Slowing Down Creativity

Nothing great is created suddenly. There must be time. Give your best and always be kind.
~epictetus~

Honestly, I don't consider myself a very creative person. At all. I have made a few scrapbooks in my day, but that's about the extent of it. And, even then, they are not that impressive. If I'm honest, I know I can't cut in a straight line, and no matter how I try, my craft projects consistently look like something a child did. (If I was four they might be impressive. Maybe. If my preschool teacher was exceptionally kind. And half blind.)

I look at my friends who are extremely crafty and I'm a little jealous of their talent. My friend Liz is the perfect example. She practically exudes craftiness from her pores! She has some of the most beautiful art in her home - and she's made most of it. She makes homemade cards that always seem to say the right thing, and I've watched her spend hours on gifts for friends that actually have meaning and matter, like jars full of origami stars with memories inside. Everything she does embodies the quote at the beginning of this blog. She takes her time, puts effort into it, and fill her crafts with love, joy, kindness and patience. Her creativity is not rushed, is not impatient, and is, as a result, beautiful.

Me? I rush. I try to get things done quickly so I can check them off my list. I get frustrated with imperfect corners and messy handwriting, but I still don't slow down and really invest in much in the world of crafts. I also apply that same sense of frantic rush to my life. Everything is hurried, busy and layered with imperfect edges that are "good enough." Why am I in such a hurry to create everything? Nothing in our world that is worth creating can ever be done in an afternoon.

New life takes nine months or creation and nurturing.
Plants grow slowly.
Books are written over months, not hours.
Movies can take years.
Friendships take time to be authentic.
Relationships blossom into marriages over hours, days and months.

Life takes time to be creative. God could have created the world in an instant, but instead the Bible records the labor of love process of creation. Have you read the Genesis account of creation recently? 

Light. Darkness. Day. Night.
Day One.

Sky.
Day Two.

Land. Seas. Vegetation.
Day Three.

Stars. Sun. Moon.
Day Four.

Fish. Birds.
Day Five.

Animals. Man.
Day Six.

Did you catch that? God, the Ultimate Craftsman, took an entire day to create the sky. That's it. Genesis 1:6-8 says, "And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day."

An entire day. To create the sky. I get mad if something I'm creating takes more than a few hours, but God was content to take an entire day to create the sky, just to make sure it was perfect. God reveals over and over again that creativity takes time, but the time is well worth it. It's time to slow down, and allow ourselves the time to be the creative person God designed us to be.