Creative Expression: You Are Expressing the Talents of God

by Angela Loeb

Many people think that if you’re a creative person, it must mean that you’re an artist, a writer, a musician, or something along those lines. But the actual definition of creativity is very broad. According to Merriam Webster, it’s “the ability to make new things or think of new ideas.” So, since you have opposable thumbs, reasoning ability and can solve problems, you are creative by default. Even everyday activities like preparing a meal can fit the definition.    

In her book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron points out that all of us are creative at some level when she says, “Creativity is the natural order of life,” and “The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.” 

Cameron also discusses the link between creativity and the Divine, explaining that “The heart of creativity is an experience of the mystical union; the heart of the mystical union is an experience of creativity.”

She’s not the only one to make that link. In fact, she cites composer Johannes Brahms: “Straightaway the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God.” And human potential expert Joseph Chilton Pearce: “We must accept that this creative pulse within us is God’s creative pulse itself.” 

Rollo May, a mid-20th century psychologist who wrote The Courage to Create, said this about creativity: “The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy.” 

Athletes call this experience “being in the zone,” which happens when they are creating experiences with their talents and physical exertions. Bill Russell, Boston Celtics superstar (1956–1969), wrote about it in his autobiography, Second Wind:

Every so often a Celtics game would heat up so that it would become more than a physical or even mental game, and would be magical… When it happened I could feel my play rise to a new level... The feeling would spread to the other guys, and we’d all levitate. Then the game would just take off, and there’d be a natural ebb and flow that reminded you of how rhythmic and musical basketball is supposed to be. I’d find myself thinking, “This is it. I want this to keep going,” and I’d actually be rooting for the other team. When their players made spectacular moves, I wanted their shots to go into the bucket; that’s how pumped up I’d be... The game would move so quickly that every fake, cut and pass would be surprising, and yet nothing could surprise me. It was almost as if we were playing in slow motion. During those spells I could almost sense how the next play would develop and where the next shot would be taken… My premonitions would be consistently correct, and I always felt then that I not only knew all the Celtics by heart but also all the opposing players, and that they all knew me. There have been many times in my career when I felt moved or joyful, but these were the moments when I had chills pulsing up and down my spine.

Creativity is one of the best ways to observe your connection with the Divine. But it’s not just the act of creating at a thinking level. It’s your immersion in the creative zone, which as you can tell from Russell’s description is experiential and involves being fully present in the moment.

You ARE a creative person, and you are constantly in connection with God’s creative impulse. Every single moment, you are creating your life. You solve problems with your creativity practically every day. Maybe tomorrow you’ll even go so far as to paint or sculpt or compose in the effort to consciously express creativity.

Sufi master and poet Hafiz said, “All the talents of God are within you.” Trust that through your creative expression, you are expressing the talents of God.