THE URGE TO CREATE

By Christine Mason Miller

"Being creative feeds a well that, as humans, we are all born with. To watch the level of abandonment with which children create and not recognize this deep need within ourselves is a bit like trying to stay cold in front of a roaring fire. We can't help but want to create. We are human, after all."

The collage above is by one of my favorite artists. How fitting that I should find a piece of her work that speaks to creativity, not long after I posted about giving up my fears regarding creating art. (By the way, you can see more of her work at http://www.christinemasonmiller.com.)

I have one little criticism directed at her use of the word abandonment. I think she meant children create with a level of abandon. (Though creating art helps abandoned children therapeutically, I don't think that's what she meant.)

I want to thank all of you for leaving such encouraging and thoughtful comments and emails. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. You have really lit a spark for me and I hope it grows into a lively, snapping, warming fire.

Here's another bit of serendipity: I bought the magazine Mary Englebreit's Home Companion yesterday and found a painting of hers with the phrase shown below. I do agree. No matter what level of skill we are at, we are all gifted and we cannot neglect or suppress it.

NEGLECT NOT

THE GIFT THAT IS IN THEE.

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P. S. It is going to take a while for me to launch my new blog. I want to create a banner instead of having the "prefab" banner that's on this blog. Since I don't know HOW to create a banner, this may take some time, especially since I want something that is my own creation, not a photo that I have lifted from some source. I mean, it's going to be an ART blog so how can use someone else's art? Also, I completely forgot to mention this will also be a POETRY blog as well as an art blog. Plus, I've made some bits of jewelry that I want to show, and I WILL - dammit - create that "Spirit Doll" I have been planning for weeks in my mind.