Re-Defining Creative by Mesu Andrews

Mesu Andrews

When someone asks me, “Are you creative?” my mind flashes to the half-full closet of half-finished craft projects in our spare bedroom. But, remarkably, my answer is, “Yes. I was created to be creative.” Believe it or not, you’re creative too! Read on to see if you agree…

God is distinct as Creator with the ability to create from nothing. He brings into being something that previously didn’t exist.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”            Genesis 1:1-2

He continued creating the sky, land, seas, plants, animals—but when the Creator created man, He did it a little “creatively.”

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”    Genesis 1:27

Don’t you wish you could have seen Adam and Eve BEFORE sin? The perfect image of God on earth—unscarred by sin—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin marred them. Sin marred the image of God in human form.

Blemished by not broken, God’s image still forms the core of every newborn, and it is this core of God’s image that distinguishes us from animals and angels.

“You have made [humankind] a little lower than the angels and…You made them rulers over the works of your hands...”            Psalm 8:5-6

So, what do you and I do that our dogs can’t do? Well, I’m a pet-lover, not a theologian, so I don’t know all the ins-and-outs of the body, soul, and spirit. But I know this:

Because I was created in the image of my God:

• I can create.
• I am creative
• You’re creative too.

This post is a creation. I used letters, a computer, and the internet to communicate it, but the thoughts were a creative process made possible because I was created in the image of my Creator.

And creation is a PROCESS: inspiration and imagination that leads to revelation. We participate in this process—as writers, teachers, moms, dads, problem-solvers of all kinds—with the Creator Himself. How cool is that?

Sin may have marred the divine image of original humanity, and it most certainly strained the fellowship of our Holy God with His Creation—but through the righteous blood of Jesus I’m renewed day-by-day in both His image and in fellowship with Him.

So, let me be the first to ask…Are you creative?

Can you think of other creative pursuits besides writing?

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• God’s image in humans was flawed by sin, but it still forms the core of every newborn.
• Blemishedby not broken, God’s image in us distinguishes us from animals and angels.
• Inspiration and imagination lead to revelation. We participate in this process with the Creator Himself.

About the Author

Mesu Andrews’ deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for her readers. She and her husband, Roy, enjoyed fourteen years of pastoral ministry before moving to the Pacific Northwest to pursue the next step in God’s calling. They enjoy visiting their two married daughters and a growing tribe of grandkids. Both enjoy the cozy warmth of a fire on rainy Northwest days. Mesu loves movies, waterfalls, and travel.

Biblical fiction is her favorite genre to read and write. Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011), won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year in the Debut Author Category. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012), the Song of Solomon story, received a 4 ½ star rating from RT Reviews. And Love in a Broken Vessel(Revell), the story of Hosea and Gomer, is available now and received a 4 ½ star TOP PICK rating from RT Reviews.

The Shadow of Jezebel

Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel.

In the Shadow of Jezebel
by Mesu Andrews

Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel’s strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?

With deft skill, Mesu Andrews brings Old Testament passages to life, revealing a fascinating story of the power of unconditional love.

The Elusive Creative Process by Erin Healy

We feel tremendous satisfaction at completing the closing paragraph—the last line—the final punctuation mark on a manuscript. But, this also means it’s time to begin a new story, and a blank computer screen can feel overwhelming—even paralyzing. We may search for answers on how to remedy this affliction. Today, author Erin Healy shares personal experiences and candid thoughts on the creative process. Enjoy! ~ Dawn

The Elusive Creative Process

by Erin Healy

I’m writing this blog today instead of working on my seventh novel, because I have that feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach—the one that says There’s no way you can eat the whole elephant … AGAIN. I blame half of this self-doubt on the reality of the writing life. Most authors I know experience at least a couple of days of this feeling off and on before that first draft is on paper.

I blame the other half of my panic on the fact that I’m still figuring out my creative process. After six books, I haven’t figured out exactly how Erin Healy should go about writing a novel. I look with envy and a little suspicion on those who swear by a particular story-crafting method. Is their confidence in it is real, or are they just trying to talk themselves out of their own dread?

In the beginning I swore by outlines—until my outlines kept falling apart. My first two books were co-authored affairs that might have imprisoned me if not for my veteran partner Ted Dekker, who can (given three weeks in an isolated trailer) write himself out of any situation. In the third novel, my first effort without Ted, I knew the story’s destination but had trouble getting my characters to go there. In the fourth, I gave up outlining. The resulting freedom to discover added new dimension to my writing. On the downside, I kept losing hold of my story the way it’s hard to keep a firm grip on a flopping fish. My fifth novel started with lots of pictures and plot notes pasted to a tri-fold science-fair board, where I could keep the heart of the story ever before my eyes. It failed to solve all my story problems, though. My sixth novel existed as a chaotic dry erase board spewing rainbow ideas. It was very stream-of-consciousness. Very Faulkneresque. The opposite of an outline. Soon I ran out of space.

I called my editor in a panic. The story wasn’t coming together. I might miss my deadline. “Shouldn’t I have my creative process figured out by now?” I demanded.

She laughed at me and said, “Is that how you think this works?”

Her words were kind, and oddly empowering. They gave me permission to trust my gut—I have a good gut—and to focus more carefully on the story than on my method for writing it. 

Within days I had a breakthrough. 

If you have a method that always works for you, please tell all. I might use your approach sometime. But if you feel like you have to reinvent the wheel each time in order to tell your best story, that’s okay. As a fellow re-inventor, I humbly offer these observations:

• Formulaic processes tend to yield formulaic products. If you’re after freshness, you’ll have to stay open to new approaches. This is a good thing.
• You don’t want your stories to be like anyone else’s. So why should your creative process(es) be like anyone else’s? Keep trying to find your own way. Make the effort an adventure.
•  Keep what works; throw away what doesn’t. In spite of my outlining failures, outlining two to three chapters at a time helps me keep my writing momentum.
• Your story is more important than your method. Don’t let your search for the perfect method eclipse anything your story needs to make it great. I bet you have a good gut too. 

I'm a little amused that my Faulkneresque approach is the one that has yielded both my highest level of stress and my best effort to date. Maybe I’ll try it again sometime. But for novel seven, I’m trying Scrivener. I’ll let you know how it goes.


 

Erin Healy is an editor who’s had the privilege of working with many excellent storytellers (who may be experiencing a strange glee at her self-disclosure here). She is the author of six novels, most recently The Baker’s Wife and House of Mercy (July 2012).

To find out more about Erin and her books, please visit:

www.erinhealy.com  

www.erinhealyblog.blogspot.com  

Facebook: erinhealybooks    

Twitter: @erinhealybooks

Email erin@erinhealy.com