Created to Create

January is usually a month of reflection for me. December is full of activities and getting ready for Christmas, and I have found, at least for me, that there is not a lot of quiet time to sit down and think about the year. I rarely pause to reflect on the highs and lows, how I have grown and changed, and what I want to improve in the next year. January is usually slower and colder and naturally lends itself to a season of quiet reflection.

One of the questions I like to ask myself every January is, “What do I want to create this year?” Ten years ago, I would have laughed if someone had asked me that question. I thought being creative only meant being crafty, doing scrapbooks, or making what I pictured as 1990s tole-painted crafts. I am good at none of those. But over the last ten years, I have learned that creativity comes in many different forms, not just tole-painted snowmen.

The very first thing we learn about God in Genesis 1:1 is that He is a creator. He created the heavens and the earth, and then He created us in His image. Because of our divine heritage as children of God, we are each given the divine gift of creativity. For a long time, though, I believed I was not creative. I cannot paint, sculpt, or draw. I can read music and I love playing the piano, but I cannot create my own original compositions. I even struggle to arrange decorations on my front entry table in a way that feels pretty. So how could I possibly be a creator? What if this divine gift skipped me?

Over the last ten years, I have realized that it did not skip me. I am a creator, and so are you. Being a mother and a gardener has taught me that creativity is not limited to arts and crafts. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

“You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before: colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter. What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you, whether that voice comes from the outside or inside. If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.”

That list could continue almost infinitely.

There are definitely times when I look around my garden and my home and think, “Is this even pretty? Did I create something beautiful, or is it just chaos of color thrown together and called a garden?” Usually, if I give myself a day, clean out a drawer, or weed a flower bed, I can go back outside at golden hour and see everything differently. I find myself thinking, “Wow, I cannot believe flowers can look like this,” or, “I love my home, and I am so grateful for the joy and laughter we feel here.”

When I expanded my view of creativity, I began to see more evidence of it in my life, and I was better able to encourage my children to be creative in many ways as well. As a result, I felt more joy and developed a closer relationship with our Great Creator.

Mostly, I want to create beautiful places, as imperfect as they may be, where good people are welcome and can feel peace and joy in a world that often feels overwhelming and chaotic. That is why I make a warm, yummy lunch for my teenagers and their friends every Thursday. That is why I decided my flower farm should be a U-Pick. That is why we have a big sandbox for my kids to play in, get messy, and use their imaginations. That is why my craft drawer sometimes overflows and why I struggle to part with the things my girls make for me.

I have learned that when I take time to create, even something small, it fills my cup in a deep, soul-level way. So I make space for creativity. I plan my gardens. Each winter, I choose a room in my house to make more beautiful, functional, and joyful. I make good food for my family. I create places where we can laugh and learn. I teach classes about how to grow flower gardens. It does not matter how big or small the thing is that you create. It is good.

To borrow a phrase from my cute niece, we were created to create. We can use our creative gifts to bless, lift, bring joy and beauty, and show love. Because ultimately, that is the whole point. Creation flows from love.