Created to Create
For the past decade, creativity has threaded itself through every part of my life in ways I didn’t fully notice until recently. Only in the last year have most people begun to see me primarily as an illustrator, but creativity has been shaping me long before I ever touched an iPad.
It was there while I studied architecture, imagining spaces, solving problems, and learning to bring ideas into form. It was there when I was trying to figure out how to successfully navigate life as an immigrant to the United States in my mid-twenties. And it definitely showed up again even in those nights I spent wrestling through statistics (and crying over it more than I’d like to admit).
Eventually, after years of focusing on structured paths and practical decisions, I found myself returning to art, not as a side hobby, but as something God had planted in me from the beginning.
As I look at the world around me, with all its brokenness and ache, I’m convinced that creativity is one of the ways God invites us to see Him more clearly. I am certain you know exactly what I am talking about. A watercolor sunset, a towering mountain, watching the rhythm of the waves of the sea early in the early morning, all those things cause praise to swell in our hearts. None of it was made carelessly or without intention. Creation itself testifies to a God who pays attention to detail and delights in beauty. When God creates, He creates with purpose.
And because we’re made in His image, we’re wired to create too. You see it in everyday life: choosing colors that make a space feel warm, organizing shelves, planning meals that make people feel welcome. Some people express creativity through gardening, pairing textures and colors or planting by season. Others show it in how they set a table, design a workflow, or solve practical problems.
These natural instincts, toward beauty, order, pattern, structure, reflect a God who designed the world with meaning and intention. Even in a world that often ignores Him, He still lets us experience moments of wonder through the creative work of our hands and minds.
And creativity isn’t limited to traditional art. You don’t have to be a painter to be creative. If you feel drawn to paint, paint, no matter how big or small the audience. If you love writing, write, even if the only person who reads it is you. If spreadsheets bring you joy, create those algorithms that make life easier for the people around you.
Maybe your gift is teaching children, making a space feel welcoming, problem-solving, finding unique ways to encourage others, or creating mouth-watering recipes. Whatever form it takes, I would encourage you to use your creative talent. God has woven specific abilities into each of us, not to compare them or hide them, but to express something true about who He is.