Life's an Art

Mid-September provided me with a nice, long “time away from it all” while visiting my big sister in Western New York State. While surrounded by her fourteen acres of gardens and springs and forests, or on walks along the shore of nearby Lake Erie,  I had the chance to press the “reset” button on the lazy habits I’d fallen into: of focusing on everything that had to get done more than what I had in front of me; of ignoring God’s gifts of things like sunsets or stars or the cute way chickens wipe their beaks on the grass because I was too short-sighted to see past that darn stain on my wall that I just couldn’t get off; of thinking again about the submissions and rejections in writing rather than the joy that creating stories gives me.

It’s important to re-establish priorities every so often. I must admit, I was helped along by spending my napping/nursing times there reading Emily Freeman’s A Million Little Ways; Uncovering the Art You Were Made to Live.

Such a lovely little book--full of the warm enthusiasm and inspiration I expected, but also of a depth of wisdom and common sense that surprised me. To be honest, effusive inspiration-speak only does so much for me. I think all cheerleaders should calmly, rationally point out the facts that back up their wild emotions.

And that’s what Emily Freeman ultimately did. Behind the seemingly carefree cheerleading is a call to accept a deep responsibility: You are God’s art. You are called to reflect Him through yours. And don’t get cocky--if you refuse to try something because you’re afraid to fail, you’re getting too full of yourself and forgetting who’s the real artist behind your work.

 

I had a minor epiphany while reading. See, this talk of art: making art, living art, reflecting God’s art and being His art--that’s a big part of who I am. If you’ve had a real life conversation with me, you probably know that. It comes up, ahem, occasionally. Like, every day. So I’m going to start discussing it more here on this blog.

Prepare yourself for the “waxing philosophical.” :)