My Corner Online

1. Creativity Must Implode From Within

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[Doodle by Tara at Doodle Through the Bible; This devotion and doodles are our Christmas gift to you and we pray God bless you richly.]

Here I sit. I am tasked with writing devotions with a journey theme for an Advent booklet for church. I cannot seem to get in the Christmas mood in September, although I am reminded that Christmas is every day. Pastor Mark is sending me deadline reminder notices. The words will not flow onto the paper. Here I sit. I am reminded that creativity cannot be forced. I end up with creative anxiety. As much as I would like to force it, it does not happen that way. When I am overwhelmed, my creativity is zapped and I just want to sit in a chair and stare at a meaningless television. I think I'm giving myself a break that will help, but in actuality, it just prolongs the creative anxiety.

Again, creativity cannot be forced. Creativity must implode from within. I am quoting myself. I’ve learned this lesson many times. When I allow external forces of life to dwell up inside me until it collapses and falls inward into my soul, it spills outward. When life happens, such as the pressure of writing this devotional, I break down. I fall apart within. I collapse inward. It is in these moments that what flows out is that which most touches others. But what is inside me that is making it happen? It is the “Helper, the Holy Spirit” (John 14:26) that dwells inside me. (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Creativity is nothing I do. Creativity is something God does. Stop forcing it. Let God do it. Self, just sit down, put your fingers on the keyboard, and start typing your thoughts. Self, turn this task over to God. So it is done and this is what I wrote.