It always bothers me when I see a story about "the creative woman" or "where women create" and the photos show a pristine space where everything is arranged perfectly and all art materials rest neatly in place. The colored pencils, all the same height, sit in a just right size jar, the papers are stacked neatly atop a perfectly painted chest, the shelves hold boxes and files, evenly spaced and sparsely arranged. I find myself thinking....no creativity goes on here!
My narrative loudly proclaims, "creativity IS messy!!" I have an idea! My imagination takes over. Pulling tools, looking for ones that I can't find (because i haven't used them in months), sorting out paint colors, grabbing the board, textile or surface I'll be working on - all the while, excited and eager to bring my vision into being!
My mind rests totally on what my idea will become....and I love that process! Messy, enthused, intentional, questioning, exploring....I love the chaos of creating and I love the wonderful joy that follows when I can look at what has happened before my eyes and I can say from my depths, "this is good. I've created something fresh and new." This is the joy of creating. This is a part of being created in His image!