we must create.
To some, this will sound like sacrilege, turning off 24-hour news, another podcast, the blue screen, imagining the world could go on without our monitoring it, minute by minute, tragedy by tragedy.
But new to me, as it may be to you, every time I try this, I find it true: The world does not need us, does not stop without our tremulous eyes, occasional outbursts, more common inbursts, outrage at new worsts. It goes on just as well without us, and as often we do without it, at least from where I sit.
So, what about this creativity thing? When we create, we consciously or unconsciously depart all the distractions of the world’s senselessness, things which roil us and lie beyond our power to correct – and in some rather-hard-to-explain-way, we rediscover ourselves, we rewire, reconnect.
If this sounds too soft and squishy for those of us who also split wood, use saws and hammers, and like to think we are beyond the creative pull, my discovery is …not really. Creativity is an everyone thing.
Creativity can be building something, fixing something, creatively rethinking, redesigning, and then miraculously making what we imagined; it can be reorganizing chairs, tables, books, or cooking, replacing pictures on a wall, down a hall, painting the room, buffing the floor, turning old into more.
Of course, it can be taking out the old slide whistle, harmonica, recorder, Jewish harp, or fiddle, maybe plinking on dusty keys, or maybe finishing an old project, rock wall, carving, knitting, crocheting, expanding a deck, reorienting a garden, on the lighter side, making a castle of sand, fort of snow, bringing whimsy wherever you go.
In a formal sense, it might be visiting a craft store, recalling colored beads on a string, putting pencil to paper, ornaments made for Christmas, eggs colored at Easter, painting a birdhouse, or tray for breakfast in bed, assembling a mobile or model, baking a holiday specialty, crazy bread, cake, or candy. It is about remembering how to be a child, at peace with originality, risk, humble, and handy.
Being creative can mean arranging flowers, varnishing old furniture, caning a rocker, using pastels or acrylics to give flowers drawn some color, penning a poem, and stacking wood in some poetic way. You think I am kidding, but I have seen wood piles in the shape of hearts, animals, fish, and faces.
In short, whenever we stop, look out a window, think about doing something creative, take the first step toward it, and begin to do it, we escape the often deadening, repetitive, burdening if not boring replay of much we already know, to explore something new, something we do not know.
What is more, the minute you put brush to paper, the very second you do it, you are elsewhere, and with each brush stroke, pencil, pen, pastel, or ink line, each exploration, experiment, a risk taken on some design is freeing, opens a door, leaves behind a world that is no more.
Family and friends have done this all their lives, and so – from afar – I have watched in utter wonder as they sketch, paint, silkscreen, admire the beauty in rocks, teach the art of art, help others learn to loosen up, disengage from the stress, and just draw – in awe.
Others tickle the ivories, pick up a trumpet, smile playing something on an instrument I could never dream of playing, build something silly from stones, doodle, and noodle and smile, their face light.
To me, this is an oft-missed part of life, one that brings home the bacon, lifts the heart, helps us sleep better, smile more, laugh at ourselves, and creates a new start. Creativity is a gift we all have, in one form or another, at the stove, canvas, keys, what you please.
Creativity is that welcome break from tension and monotony, an instant escape from the serious, an experiment with what is not, and a way to have a happy night, which is why I write. That said, the power of creativity is beyond words, can mend a soul, lighten a life, absorb our full attention, and banish strife. It can do this for anyone because creativity is God’s gift to us all, a simple thing worth recalling.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
Love this article. Music has often carried me away. Some times writing absorbed me. When I was younger I figured out that if I kept my home in order, and did that first thing, then I was free to let the creativity flow. Not much piano, but my very amateur guitar took me places, and put a back ground to the christian lyrics that were given so freely. Music and writing often go together to create songs. I even hoped to have space to encourage the creativity of others in our neighborhood, but that dream was sacrificed to the work day world. Until work and steady income kept me away, and consumed my time, that was my experience. Creativity is the force that makes every day life endurable. Creativity is the driver behind innovative invention that improves what is otherwise unendurable. Bravo, Robert B. Charles
The Power of Creativity — As you wrote in the last sentence RBC “… creativity is God’s gift to us all..” The ability , the strength realized when the creative power is underway is surely a positive mindset . And it is good that creativity can be applied to so many endeavors . It adds to our sense of purpose in this life . Words to describe the feeling of creativity can vary depending on the circumstances . Thinking about that idea brings to mind using the right words when writing or speaking — how creativity can make the communication clear and understandable and that is very important. Thinking in geometric terms can aid the creative process ,often picturing a situation that makes sense does much to expand the idea of the creative idea. Mathematics can be understood better if there is some creativity involved . Again , the ability to picture something that is understandable . It can provide a sense of enjoyment to something that had been tiresome . And it has a way just plain making life better all around.
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As a visual artist (painting, drawing, sculpture, writing, but also a love for music but not great accomplishment with music) I have found that other “artists” “get it”. I “get” what you have expressed in this article. I belong to an art guild of individuals who are, or nearly are, retired… When we get acquainted with a new member, they almost always express their drivenness to create in their chosen medium. We who are listening, nod our heads in understanding, and bid them a sincere “welcome”. Since I made up my mind to pursue my lifelong desire to paint in 2017 (the “itch” hit me hard long before that but I wasn’t in position to yield to the “itch” before that) I have discovered the peace and JOY which comes from creating… We ARE made in the image of our Creator God, therefore we are little creators in our own right. I praise and thank God daily for the gift he has given me. I paint better than I ever expected to be able to do. It came when I surrendered to it. No more believing or yielding to the mantra “there’s no money in art…”. It isn’t about the money. It’s about the satisfaction and joy… and being true to the gifts and passions that God instilled in me before birth. Thank You, Father God.
C.S. Lewis has discussed the idea that humans were never meant to bear the burdens of the entire world. He did not read the daily paper or concern himself overly much with things going on in other corners of the world. He said, essentially, that it exhausted himself, drained himself of the energy he needed to deal with HIS current and present reality. He was all for self-sacrifice and lived what he preached, but burning attention and energy on stuff he had no influence over was not his cup of tea, or his recommendation. We must engage our society and politics and culture, but we must also have self-care and connection with what and whom God created our self to be.
Thank you Robert Charles for expressing so eloquently the creative perspective.
I love doing devotions and lessons for my church, I get on my computer, turn on some focus music, and let my imagination go to work. That’s not all though. I’m a gym rat and personal trainer who teaches classes and watch folks improve their health. Then there’s camping, fishing, (not enough) and reading. All of these take my mind off things I can’t do anything about anyway.