Wednesday, August 29, 2018- Creating Perfectly Imperfect Art

But unless we are creators we are not fully alive. What do I mean by creators? Not only artists, whose acts of creation are the obvious ones of working with paint of clay or words. Creativity is a way of living life, no matter our vocation or how we earn our living. Creativity is not limited to the arts, or having some kind of important career.

Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art

I’m playing, lost in the process of creating. Tweaking properties, and applying effects, I am making art. I am creating something where there was once nothing. 

Suddenly I gasp aloud. Something within me, something that I hadn’t realized was a part of me, has been enchanted by the image on the screen.

I hated art class when I was a child. I believed I was not good at it; I felt constrained by the parameters in which we were forced to work.

Now, in these sweet years of my life, I have freedom to create according to my rules; to craft something pleasing with words or images that glorifies my Creator and puts something edifying out into a world that is, too often, anything but.

What I have created on this afternoon delights me. It is not technically perfect and, in that, I find comfort because I am far from perfect too. It is unique, it touches something and sparks a bit of wonder, and really isn’t that what art is all about?

Later, I see flaws and things I wish were different about the image but I remember that moment of audible wonder and think that it is perfect in its imperfection.

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I’m a writer, reader, and creative. I thought by now I’d have things figured out, but I keep coming up with more questions. I think that’s okay. I’m here most mornings pondering ordinary things and the thin places where faith intersects.
1 comment
  1. Your photo is perfect, I think.

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