The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists. – Charles Dickens
Have you ever found yourself sitting in a meadow by a stream, filling with delight, as a brilliantly blue butterfly lands near you? Or have you ever awoken before dawn and instead of grumbling about not being able to sleep longer, you decide to drink your morning coffee on a porch swing and are mesmerized by how the moon’s light is shimmering on a spider’s web? How about taking in the majesty and power of a thunderstorm and bearing witness to winds that bend the boughs of trees to the point of breaking as lightning fills the sky with light, brighter than any man-made light, and the thunder booms so loudly it rattles you to your core?
These types of moments fill me wonder and awe at the beauty of our world. They also remind me how small I am, how small the concerns and worries that I carry in my daily living are and how much, for even a brief moment, I want to be part of the beautiful symphony playing itself out before me. It turns out – I can be – and you can be too. These moments are a gift from the Creator to remind us of who we are and to invite us to be co-creators by joining in.
“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.” – Martha Graham
Cooking
I have become passionate about whole and natural foods and enjoy cooking from scratch! I love the textures and flavours of food; the way herbs and spices blend together into culinary delights and tickle the taste buds. I can’t tell you how many new recipes I’ve discovered but one of my most recent creations was a most delicious meal appropriately called Fragrant Curried Beef and Rice. But I didn’t stop there, I also made homemade Naan bread! Those who know me well are surprised, even shocked that I now love cooking but believe me, no more shocked than I am!
Stories
My Mom read to us often when we were little. It didn’t matter whether she read German books or English books – reading is reading. Books engaged my imagination by introducing me to places, people and things that I wouldn’t otherwise have encountered. In elementary school, my favourite subjects were reading and composition. When my homework assignment was the writing of a 3-page composition, I wrote 16 pages. Later I was blessed to be in a job where I wrote stories in newsletters, promotional materials, media releases/advisories, fundraising letters and so on. I love telling stories. Stories link us together. Our stories are woven with those of others and become part of a bigger story about our collective experiences; our suffering, our overcoming, our loves, our resentments, our forgiving, our grudges, our victories and losses, our giving and taking.
Creation or being creative comes from love and a close cousin to love is passion. Creation can be anything from the obvious; the making of a baby or as simple as a smile that can immediately create a new perspective or beginning for the person who receives it. Over the last year I have discovered a new creative love – cooking. And I have rediscovered and re-explored my love of stories.
Below are the links to some creative bloggers I follow. Enjoy!
Second Lunch An Afternoon With I Speak Canadian
Does creation inspire you? When’s the last time you took time to appreciate it, be in awe of it? How do you express your creativity?
