Creativity Part 4
May 26, 2025
Creativity Part 4
Many people associate creativity with femininity. Portions of our society reinforce women for being creative and discourage men from saying they are creative. Many people who identify as male, seem culturally groomed to say things like, “I leave all the decorating to my wife.” And “I wouldn’t know how to begin to paint or draw.” However, a person who identifies as female is generally encouraged by our culture, to be creative. But creativity is not owned by any one gender.
A lovely gentleman, I shall call Max, claimed he would never pick out the colors for their home's interior or select and arrange their furniture. In jest, he said, "Margaret does all the interior design in our home because I don’t know about those kinds of things.”
Max was a “man’s man,” hunter and athlete, and one of the best-dressed people in town. He selected and matched all his clothes and shoes. When he entered a room, it was as if he’d walked out of a bandbox. Knowing color and design wasn’t on society’s list of male attributes, but it was obvious Max knew precisely how to match colors and textures. His talent for dressing was a form of creativity, but regardless of how culture discouraged him from claiming all his natural abilities, in his dress, they still shone through.
We have males, females, and all the variations of gender identity in between, who are artists of music, literature, dance, painting, architecture, gardening, theater, design, and all artistic endeavors. However, there are “artists” in other fields who may not be recognized as such. These are the artists of business, diplomacy, government, engineering, philosophy, science, medicine, law, and construction. Every human body of knowledge requires creative approaches, and those in their fields who create are artists in their own right.
For example, in diplomacy, the use of color and design may not be essential, but the ability to see different shades of perspective, to utilize unlikely elements, to find common ground, and to combine these in a harmonious outcome, make for a creative diplomat.
The fact is that both the two major genders and all variations of gender identity include the quality of creativity. If we are created in the image of the Creator, we are all creators in our unique ways.
Spiritual practice: How are you creative in your approach to the obstacles in your life’s journey?
Self-inquiry: What shapes your description of your creativity?
Dear God,
Thank you for all the creative solutions that have benefitted me on my journey throughout the years. For those who reminded me, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” I am so grateful. And for their ability to make that way come true, I am thankful. Also, I give you thanks and praise for the creative energies within my soul. Amen
