Creativity // the circle

What does creativity mean to me?

Creativity: where something new or valuable is created.
After studying Genesis this past year, it is clear that our Creator is the ultimate source of creativity.  What a valuable world He has given us to see and explore!

How do we stay creative?  Who do we draw inspiration from?

Let me talk about the creative nature of my other half: Keith's creativity is obvious... he's a musician.  His brain is always (always!) filled with music. He writes music, thinks about music, designs shows around music.  It is the avenue of creativity that God has gifted him with.  And we are blessed that he earns his living through the gift of music.

Keith gave me an opportunity to stay creative by graciously asking me to coach the colorguard at his high school during the winter/indoor season. This was an awesome way to exercise the (minor) abilities God has given me in music, staging, dance, and writing flag work (oh, yeah, hair and make-up, too). Plus I really loved working with the high school girls every week.

All that being said, my field is math.  Math is super-creative if you don't let the rules bog you down too much.  My thinking involves angles, proof, shapes, logic, Venn-diagrams, equations, theory, and statistics. All the pieces have to fit. It is the creativity that is within completing an incomplete puzzle.

The imaginative-genius in Keith and the puzzle-maker in me makes for a pretty creative life together, whereby every project, every trip, every meal, every joke, every festival, etc. is certainly something new and something of value.

What is a creative part of me that I don't share much on our blog?

I really like to paint.  I like to paint walls in my house or even walls in other people's houses. I like to paint all sorts of things: picture frames, lamps, fireplaces, and chairs.  But I really get a kick out of painting on canvas.

There are paintings that I've painted that hang in my mom's house, in my dad's house, in my sister-in-law's house, in my brothers' apartment, and yes, in our home, too.  It may seem like a family affair... and maybe that's just because my mom has always encouraged my artsy side. My supportive family actually requests paintings from me. So I happily indulge them.  But painting on canvas takes inspiration, time and energy... all of which are often in limited supply.

(Note: it's not quite all in the family -- I remembered that my 10th grade social studies teacher actually bought a painting of mine.)

Linking up with other lovely and creative ladies: