Sabbath Devotional :: The Creative Process and the Making of Peace
“Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.”
When I first heard those words in Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf’s General Conference talk over 10 years ago, I was both intrigued and inspired. At the time, I was trying to grapple with being a full-time caretaker to my young sons while nourishing my own creative spirit.
I am an adequate housekeeper at best, an introvert who would rather spend time alone with a book or at my piano than cooking, cleaning, or frankly, playing on the floor with children. But I grew up in a beautiful home, eating delicious meals, and surrounded by stimulating conversation.
None of that was by accident; my mother is an extroverted artist and there was evidence of her creativity and exuberance everywhere. And whenever I visit my sister in her home, I am moved by the lovely and inviting spaces she has created. She is a masterful hostess, has provided so many raw materials for her children to encourage the development of their imaginations, and she lovingly creates interesting and delicious meals. Far from fitting the stereotype of an unfulfilled homemaker, she pours her heart and soul into her home in ways I seek to emulate.
When I think about my mom and sister, I am struck by the importance of actively making a home, as opposed to passively allowing a household to come together. It suggests that the maker has a vision and is deliberate and thoughtful, but also that she has encountered resistance. Effort is implied and effort happens where there is something to push up against. The creative process rarely unfolds in a space of comfort and ease. More often than not, tension and discomfort play a primary role, as well as thoughtful planning and consideration.
The pushback I often receive as a mother of three boys, including one with significant special needs, has provided a laboratory for such creative problem solving. Overall, I do think I have created a wonderful space for my family to thrive in, but the challenges I meet along the way (especially my own lack of skill or interest) are not merely obstacles. They are an essential part of the creative process.
I have also observed this principle in my work as a musician. I recently performed an organ solo that really pushed at the edges of my competencies. I had the option to play a solo on the piano, an instrument I am much more comfortable with. But when I sat down to choose a piece, my mind filled with a sense that I needed to find something exuberant and joyful to play on the organ for this particular concert. When I came upon the Toccata on Adeste Fideles, I immediately knew this was what I had envisioned. (Note: That video is not of me performing!)
This piece took extra effort to learn, the process included a great deal of frustration, and the final tempo was a bit slower than I wanted. But I had that initial vision, that sense of where I wanted to end up, and the focus to stick with my goal, adjusting here and there as needed. I was overcome with creative energy while preparing and performing and felt deeply fulfilled by the entire experience.
Can the creative process I describe in homemaking and music-making also be found in peacemaking? We talk a lot about peace, but perhaps we need to spend a little more time analyzing the making of it. Like my challenging organ solo or my barely adequate homemaking skills, there is a messiness and discomfort that comes when we are stretched to make the thing we have envisioned in our minds. Are we willing to work through the pushback and frustration we encounter? Or do we bail on tension-filled situations due to a misconception that disagreement is inherently unpeaceful and unproductive?
As I was envisioning (one of the steps in the creative process) this post over the past few weeks, it slowly became clear that this was meant to be more of an “invitational” than a devotional. I am not supposed to wrap up my findings for you in a pretty package, but to invite you to consider the creative process more deeply, especially as it relates to your patterns of personal peacemaking. I still struggle to balance my desire to have a lovely home with my need to have space for my solitary creative work. I know the best peacemaking happens when I harness the tension of opposing viewpoints, but I still sometimes think it would be easier and quicker if people would just agree with me and do what I say.
But then I remember that, as Sister Sharon Eubank so beautifully taught us, “Innovation and creation are spiritual gifts. When we keep our covenants . . . it gives us access to inspiration so we can think of different solutions, different approaches, different applications.”
We are not on our own here. We can look at competing interests at home, challenging intellectual projects, impossible work situations, and difficult political discussions and find innovative ways to address them. Creation is our birthright as beloved daughters of heavenly parents.
Emma Petty Addams is the executive director for Mormon Women for Ethical Government.
