On Mining Creative Gold: An adventure to our true selves

During 2020, I took up an artist’s brush and never looked back. But I can’t help but wonder why it took me so long to discover my artistic bent.

Seasons?

We all have seasons defined by what we do, like being a child, a student, a newlywed, a parent, an employee, an empty nester, a retiree. Our expectations and desires center around these roles we play and are less about who we are. As a God-designed person, we each have unique gifts and callings. As we begin to flow in our design, our true selves come into focus.

Only through an intimate relationship with the one true God can we discover our design and become free enough to flourish in it. This took me almost a lifetime to work out, but God is doing a new thing.

Don’t wait another second to pursue him!

Freedom is right around the corner.

When one of us becomes free, a fire is lit for others. If I, after sixty plus years, can explore more deeply the design God intended, SO CAN YOU.

 The pull to paint has been incredibly strong. So much so that at 67 years old I pursued formal art training at Milan Art Institute. As a writer most of my life, I shelved my words and didn’t know if I’d ever take them down. Could God blend the paintings and the words?

He did…and he is.

I paint where my heart leads. Then I wait on God for the words. I love that others are connecting with both! The testimonials on this website touch my heart deeply because they demonstrate how God is ministering to people. What more could I desire? I’m not looking to build an empire or conquer new worlds; I simply want to serve the Kingdom of God and paint the way toward freedom.

I’m fascinated with the power of the brush to convey truth, wonder, and delight. The rest of my life will be devoted to exploring this divine dance between brush strokes and words.

So how do you mine your creative gold?

1. Discover your brand of creativity. Recognize how God has wired you. All of us, regardless of bent toward science, arts, math, language, music, technology, etc. are designed to be creative. Creating is not limited to the arts! Scientific inventions, technological advancements, medical cures – all require creativity.

2. Explore new endeavors. Tune into your desires and be willing to fail. A desire to paint was birthed in me before I ever picked up a paintbrush. When I watched others create, I was drawn to try that. I started dreaming about colors and paints. Listen to your heart and be willing to explore. Be a beginner. Your passion will keep you seeking, learning, and growing as your gift matures. Who knows where it will lead?!

3. Challenge yourself to be honest. Do you know what you want? “Honor your design and image-bearing identify enough to be honest about what you want.” – Emily P. Freeman, The Next Right Thing. Write your desires down. Begin to pray about these daily.

4. Pursue intimacy with God. True creativity blossoms when we draw close to our Creator. He retools us from the inside out, forging a fire-hot passion for that which he designed us to do. He unleashes us to become his masterpiece, his poetry in motion.

5. Journey to freedom with Jesus. When our lives become a holy quest, the rainbow’s end always equals freedom. Freedom releases our unique design, and our unique design leads to joyful creative expression. This is my story.

 

Your unique design is needed in the world. Let’s mine creative gold together!