Naming the Animals: An Invitation to Creativity is a new book coming out in a few weeks from Square Halo Books. As with every book, there is a lot of work to make the book and then there is a lot of work to get the word out to the world to let everyone know that the book is available. But right now there is a little time for quiet and rest. And speaking of rest, here is a reflection on Creativity and Rest that we wrote for the book but ran out of room for it. There probably is a metaphor or lesson somewhere in that!
So as we wait for the book to release, let’s think about REST:
As seeds buried in the dirt and hidden from view, our time away from our work contributes to our creations the same way a rest note distinguishes the melody of a song. Creativity involves a set apart space and time. It is a playground of collecting and considering, of daydreaming and exploration. Rest is an important part of the creative process. Without a break in our routines, habits can harden in us and leave little room for innovation. We get too close to the work to see it objectively. As we set out to establish our lives in creative flow, God’s example of creation and rest gives us the pattern to follow. He worked for six days and then rested. In rest, we are enabled to see from an outside point of view and consider possibilities that didn’t exist in our narrow frame of reference. Rest is for our good and for God’s glory. As we take time for thankfulness and praise to the Creator, he fills us up and creativity can take root to blossom again.