creative blogs

brushstrokes and fine art

Guest blog by Melissa Stanley

The will and work of God can be seen as a work of fine art. The closer you look at the work of art, the more you can see the fine brushstrokes or pencil smudges. Seeing those fine marks help you to see and recognize more clearly the work of the artist. You can appreciate the time taken to finish the work of art. But, when you are standing so close, all you can see are the small fragments that serve to make the whole thing magnificent.

Mark Laguë – Cropped

In order to see the beauty of the entire work of art, we need to step back and see all of those individual brushstrokes together. Parts of the art that may have seemed ugly and disfiguring up close now show themselves as a crucial part of whole beautiful picture.

So it is with the will and workings of God and the journeys that He takes us on throughout our lives. Those journeys are sometimes wonderful and sometimes they knock you down so hard you don’t know how you’re going to get up. Sometimes, we are so focused on our day to day lives that all we can see are the individual brushstrokes that God is painting in our lives. Good. Bad. Sometimes devastating.

Mark Laguë, On Dad's Shoulders, oil 12x6

Mark Laguë, On Dad’s Shoulders, oil 12×6

It helps to take a step back and leave the art to God. We should be looking at the masterpiece God has for us and His plan for our lives instead of looking at the painting before it is finished.
By Melissa Stanley

________________________________
Arleen Jennings is the author of:
Created to be Creative
to purchase my book Click Here
eBook available

creative outlets

by Arleen Jennings

I recently had the pleasure of talking with two different ladies about creative things. One told me about her personal journey, the other described what she was doing with a group setting. What caught my attention in both situations was their excitement. I love meeting people, hearing their stories and gaining insight from their experiences. It is my heart’s desire to inspire people to find and use their creative outlets; but just because this is my passion, doesn’t mean I don’t need encouraging from time to time. Seeing, hearing and partaking in others’ creative journeys stirs my own creative flame and keeps me on track so I can continue to motivate.

I had just met the first lady, and while we talked she showed me a piece of her art. She explained that this piece was done in a very different style from her other paintings. It was then she discovered that I was the author of, Created to be Creative. With a big smile she said, “Oh, you’re Arleen? I’ve read your book; it is a pleasure to meet you.” She went on to tell me how she had always had a desire to be creative, but it wasn’t until she read my book about six years ago that she seriously started developing her talents.

Apple Tree w/ Red Fruit by Paul Ranson

Talking about getting a needed boost! This wasn’t a proud moment or a praise me, praise me moment, but a happy moment. A moment when I realized all the time and effort I put into writing my book – and even now, trying to faithfully write new blogs – is worth it, because others are moved to action. We can have all the talent in the world, but without action, we will never benefit from the personal fulfillment and no one else will ever be blessed by our efforts. This woman writes and paints, and though she wasn’t ready to show her work on my blog, she’s faithfully working toward improving her talents. There’s no harm in her not wanting to put her work out for the masses to see, but knowing it was good enough to do so says something and seeing her enthusiasm was fantastic. Plus, she’s already shared some of her art with family and friends.

Bev Rhett teaching her class

The second lady, Bev, took the time to explain a painting class she was teaching later in the week. She has several people coming to her studio, all at different skill levels, and they’re each going to paint their interpretation of the same painting. She picked a fun and colorful piece of art and she’s excited to see what everyone will come up with. I said this in my book, but I’ll say it again here, “There’s nothing so infectious as a room full of creative people excited about being creative.” That’s an added benefit of a friendly setting where the artists can relax, paint, and enjoy each other’s company. Apple Tree with Red Fruit by Paul Ranson is the painting she’s using for the class. (These photos were sent to me after the class.)

So whether you enjoy doing creative things in a group setting or in the privacy of your own home, it matters not. What’s important is that you put forth the effort to use your talents. The joy on these ladies’ faces reminded me of all the benefits of using our creative outlets. In a nutshell, creativity is good for us on a personal level and it’s a blessing to others. Amen!

I’m the author of: Created to be Creative
to purchase my book Click Here
eBook available

the end game What gets you to think and act creatively?

by Arleen Jennings

What gets you to think and act creatively? For most of us the answer will be the end game. We picture the finished product or see the result of what we want to accomplish in our mind. Knowing the end is worth the effort adds fresh energy to start and work on projects. There will be times though when each of us will need something to jumpstart the creative process. An external stimulant that causes creative thinking and the action that will follow. For example, some quilters can find motivation in a pile of colorful material. They look at the cloth and see a finished quilt, arousing their creative desire. Other quilters find their muse by having a specific purpose for a quilt and the process begins with a plan and going to buy the needed materials to make it happen. Both scenarios cause creative thinking which turns into productive activity. They could see the end game, which gave them a starting point.

I seldom draw solely for the fun of it, but if I have a picture of something that would be even sweeter as a drawing, (or in the case of the children here, I used two different pictures to make one adorable one,) I’ll gladly put forth the effort and willingly work toward that end. The goal, the finished piece of art, moves me to action.

Bloggers often need external happenings or current events to come up with a topic worth writing about. I don’t know too many writers who can just start a blog with no end game in mind and come up with satisfactory results. People are busy and don’t want to waste their time reading just any old thing. They want substance, something that will inspire or even provoke their own thoughts to take action. Again, the end game, the purpose for the blog is what pushes writers to action.

Our ability to think creatively also depends on where we are in life and what we’re focusing on at the time. While I was working on my book, Created to be Creative, everything I saw, heard, or thought about gave me ideas and it was easy to write about creative topics. Now that it’s been a few years since publication, it takes more to spark my interest in

writing about creative things because I figured I already put all that information in my book. My thought was, I’m basically trying to come up with another way to say what’s already been said. Yet this mindset stops creative growth, because the very nature of being creative is coming up with fresh ideas and taking action. I’ve learned that there should never be an end of creative ideas and so there will always be a plethora of ways to encourage people to find and use their talents.

The way I want to encourage you today is to see the end game, see what you want to accomplish in your mind’s eye and work toward achieving that goal. When one project is complete, think of a new one and if you need external motivation, that’s okay. Open your eyes and ears to all the possibilities and keep your creative aspirations active.

the concept of creativity

by Arleen Jennings

What does being creative mean to you? Often people have a tendency to stereotype the concept of creativity and limit it to drawing or painting and singing or playing an instrument. During the process of writing my book, I talked with a lot of people about this subject and it was fun to glean ideas from those who were using their talents. But it was also sad to hear so many people say, “I’m not creative.” What they probably meant was, “I can’t draw and I can’t play an instrument.” The fact is: we were all Created to be Creative.

My Book starts with this paragraph: “All creativity begins with God, but it does not end there. Genesis 1:27 tells us we are created in the image of God. Through this divine connection, creative potential passed from heaven to earth, from God to man. By doing so, our Creator established a way to interact with humanity, making us partakers of His nature.”

Quilt by Nancy Vossman

This is profound, and yet, simple. Profound because it’s amazing to realize the omnipotent God, the Creator of heaven and earth, would choose to form us in such a unique and matchless way – in His image. Simple because He put us in an environment where we can take on His creative nature. Where we have the ability to express ourselves in endless creative ways. The choice is ours, whether we will act upon these innate creative desires and gain from their experiences, or let them remain dormant with no constructive results.

Card by Jay Jennings

Taking creative action is invigorating in much the same way runners get an adrenaline rush. They feel better even when not participating in a race; the run alone brings a degree of physical and emotional fulfillment. Also, just as runners become stronger and can endure more the longer they run, so our creative abilities can grow and become better with practice. We can challenge ourselves to push past familiar boundaries.

Clay work by Terri Ross (these wings, 100 in all, are for a donation to the Hart House in Wellsville - Part of my personal gift back mission!

Clay work by Terri Ross
These wings, 100 in all, are for a donation to the Hart House in Wellsville NY – Part of her personal gift back mission!

When we purpose to learn new things and experiment with different creative outlets, not only do our skillsets improve, but we gain confidence and become more productive. Open your heart, as well as your eyes to see what ignites a spark of interest. If you already have a creative outlet, don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to just that one. Sometimes trying new things ends up rejuvenating your creative desire and output.

Artsy Photo by Karen Buell

dessert cups to dress up a children’s tea party

Through what outlets do you express your creativity? This is a great question to ask yourself, and a good one to dig deeper into if you are unsure of the answer. The thought process alone can motivate. But also be sure to take action, because like most things in life, if we don’t faithfully work at our objective, it will quickly lose its appeal. Seeing progress on the other hand, cheers us on to complete creative projects and start new ones!

Gardening: beautiful and yummy

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to discover your creative side and start this amazing and fulfilling journey.

Photos added to give ideas and help motivate.

I’m the author of Created to be Creative
to purchase my book Click Here
eBook available

maintaining creative desire

by Arleen Jennings

Creativity on any level – be it observation, thought, or action – can positively affect our lives. If some of you never had a creative outlet or let one slip away without regret, you might not understand the importance of finding time to think and act creatively. For others, including myself, we sometimes need a reminder or even a gentle push to get us moving again. Maintaining creative desire takes action.

It’s easy to get so bogged down with everyday activities that we don’t even realize we’ve stopped thinking and acting creatively. It’s sad to admit that the last painting I completed was in December 2013. I could give you a list of whys and all the things I’ve accomplished since then, but that’s not the point. The fact is, much of what I completed didn’t come with a deadline, nor was it urgent to start something new. So why do I push myself to finish all these projects over enjoying some quality time in my studio? Why don’t I make time for creative activity? Passion for anything dissipates if not kept active.

How about you? Do you ever get so busy that your creative endeavors lose their appeal? Or you wish you could get back to them, but it’s hard to make it a priority again?

In my book there’s a story about a schoolteacher who told me, “Only two more years till I retire, then I’m going to play the organ and the piano and do all kinds of fun stuff.” She was so excited about the prospect of unleashing her creative cravings. I thought, “Why wait?” Her kids are grown and gone, and she has the time now, if she would only make it a priority.

I had the opportunity to speak with this woman recently and realized it had been eight years since our last conversation. With anticipation, I asked her about playing the organ and piano. I wanted to hear her story, now that she’s retired. Her answer was sad; she said that she doesn’t do either. When I asked her why, she said she just never gets around to it. No action was ever taken. The spark of creative desire was gone.

Time, or should I say, the lack thereof, is one of the biggest hindrances people have in finding creative fulfillment.

When someone or something is important to us, we adjust our schedules to make time. Why, then, do so many of us feel it’s wrong to set aside a block of time to work on creative things? Releasing artistic expression increases our emotional and physical energy levels and helps rejuvenate our ability to meet responsibilities with a better attitude. We should never put our creative desire on a shelf, or keep it locked away within our souls, nor should we save it for a future date when we think we’ll have the time.

That time might never come, or we may end up losing interest. Yes, it takes effort to keep creativity alive, but the rewards are worth it. So, now that I’ve motivated myself, it’s off to start a new painting. Whatever your creative outlet is, I hope you will join me.

I’m the author of: Created to be Creative
to purchase my book Click Here
eBook available

our work is never done

by Arleen Jennings

Recently I put a photo of one of my quilts on my Facebook Page, using this quote from my book: “We cannot communicate all the creative ability within us through one story, poem, song, painting, dance, craft, quilt… It will take many expressions, according to the pattern God set; it’s also encouraging to know our creative course will change and improve as we grow and mature.” Our work is never done.

Quilt made by Arleen Jennings

In the book, my point is concluded a paragraph later with this statement: “Once we finish a piece of art, a quilt, a poem, a song, the purpose isn’t merely to be impressed by what we’ve produced and then quit. Instead, the finished product beckons us to initiate a new one.” (Chapter 3 – Created to be Creative.)

Pondering this concept, I began to correlate it with our walk with God. Though I already knew serving God was a process, a daily working out of my salvation – it hit me just how important it is to continue. To be a perpetual doer of God’s word. It’s recognizing that just because we may have done a great deed last week doesn’t negate the possibility of another opportunity presenting itself again in the near future. That one act of kindness, one labor of love – just like one creative success – is not an exclamation point and we’ve arrived. We must continually look for opportunities to serve the Lord, making our actions a lifestyle and not merely an event.

This dove is made of foam and hangs in the peak of our church porch.

We recently held our annual church convention, which included four fantastic services and a full meal following each. Our congregation went above and beyond the normal call of duty to help make this weekend flow with grace and ease. Our guests felt welcomed and were refreshed both spiritually and physically. But, just because we were a great blessing and our efforts made a huge difference in the lives of those who came, doesn’t mean our work is done. This alone does not fulfill our duty to the Lord, though it will be rewarded.

To me, it’s like planting a garden, it needs tending to produce a harvest: the earth tilled and prepared, seeds planted, weeds eliminated, watered and cultivated. But then what? If the gardener wants another crop, he/she must re-till the ground, plant new seeds, and start the process over…year after year. One harvest could be abundant, but the next crop could fail if not properly cared for. So it is with the Spirit within us. I’m sure most of us have had great seasons of harvest in our walks with the Lord, but if we are honest with ourselves, other seasons have not been as fruitful because we neglected some of our responsibilities or became weary in well-doing.

Let’s stay faithful to tend the garden of our hearts, season after season and year after year. Let’s continue to be used of the Lord through our talents and by our service, all the days of our lives, and our successes will be many.

James 1:25 “But whoever looks into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, he is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This one shall be blessed in his doing.”

I’m the author of: Created to be Creative
to purchase my book Click Here
eBook available

About & Contact

My Writing & Artwork