Creating Without Fear

Love this book we're reading by Brenda Ueland, "If You Want To Write." She encourages us to work at our writing or whatever creative thing we like to do. Our culture tells us that duty comes first. But I'm exploring Brenda's thoughts as her words penetrate my heart and make a home in my soul. She says:

"Duty should be a by-product. Writing, the creative effort, the use of imagination, should come first, at least for some part of everyday of your life. It is a wonderful blessing if you will use it. You will become a happier, more enlightened, alive, impassioned, light-hearted and generous to everybody else. Even your health will improve. Cold will disappear and all the other ailments of discouragement and boredom."

I'm feeling a bit of creative constipation these days. Know what I mean? You desire to create something, anything, but a force holds you back. This is silly, but I have a pile of canvases of all sizes leaning against a wall in my dinning room. I've begun quite a nice collection of colorful paints and all kinds of brushes. It's all there. Waiting for me. Calling to me. I ignore it. WHY? What's holding me back? Well, maybe the fact that I've never painted outside of elementary school art class. What if my painting is horrible? What if people laugh? What if I laugh? Really, I have to ask myself, what would be so bad about that?

In hear in the back of my mind a tiny quiet voice, "deAnn, create. Just sit before the canvas. Allow Me to move your hands and guide your color choices. It will be beautiful, I promise. Relax. Leave your fear aside and create because you are My creation."Okay, despite the scariness, I'm going to log off, give in to The Voice and see where He takes me...