I have started taking time almost every day to work in my creative journal. I forgot how much I needed to paint. How the textures and colors make me happy. There was a time I gave it up. Maybe you know what it is like to give up on some of your creative hobbies. That creative spirit in me was pushed down and filled with other things...
This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of Create Often with Jennifer Evans. I am an employee and do receive financial compensation and material product from American Crafts to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own.
I took IB Art through High School and either painted or drew daily. It was such a huge part of my life. When I graduated and started working it was put off and I think I felt like it was more of an expense than a gift. Art was a luxury that I just didn't have anymore. I didn't pick up a paint brush for five years.
Then I became a teacher and used that as my excuse to be creative. I painted my own bulletin boards, made crafts, and used any material I could to have the kids and I paint with. Although when I got pregnant with my son and left teaching to stay at home, I also put those things away until he was old enough to do it himself. Believe me that didn't take long because he was painting as soon as I could put a brush in his hand.
It was only when my twin sister, in the midst of that postpartum depressive fog I was in, came to me and had a good talk about picking up crafting again. I started to read Ephesians 2 during that time and God really showed me how much He loved me by giving me this gift. I was not using it in the way He intended. This gift helped me be a more creative teacher, more creative mother, but it ultimately was given to me to make me whole with Christ - to help me shine His light as well as complete my personality. It is my way of worship.
So, if you are still trying to find your creative voice or maybe you have put your own creative gifts aside thinking that they are just "hobbies", pray about it. I encourage you to think about Eph 2:10, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Don't give up on the special gifts God has given you as they were planned just for you long ago for good.
Supplies used: Heidi Swapp Mini Stencils Patterns, Heidi Swapp Texture Paste Silver, Heidi Swapp Texture Paste Gold, Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylic Medium Magenta and Bright Aqua Green, and DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Glorious Gold, Silhouette America, Silhouette Vinyl, and Jodie York Brush Art in the Silhouette Store.
Create Well: God created me to be creative.
