Let’s talk about creativity, and cut straight to the chase:

You are creative.

You are creative, because your Heavenly Father says you are. You are creative, because He’s made you in His Image and Likeness. And who is He? He’s Creator. So, the created is also gifted the ability to create.

Authentic creating requires the soul to be seen, because it’s an overflow of the heart. Even if you’re not dishing the details of your ex-boyfriend from high school, parts of your heart become revealed that maybe you haven’t brought into the light yet. It’s kind of scary.

Whether you’re writing, painting, or simply sitting outside imagining, creativity puts us in touch with ourselves. Divorced from the act of creating, we are depriving ourselves of a function of the human person. When a thing doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, we call it broken, right?

Think about when you were little. You were constantly creating. Whether it was drawing or coloring or making up stories with your dolls, your creativity was not stunted yet by the shame that came from rejection. What if…that rejection was what the lie was all along? And growing up did not have to mean giving up the freedom of creating?

You are not broken, dear heart, even if you’ve forgotten the exercise of creativity. What I would propose, however, is a return to your childlike heart, spilled out in creativity. Children are inspired by all of the mundane; they’re inspired by the stories around them. They’re inspired by the bigness of the world.

Even as we may already be immersed in the world’s bigness, and perhaps we’ve found it to be less glamorous and forgiving than we would have liked, we can receive Heaven’s intention, which is our reality: that this whole world is one big love letter to you, from your Father, who loves you with everything He is.

When we see the world as He intended for it to be (which is how it actually is), then we are endlessly inspired with wonder and awe, and it’s ridiculously healing. Creativity requires that we spend time with Him, to know His heart for us, and to receive all He is. Propelled by this beauty, we don’t view our hearts and creative musings with suspicion or criticism; we create knowing that we have a place, and a role, in the overarching plan of God.

You know what else creativity requires? That you would trade perfectionism for beauty. That you would get your hands messy again, and stop being afraid of the worms that pop up in mud pies. That you create without a thought as to who this will be seen by, and what they will say.

Creativity first and foremost starts between you and the Lover of your soul, and He is endlessly pleased with you.

From there, if you do any sort of public creativity, it is necessary that you are grounded in Him. Because, dear heart, regardless of how big your following is, you will be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Your freedom will threaten the security that other people have in their own insecurity and woundedness. Darkness hates light, and when we create from light, we threaten darkness.

I’m a big fan of people having blogs, because it gets out of your head that you need certain qualifications to use your voice. Maybe you’re a writer, maybe you’re something else, but don’t be afraid of having your heart seen.

Confidence is scary, isn’t it? Because it’s like: what if I’m wrong to be confident? What if I’m wrong about these truths about myself? But here’s the deal: you’re going to be wrong, and creativity is messy (finger painting, anyone?). I look back over the last four years of my blog, and my temptation is to cringe at some of my old blog posts. I don’t think that’s the correct response, though–

Because I can celebrate my whole process, my whole imperfection, my healing journey, and all that is in between. Jesus Christ never mandated to me that I needed to get it exactly “right” (speaking more on life advice, not morality, right now) to be loved or anointed to speak His word.

Creativity is humbling, because it requires so many drafts.

I’m going to leave you with a prayer that I recently wrote for my Instagram, and hope these words aren’t too ambiguous. If you want to continue to cultivate creativity, create in the safe, wild, beautiful space that is the dialogue between you and the Lord. Ask Him to reveal to you the gifts that He’s given you to create with, and then, don’t be afraid to step out.

Holy Spirit, source of creativity, breathe newness and freedom inside of me.

Any area I’m stuck, free me, and eliminate all blockage. Bring beauty out of the tension and woundedness I now surrender.

Where disbelief in my goodness and creativity has stunted vulnerability and boldness, reveal to me Father’s approval and delight in me.

I am made in the image and likeness of Father, who is Creator. It is my destiny to create more than static or white noise, because I have His attention and power propelling me forward. I am created to birth more than white noise, but unique, radical beauty that can only come from my heart and my history with you.

Divine strategies are accessible to me through the Blood of the Lamb, anointing my mind and heart, and intimacy with you.

Take possession of my whole being. I receive the significance of my role in the creation story, in salvation history, unfolding now.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.