So many of the people in my life are artists--Phyllis Jean paints sublime blue nudes on Chinese silk. Maggie is an emerging sculptor. Donna writes poems. Susan creates jewelry. Bob carries his trumpet in his back pocket and plays anywhere there is a stage and an audience. Peter plays the harmonica like Bob Dylan. My sister, Karen, was an actress, a seamstress, a chef. Sandy, my niece, writes screenplays. Kristi sings like an angel, and my daughter dances like an angel. There are many others...all so creative that I envy their talents.
However, not one of these people earn (or earned) their living solely using their artistic talent. I'm reading a book right now about Claude Monet. Just about everyone today recognizes that name as the founder of the Impressionism art movement and appreciates his genius. But for much of his life, he lived in abject poverty and struggled to make ends meet, unable to sell his work for many years. For so many gifted artists, it is the same.
Where does the passion and drive to create such beauty, even in the face of hardship and obstacles, come from? Why don't they just get up, brush their teeth, go to work, go home, eat dinner, watch TV and go to bed (like the rest of us)? What inspires them?
I'm not an artist, so I can't begin to imagine how each of them sees the world and how they strive to interpret it using their particular gift. How does a sculptor 'see' the David in a block of marble? How does a white canvas become a blue nude or a pond of water lilies? How do musicians 'jam'? How does a dancer see the steps in the music? I haven't a clue. Truly, these are gifts from God.
God has created in each of us something that not only understands beauty, but craves it. Unlike any other created being, we are able to appreciate it when we see it, hear it, touch it, taste it. Amazingly, there is even something in us that compels us to create beauty.
God made us 'in His image', that is, a little like Himself. He is the One who streaks the sunset across the sky, sparkles a full moon over the ocean, sprinkles the glistening morning dew on blades of grass, and whistles the winter wind through naked tree branches.
We are a little like the Artist and Creator of the universe...now there's a thought that inspires me.
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. . God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1: 27, 31
4 comments:
Nicely said. To understand is to appreciate. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, that in itself is part of the creative spirit of the art.
Being creative with whatever is before you brings some sparkle and mystery to even the lousy day. It gives a second wind. If only we can believe we have it in us. That's the trick, I think.
Thanks, Marilyn. Beautifully said.
Marilyn, I don't know how this happened, but I just now saw your email alerting me to this blog. It's such a nice one, and I appreciate the "shout out!" It's funny that I should see this now, because the issue of "creativity" has been on my mind recently.
I watch Celebrity Apprentice on TV (and, darn it, I wish I didn't have to admit that, but I must, in order to make my point) ... and the competitiveness among the would-be apprentices is fierce. One recurring issue is over who has contributed the most -and the least- to this challenge or that. The "idea-people" (the creative ones) repeatedly point out that THEY do, and they demean the others for not having ideas ~ for not being "creative." Every time I hear that, I get a little crazy!
Not EVERYONE can be creative. Being creative is a gift ~ a skill ... but others have other gifts. Just look at heavily left-brained people who have made millions! Some have a head for numbers ... while others have superior people skills. It takes people of all different skill sets, working together, to form a successful enterprise. It makes me sad to see one of the "less creative" people on the Apprentice show "set up" by the superior-acting creative few, who challenge her to come up with an idea, in order to prove her mettle. I can see the frustration and feeling of defeat in the face of the one "on the hot seat," when she cannot produce a brilliant idea on the spot. Neither she, nor anyone else, should be maligned for not being a creative force!
I have an abominable sense of direction, much to the shameless delight of my husband and our eldest (left-brained) son, neither of whom has any trouble finding their way anywhere. One time, when I was being self-depricating about my directional sense, RJ actually said to me, "You don't HAVE to be bad at it. You're just not TRYING!" I gave him what I thought was a brilliant comeback: "That's not fair. You and I have different strengths. I might not know instinctively which way is north, but I'll bet that, given a subject and five minutes, you would find it difficult to compose a two-stanza poem."
RJ told me that was a "terrible analogy." This was music to my ears, since it indicated to me that, since that was the best he had to offer on the subject, I had "won" our little sparring match! But, whether I had convinced my husband or not, I am confident in my belief that we have all been given certain gifts, and one person's gifts are not superior to another's. After all, you simply cannot compare applies and oranges … or maps and poetry, for that matter.
As if I haven't taken up enough space already (!), I now want to apologize for taking up so much space! And ... I want to say that I'm so envious of you for your stick-to-it-ive-ness with regard to your lovely blog! I've often thought I'd like to write one ... but there are so many other things that take up my time -- such as commenting on OTHER people's blogs!
So, here's another example of what I wrote earlier ~ You and I are both creative, but you possess a perseverance that I am hard-pressed to find! XOX
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