When I was in high school I saw myself as creative. I was able to select the fabric, patterns and styles to make my own clothing. I enjoyed assembling the colors, textures and unique styles I was able to create. As a senior I crafted a fuchsia, floor length, crepe, empire, waist gown. It featured a v-neck with 12 rhinestone-jeweled buttons on the sleeves. My wrap for the night was a color- coordinated, velvet cape with festive, jeweled trim and a tassel on the hood. The ensemble fit me beautifully and when my date (then boyfriend, now husband) presented my beautiful fuchsia orchid corsage to me I felt like all was right with the world! My custom couture outfit was one-of-a-kind, creative and outstanding!

I would go on to make the dress I was married in, practically all of my maternity wardrobe (for four pregnancies) and clothing for my three beautiful daughters along with other family members. I honored my creativity and giftedness.

During high school I learned a lot more than reading, writing and arithmetic. I also learned from a high school art teacher named Mr. Malik. I enjoyed taking his class. I experienced ceramics in his class; to be precise I discovered ceramics that year in Mr. Malik’s class. I enjoyed the coil pots, making things with my hands and experimenting with the various glazes available at our school. One of the final assignments we made was of a sculptured head. We were able to make it just about any size. We were given time and instructed to create art. I remember taking a great deal of time on every detail. The nose, eyes and ears were a particular problem for me. As I reflect now, if one is making a head and they are having trouble with the eyes, nose and ears, chances are when their work is finished, unless the individual is able to pull the piece together somehow, the completed work will resemble a collection of features clumsily, merged together in a disjointed work.

I don’t remember getting any particular instruction in how to bring my creativity to the class and improve my skill to create a cohesive finished head project. I do recall coming into the classroom early, as was my practice, on the last day of school. I noticed a large bin in the center of the classroom. Inside the bin was a collection of all of the unclaimed mistakes that were replaced by more worthy redoes, or otherwise discarded ceramic works destined for the trash heap. This bin was their final resting place before being placed in the dumpster, if they remain unsold by days end. Each item in the bin had a piece of masking tape on it with a hand written price. There in the bin amongst at least one hundred other projects of various sizes was my grapefruit sized creation of a head. I was not sure why it was in the bin because I had not abandoned it, I concluded it was there because it was considered highly undesirable, worthy of being sold for scrap. When I saw the 25-cent price on my treasured, labor-intensive project it was clear in my mind why it was there; my project, which I believed to be a reflection of my creativity was worth one quarter of a dollar.

My teenaged heart sank when I realized my creativity, and skill was part of the heap of refuse in the bin and on its way to the dumpster had I not retrieved it. I took that as a very definite sign that I was not creative. I had seen the work of others receive awards and acclaim. I was crushed. For many years I believed I was not creative and questioned my artistic abilities. I gave myself messages for many years that indicated I was not creative. I began to believe that there was possible not one creative bone in my body! This was a lie. One of many lies I bought about me.

As I continued to examine myself and search for the truth about me I have embraced the creativity that resides within me. I am a creative person. God has gifted me to be creative. The belief in the lie about my creativity held me back in a number of areas. I have no ill feelings about Mr. Malik. I carried the clay head from my parent’s home to my home as a wife and still have it among my possessions today. I have shared information about my experience with others; I am reminded of the limits I placed on myself because I believed the lies about me. The space held by beliefs and untruths about who I am and what my gifts are limit my ability to fulfill my potential, my purpose.

What untruths have you carried as truth? What space is being occupied that could be filled with empowering truth? How have you seen others with limits? What untruths have you passed along to them?

As we continue to search ourselves with the understanding that we are on the potter’s wheel, that we have valuable raw materials within, that we have beautiful pieces of art within each of us. Each of us has parts of our Heavenly Father inside. Each of us is a collection of those gifts (characteristics of Him). Each of us carries a unique set of gifts, which when engaged, as He would have them, propel us to success.

At the beginning of this year, where do you desire to be? What changes do you desire to make? I have learned to embrace my creativity. I have learned to have that “all is right with the world” feeling everyday!

You and I are like that clay in Mr. Malik’s class except our instructor, our teacher helps us to look inside and realize a successful product by combining our inherent gifting and improving our skill. However we must participate. Life is not a spectator sport!

Where are you today and where do you want to be tomorrow? What truth are you searching to uncover about you? The Word tells us that if we ask for wisdom He will give it to us. Transformation is very doable; it is not a destination but rather a process. Are you involved in the process? The choice is yours, He is the potter, we are the clay and yet it is a relationship. Let’s continue to Take Inventory and Take Action!

Let me know if you need some help, and let me know how you are progressing on your path of transformation.

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”

P.S. I did my walking four days out of seven this week. Not what I had hoped and yet better than before I established my goal. I look forward to doing better next week. How did you do?