Just DO Something!

A couple weeks ago, I finished reading “Hidden Art” by Edith Schaeffer (wife of Frances Schaeffer). The book, written and published in the 1960s, is on how each human being is creative, having some “hidden art” given by God. The author encouraged her readers to cultivate their own God-given talents, whether that be painting, singing, decorating, cooking, communicating, etc., instead of looking longingly at other people and wishing to have their special gifts. Each and every person has a creative flair because we are created in the image of God, the Creator of the Universe. 

Mrs. Schaeffer doesn’t give room for excuses - can’t decorate your house because you live in a hotel? Buy a pretty tablecloth and vase and pick a bouquet of wild flowers to grace your dinner table. Can’t perform on the stage like you’ve always dreamed? Make storytime with the children - your own, nieces, nephews, neighbors, cousins - a theatrical experience with animated voices and dramatic gestures and pauses. Don’t know how to decorate? Get advice from other women, get inspired by nature, and do a little research. Don’t listen to your excuses. As the author says, just DO something!

This book really inspired me to cultivate what talents I have and to learn things that I didn’t think I was good at. It also really encouraged me to create beauty in my home through decorating, cleaning, organizing, taking care of myself, and creating a peaceful atmosphere for those around me (especially my husband).

I recently had a conversation that sparked some more thinking - my friend and I both enjoy writing, but as we have gotten older, we’ve noticed that writing has become less fun, more discouraging and more like “work”. As we talked this over, we realized why this happened - we grew up, have become more critical of our ideas and plots, and that has stumped our creativity. I want to get back to the little girl that didn’t over think her writing, didn’t worry about what other people thought, and just wrote because it was fun...at least for the first draft. ;-)

Every day is new and fresh with no mistakes in it. (How refreshing is that thought?!) Today is the day to change, to grow, and to learn. Time to stop scrolling through Facebook, stop watching other people, and stop worrying about what others will think. It’s time to just DO something.