WHO SAID YOU WEREN'T CREATIVE?

Good morning, Mini-Women! Is this one of the coolest pictures we've had on the blog yet or what?  This was done by our own ABIGAIL, one of the winners of the wardrobe contest. I would wear any one of these outfits in a heartbeat -- especially the second one from the left with the little flirty pleats at the bottom of the skirt. I think we can all imagine Abigail now as a fashion designer -- just hurry up, Abi, before I get too old to wear your designs!

Sometimes seeing creativity like this makes you want to get out the sketch pad and the crayons and start doing your own drawings. And yet sometimes it can also put you in a blue funk, thinking, "I could never do anything like that. I'm a creative loser. I'm going to go watch re-runs of "Lizzie McGuire".  Let's try a little "test" to see where you fall. Let's say I announced that I was having a contest and I wanted each of you to do something creative with the assignment. Choose which response you would probably have (or the closest one):

            A -- "Ohmigosh I have more ideas than I can ever do! Which one do I pick?"

            B -- "Well, I'm kind of good at drawing, and I do (play an instrument, take dance lessons, write in a journal once in a while). I guess I could do one of those."

            C -- "I can't make anything but cookies -- and faces at my little brother. Are those creative?"

            D -- "What if I create something and it's lame? What if I do it wrong?"

            E -- "I'm not creative! I can't do it! I'm not even going to enter! I'm such a Loser!" 

If you chose A, you know your own creativity and you embrace it and probably drive every nuts with it if the truth's known.

If B was your choice, you don't realize how creative you are because you're only thinking about what you're "good" at.

Picked C? You don't see that what you do naturally, every day, is creative at all.

Did you see yourself as D? You're a little afraid of your creativity because of what other people might think of it.

You think you're totally E? You don't think you have a creative cell in your entire body.

But here's the deal:  EVERYBODY -- that's each and every person ever born -- is creative in some way.I'm serious. Every person -- including you -- has the ability to make art in some way. Not necessarily in the form Abigail uses -- it just means you can take an idea from your mind and make it into something that can be enjoyed, even if it's just by you and you alone. All of these things are creative -- check it out:

    Baking a cake                Decorating your room                    Styling hair
    Planning a party             Figuring out a soccer strategy        Making a baby        
                                                                                                                    laugh
    Painting faces                Planting a garden               Making up a basketball drill
    Creating a costume        Wrtiing an email                    Making a birthday card
    Wrapping a gift              Making a killer sandwich    Writing new words to an
                                                                                                                old song
    Making up a dance         Cheering up a friend              Reading a book out loud
    Writing in a journal        Decorating cookies                 Keeping a scrapbook
    Painting your toenails     Displaying a collection            Singing in the shower

Making art isn't the painting, the toothpick structure, or the short story you end up with. It's the PROCESS of getting from an idea to a finished product -- and it's a process that makes living much more fun. Just doing it can make you feel rich inside, no matter how it turns out. The best news is -- ANYONE can do it. We're made that way by God:

                    "S God created man (humans) in his own image," says the Book of Genesis. And just in case we didn't get it the first time, it goes on to say, "In the image of God he created them." (Genesis 1:27)

What that means is that God made us to be like him -- in a human form, of course. And just like him, we were born to create.

Okay, so, no, we can't all draw cartoons like Charles Schultz or write music for Hannah Montana. Not everybody was born to be a PROFESSIONAL artist, musician, writer, whatever, but we can all:

        *  Experiment with our little creative sparks and feel God when we do it
       
        *  Let God create through us in even small ways

        *  Use our special creativity as a way to thank God for all the creative things God does for US

So here's what I'm thinking. It's summer, right? You have more free time than usual, and may already be wailing, "Mom, I'm bored!" Why don't we jazz things up some with a series on ways to be your absolutely most creative self this summer? We'll start with a quiz tomorrow and some ways to get your creative self moving. Then in the weeks to come we'll talk about cool journals, creative adventures, imaginary lives, and teaming up with your friends to do awesomely creative things. Sounds like a God-thing to me

What do you think? Are you there with me?  And what do you say that from time to time I ask for things I can post here on the blog -- examples of your creative process? I'm lovin' it!

If you want to post today, tell us which category you fell into. THAT should be a hoot!

Blessings,

Nancy Rue       

Comments

[Morgan]

That sounds like so much fun! I can't wait! I love doing creative stuff even though sometimes I don't like what I create. It is going to be sooo much fun!
I feel into A because it was the closest one. Though if there was a category like: Sounds like fun! Though I don't have many ideas yet but I'll do it, that is were I'd be. It takes me a while sometimes to come up with a creative idea that I like.

[Emma]

That sounds great! I love doing crafts and stuff, the only problem is cleaning up after them!

[Abigail]

I e-mailed you, Mrs. R...

[~Prism~]

I think I'd be B... I do get ideas, but it usually takes time for me to pick out for certain what I would want to do.

[alisha]

the summer ideas sound like so much fun i was complaining to my mom on the 2nd day of vacation
i fell into the B category

[Caitlin]

Wow I can't wait to start this! I think I'm a C.

[Kortnie]

That sounds like SO much fun!!!
I think I'm between A, B, and C!
I can't wait to get started with this creative stuff!!!
= )

[Isabelle]

Ladies,I am back! I thought I was NOT creative but now that I think about it I am creative with dance, I LOVE to write stories and just plain write.... I love making cakes and cookies and decorating it.... I think of very funky wild nail patterns..... so .... I guess I am creative but the whole art thing NO WAY!

[Paige]

I actually have a comment for the last post...

I think you are truely beautiful ;) Mrs. rue definitely fits in that catergory don't you all thinks so??

I'm C also ;)

[Livi]

Probably closest to A! I'm a busy person, but sometimes I need motivation to get me up and goin'. That's where my bible comes into play!

[Anna]

i'm definitely an A! one of my fave hobbies is scrapbooking. i scrapbook EVERYTHING. i scrapbook 4 my scrapbook, i scrapbook birthday cards 4 my friends, i scrapbook the front of my binders 4 school. but i play guitar. and write. i guess those take creativity, 2.

[Livi]

BTW, Abigail, your sketches are 2 CUTE! I love them!! :)

[Erika]

YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE creative stuff - I would DIE without it! I like doing it even if I'm not good at it! I'd rather be painting a (sort of... cough cough) masterpiece than, say, be watching TV. Guess what my results were on the quiz? A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Emii]

Abigail, what cute pics!!!!! They are awesome :-)

Luv,Emii

[Kortnie]

Abigail, those sketches are SO cute! My fave is the one with the green top!
~Kortnie = )

[Veronica]

My results on the quiz was AB. Really, I'm not actually so confident about my creativity, but I think I can make pretty good stuff. Abigail, I like the hair from #3 and the outfit from #4. So pretty! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M BACK FROM VACATION ALREADY!

[Isabelle]

Rock on Abi(Abigail) with the drawing!

[Olivia]

I fell into the b category because I LOVE making creative stuff but my stuff never turns out right like I planned them to. I really liked those drawings,too!

[Caitlin]

Great job Abi!

[Isabelle]

so......... when is ms.nancy going to post?........... WHEN? so... girls.... what's up with your creative stuff?

[Isabelle]

I can't wait for the next few weeks....... I guess I am creative and creativity is not measured by the how good you draw or paint!

[Veronica]

Hi I'm checking this thing A LOT today!

[Isabelle]

Veronica.... so am I!