"Some say the creative life is in ideas, some say it is in doing. It seems in most instances to be in simply being. It is not virtuosity,although that is very fine in itself. It is the love of something, having so much love for something-whether a person, a word, an image, an idea, the land, or humanity-that all that can be done with the over flow is to create. It is not a matter of wanting to, not a singular act of will;one solely must."
                Clarissa Pinkola Estes, from Women Who Run With the Wolves

In my opinion ‘creativity’ has gotten a bad rap in our culture. To be creative, it is believed, is the privilege of painters, musicians, dancers. It is the landscape of only the artist. Or so we tell ourselves.Creativity is for the chosen few, those gifted and talented in ways that point toward extraordinary rather than the sacred ordinary.

But, I believe, creativity is the very art of living. Creativity is the DNA of who we are as those created in the image of God. So how do we live the Creative Life? What do each of us need to do to take the simple parts of our every day work life, home life, social life, spiritual life and create a masterpiece?

Over the holidays I had the privilege of speaking with several university students. When I asked what they were majoring in, I was very interested that they had chosen fields of study that were not defined by a particular profession. Romance languages, for instance. These students had chosen what they loved and were continuing on a journey of forming a creative life. I pray it will always be so.

I balanced that experience with the conversation with my six year old neighbor who told me about the five things she was going to be when she grew up. Veterinarian, artist, hair stylist, and two others. All possibilities-at the same time- when you are six. If only it were always so.

What do you do with the overflow of what you love? Do you love flowers and the beauty of summer so much that you dream of the garden you will create when the snow melts? Do you love cooking and entertaining people so much that you just can’t stop yourself from throwing dinners, parties, all to overflowing?

Whatever it is that you love, may it fill your life to overflowing until the creative life embraces you and holds you fast. May creativity be yours in doing and being…….because you simply must.

"Creativity is seeing something that doesn’t exist already . You need to find out how you can bring it into being and become a playmate of God."  Michele Shea