“Do you have the courage to bring forth this work? The treasures that are hidden inside are hoping you will say yes.”–Elizabeth Gilbert; Big Magic; Creative Living Beyond Fear

A book that I started writing a year ago still sits in the draft file of my computer. My poetry binder sits unopened as new poetry has not been added for months. I have found the words to write here in this space, but I’ll admit there are times that this writing well seems to have run dry. I too often find myself getting caught up in the comparison trap. Yet as I read Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, the words quickly jumped off the page into my heart and mind and I found myself deeply ready to dive into whatever creative endeavor finds me next.

The truth is that creativity is much like a treasure hunt. We must look and find those treasures of creativity found deep within us. That treasure might be writing, or painting, or gardening, singing , acting or whatever gift God has given each and every one of us. Yet do we take the time to cultivate our own jewels and find the “big magic” in our own lives? Gilbert writes, “One of the oldest and most generous tricks that the universe plays on human beings is to bury strange jewels within us all, and then stand back and see if we can ever find them.”

So stand back…and look…do you see the jewels hidden in yourself and your friends and family? We must not be afraid to name those jewels for one another. Because sometimes we are just to blind to see them for ourselves. My friend Karrilee is an artist through the cards she crafts and creates and through the words she shares. My friend Anna is an awesome encourager and friend who wrote a beautiful Advent devotional book that reminded us all to slow down and savor that holy time of the year. And these are only a few of the jewels that I see before my very own eyes. Every day, my eyes are continually opened to find the jewels of individuals who have found a way into my heart.

The world would be a much more beautiful place if we allowed each other to create unabashedly without comparison. Creativity is a gift that has been given to each and every one of us. Creativity allows us to be fully who God created us to be. And it isn’t about perfection but pouring our hearts out through the creativity God has bestowed on each of us. So say yes to being creative!

“Creativity is sacred, and is not sacred. What we makes matters enormously, and doesn’t matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you.”–Elizabeth Gilbert

I’m linking up with Holly and Testimony Tuesday, Kelly and the RaRa linkup, Jennifer and Tell His Story, Holley and Coffee for Your Heart and Kristen and Three Word Wednesday.