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    The Creative Soul Within: Rediscover Your Imagination, Let Go of Stress, and Develop the Creative Gifts God Has Given You
    The Creative Soul Within: Rediscover Your Imagination, Let Go of Stress, and Develop the Creative Gifts God Has Given You
    The Creative Soul Within: Rediscover Your Imagination, Let Go of Stress, and Develop the Creative Gifts God Has Given You
    Ebook183 pages1 hour

    The Creative Soul Within: Rediscover Your Imagination, Let Go of Stress, and Develop the Creative Gifts God Has Given You

    By Zondervan

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    About this ebook

    When was the last time you did something just for the joy of it? The Creative Soul Within invites you on a 52-week journey to embrace the creative soul within you to help you grow in your relationship with God, yourself, and those around you. With each entry, you're invited to unplug, rediscover your imagination, let go of stress, learn how to play again, and take the deep and meaningful journey to develop the creative gifts the Lord has given you.

    The Creative Soul Within invites you to:

    • Reflect on your emotions and let go of stress
    • Connect back to the simple things that bring you joy
    • Reflect on God's faithfulness and His goodness in your life
    • Explore your creative side with easy, guided prompts

     

    Each entry includes: 

    • A Bible verse about God's creation 
    • A brief and encouraging reflection about faith, friendship, nature, and beauty
    • A simple writing prompt, craft, or gardening tip to help you engage your creative side
    • A low-budget shopping list, as needed

     

    For creatives of all skill levels, The Creative Soul Within is a perfect gift to give to people who want to know themselves and their God more deeply. Featuring four-color photography and a bright and fresh design, The Creative Soul Within is a beautiful gift for Mother's Day, graduations, birthdays, holidays, or self-purchase.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateOct 18, 2022
    ISBN9780310461371

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      Book preview

      The Creative Soul Within - Zondervan

      Am I Creative?

      In the midst of hectic day-to-day schedules, it’s easy for our creative dreams and aspirations to fall by the wayside, or even become lost altogether. From managing calendars to fulfilling family, work, and household responsibilities—all of which are good and important—our creative spirits can sometimes fade into the background. Between all of this doing, there is still a part of us that longs to make something.

      There is a unique creative instinct that still lives within each of us, and it’s time to reawaken it.

      The first step in reconnecting with that creativity is quieting the noise around us to allow ourselves time to be alone with our thoughts. So, what happens when we take the first big step of drowning out the sights and sounds of the day to focus on the creative task at hand and suddenly find ourselves . . . stuck?

      Maybe this is where you are. You don’t write stories. You don’t make pottery. You don’t draw or dance or design . . .

      The truth is, regardless of whether you feel creative, you are creative. These are not empty words of encouragement. Rather, this is about who created you. You are the product of a wildly, unimaginably, profoundly creative God. You are His workmanship, Paul said in Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

      Another word for workmanship? Masterpiece. Imagine that. We are creations of a perfect God, and even with all our human flaws, we are made in His image. We are masterpieces made by a perfect Creator.

      Michelangelo’s David is known as the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture. Some even call it the greatest sculpture the world has ever known. The piece, begun in 1501, wasn’t completed until 1504. It is said that Michelangelo worked nonstop over the course of those three years to complete the impressive, seventeen-foot marble statue. But even one of the world’s greatest artistic masterpieces is still only a replica of God’s design.

      You are the product of a wildly, unimaginably, profoundly creative God.

      We can only know true perfection in heaven, so anything we create here on earth is free from the pressure of being flawless. Thus, we can create in gratitude for the desires and abilities that God has given us. When the act of creating becomes an act of worship, there is no room left for worry.

      Also in Ephesians, Paul said we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (1:4). If the world’s greatest statue took less than four years to complete, and if God has been planning your design since before the world came to be, you must be impressive. Well-thought-out. In fact, Scripture says you are wonderfully and fearfully made (Psalm 139:14).

      That’s what this journal is about. Remembering that we are creators.

      But does that make you creative?

      Your Master Sculptor gave you much more than beauty and careful design. He gave you life. You are His masterpiece designed to move and breathe and think and, yes, create.

      So, who cares if your sculpture doesn’t look like a masterpiece? God gave you breath in your lungs, hands to hold tools, and a creative desire in your heart—these are gifts to be celebrated.

      We create with God, the first and last and far-above-all-others Creative One. He is our Father; we inherited creativity from Him. We also create with each other. All of us masterpieces walking around on this earth—we work together. We support each other.

      That’s what this journal is about. Remembering that we are creators. Expressing gratitude for our creative gifts. Connecting with God, and each other, as we awaken the creative soul within.

      SECTION 1

      God Made You to Make

      On the creative process, on God’s creative process, on finding your way into creating.

      WEEK 1

      Take a Chance and Begin

      In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.

      GENESIS 1:1–2

      Isn’t there something special about the beginning of things? A new birth. A new job. A new home. The beginning is full of hope and excitement, full of wonder for what is to come. The thing is, you don’t know the ending. Not really. You can guess that you’ll stay in your home for the next fifteen years, but who knows? It’s often this unknowing that keeps us from getting started.

      God knew where His world would end up—in imperfection and sin, in darkness and despair. Still, He picked the creation day and began.

      Buy the seeds. Write the page. Take the class. Cut the fabric.

      You don’t know where your creative endeavors will end. That’s the best part! The thrill of starting something new, the anticipation of where the project will lead, the discovery of self along the way. The creative process is just that: a process. It’s not just about the outcome. It’s about the journey, which invites us to learn about ourselves, others, and God with every step. If your feelings are walking the line between intimidation and excitement, that’s okay, because this allows you to be vulnerable with God and embrace the openness that comes with taking a leap, even if you don’t know where you’re going to land.

      And remember, you are not on this path alone. You may not know where this endeavor will end, but you do know who’s on your side—not only the Master Creator but the people in your life who love and support you as well. So even if the project goes a little haywire somewhere in the middle, if the garden doesn’t take off, or if the book takes a few more years than you expected, you won’t face these hardships by yourself.

      So why not take a chance and begin?

      Buy the seeds. Write the page. Take the class. Cut the fabric. Whatever’s on your heart, take your first steps toward achieving it today. The beginning is beautiful; don’t hesitate to embrace it—the joy, the excitement, the wonder. Breathe in those feelings deeply; savor the joie de vivre of finally saying yes and taking a chance on something new.

      REFLECT

      Today’s activity is all about you. Other prompts will ask you to try something new or something outside your wheelhouse, but this one is about embracing the thing you’ve had on your heart for a while now . . . the creative work you’ve put off for a better time.

      Guess what? Your time is today.

      In the space below, make a list of your first steps toward achieving your creative goal. This doesn’t have to be exhaustive, but it should be specific. What do you need to buy? What time do you need to set aside? How much? Who can help you? When will you talk to them?

      Make your list and get started.

      [Your Response Here]

      WEEK 2

      Step Back

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