Creative Outlets I’ve Known and Loved by Marcia Lee Laycock

Dad in Chair

“You have a challenge before you.”

The drawing instructor grinned. “Oh? What’s that?”

“Me.” I said. “I don’t do mornings. (The drawing class started at 8:00 a.m.) “And I couldn’t draw a decent stick figure to save my life.”

The instructor laughed. “I’ll have you drawing well enough by Christmas.”

I doubted it, but as the weeks went by it began to happen. I not only learned to draw, I learned to love drawing. I found it relaxing in a meditative way and was continually amazed at what you see when you have to focus on something enough to replicate it.

That form of creativity has been put on the back burner many times in my life as I’ve concentrated on writing, but every now and then I pull out a sketch pad, sit down and draw. I’ve also done some water colour painting and have taken a couple of courses in the past.

I’ll never be a great artist but the exercise is one I find relaxing and fulfilling. I’ve tried many other art forms over the years. When my husband and I decided to leave the Yukon after twelve years, we sold almost everything we owned, including the log home we’d built ourselves. We had a massive yard sale and I pulled out all the left-overs from my dabblings in stained glass, silk screening, pottery, weaving and spinning. One woman who was pawing through it all asked if there was anything I hadn’t done. I was sure there must be something, but I couldn’t come up with an answer.

All were fun in their own way but none stood the test of time.

One thing I have learned about any creative endeavour – they all take work. It takes time and effort to develop the skills necessary to do any creative work well. Perhaps that’s what draws the line between a hobby and a life’s passion – the willingness to work at it.

When we moved to Alberta after Bible College I made a decision to focus on the writing. It had always been my first love and now that I was a believer in Jesus Christ it had a new and exciting focus. As God opened the doors and showed me what He wanted me to do I felt a new and exciting sense that I had finally found the creative outlet I was meant to pursue with all my heart and energy.

But now and then I do pick up a sketch pad and my water colours. Just for the fun.

By the way, the piece above is a collaborative effort with my daughter. Laura took the drawing I had done of my dad sleeping in his chair and made it into a painting.

Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was short listed in The Word Awards. Marcia also has two devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan.

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded on Smashwords or on Amazon. It is also now available in Journal format on Amazon.

Marcia's most recent release is A Traveler's Advisory, Stories of God's Grace Along the Way.

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