Bringing Beauty Into Places by Lynn J Simpson

It's been a dream of mine to see beauty in places that currently hold advertisements full of words and pictures. 

These billboards, these advertisements glued on bus benches, hockey rink boards, store entries, etcetera can make us wonder that if we had such and such, or look like such and such, or had more friends like such and such, maybe we'd be happier, more content, and less stressed. 

However, I wonder what if those advertisements that are known to leave us feeling discontent, stressed, and overall unhappy, were replaced with a breathing space picture instead? 

In 2017, I self-published a reflective journal that included full page nature pictures that I called breathing spaces, to help create a mind-set of calm and clarity when reflecting on your day. Studies have shown that just looking at a picture of nature decreases stress hormones, clearing your mind so you just simply feel better. My hope was that the 10 minute activity of reflecting on one's day with a nature picture in view, would help one feel grateful and at peace so less likely to be angry at that driver who may cut them off on the way to work, or that person who steps on their toe while riding the transit. 

And overall, just make the world a bit of a kinder place.

I believe that is why it is so important to share our beautiful writings and other art works into the world--to make it a place where kindness spreads starting with a peaceful, content, and loving mindset.

Maybe one day I'll ride the city train where advertising spaces have become photos of maritime shorelines, the wide-open fields of the prairies, and the majestic rocky mountains. 

Can you imagine that? 

Psalm 95:3-5

"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."

A Call to Create Beauty by Sandi Somers

Our prompt this month comes from Jack Popjes’ blog, “In Search of Beauty.”  He reminded us that God chose two men, Bezalel and Oholiab. He filled them with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, understanding, knowledge in all kinds of skills, to make artistic designs and to create beauty for the Israelite’s tabernacle. God also gave them the ability to teach others to work as engravers, designers, and embroiderers (Exodus 35:30-35).  

Writing as Beauty?

          Yes!

When I suggested this topic last year, I hadn't thought of writing as beautiful. Yes, I thought a piece of writing was dynamic, the style was skilled, superb and brilliant. Images and metaphors were exquisite, sometimes melodic. But “beautiful” hadn’t entered my vocabulary.

Preparing for this blog earlier this spring changed all that.

I'm part of a Sermon Study Guide group at my church, a group that creates study questions for each sermon. We also take turns writing the sermon summary, reducing the essence of the sermon of five to six thousand words into a thousand words. I usually feel stimulated and engrossed in doing so.  

This particular Sunday’s summary was a challenge, as our speaker’s style was circular. He made a point, discussed it with a number of repetitions, and then circled back to the point. I spent a number of hours working on it. As I finished, the summary sparkled with authenticity, unity and coherence. It was beautiful.

That experience began my starting point for exploring beauty in writing and mentoring. It seemed that wherever I turned, authors described writing in terms of beauty. Here’s a sample.

“Thomas Jefferson admired the beauty of brevity, urging writers and speakers to do more with less.”

The Russian playwright and short story writer Chekov was gifted with “the ability to beautifully describe a scene by showing rather than telling.”

The testimony of a survivor of Cambodia’s Killing Fields was described as “something beautiful for God.”

“Don't just be the artiste, be a good craftsman”, the author Harold Best advised. “Remember that God makes things beautiful from the inside out…elegant …and in so doing you will join up with the mind of the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”[i]

Beyond working to create more beauty in my own writing, God has expanded my ministry of mentoring and encouraging others in their writing journeys. Much of this ministry comes from my own long and convoluted writing journey.

Grappling with writing issues has given me an understanding of issues that other writers face. Working through doubts about God’s purpose and plans for them. Second guessing themselves. Praying through questions. Developing and mastering skill and confidence. Seeing the love of craft blossoming.

Beauty grows as these writers discover purpose, direction, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We’ve celebrated together.

~ ~ ~

Now over to you. What does creating beauty mean for you and your writing? How have you sensed God’s Holy Spirit filling you as He did Bezalel and Oholiab? And/or how is He giving you the ability to teach others in the crafting of beauty?

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[i] Michael Card. Scribbling in the Sand. Downers Grove IL: IVP. 123-124

The Hope of Creating Something Beautiful – by Ramona Heikel

I love watching others create beauty in sight, sound or motion. In the past year or so, I have enjoyed Shakespeare in the Park; small jazz and oldies bands; our high school musical production of Cinderella; a gallery of Dr. Seuss art; watching and joining in a folk dance; and the Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys.  In each experience, I marveled at the talent and inspiration behind them, and grew excited to work on my own artistic pursuits.

Miniature kitchen from the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys

Taking pictures while hiking or walking in a natural area clears my mind and fills it with the beauty of the micro and the macro--with few other thoughts--for hours.  Although it’s not my intention when I leave home with a camera, that focus and calm opens up my heart to creative inspiration.  As a bonus, it leaves me with possibilities to create something that will bring joy and gratitude to someone else, such as making my own greeting cards, or posting photos of God’s creative work on a website.

So I seek out the creativity of others for the sheer enjoyment of it.  And that often inspires my own creativity.  Maybe, I am also at the same time unintentionally, subconsciously seeking out opportunities to fill my artistic well, that author Julia Cameron writes about in The Artist’s Way.  Either way, it works!

I think my focus on writing, above all other arts, is inspired by that same desire to create something beautiful.  In this case, I want to create something beautiful in the mind of the one who reads it.  Originally, that first person was me.  I noticed this when I wrote some novels.  At the time, I couldn’t find what I wanted to read in others’ novels, so I tried writing one myself.  (Not as proficiently as most other writers, of course!  And I have since found more and more fiction authors who write exactly what I want to read.)

Flickr photo of Fish Creek Library by Raul Pacheco-Vega

My most consistent writing “date", especially in the cold months, is a trip to my local library.  The vastness of the open-air design and the 3-story-high windows welcome the sun’s rays and blue sky, or the calming sight of falling snow.  It satisfies my mid-winter longing for wide-open spaces, without having to fight the cold.  I spend some time people watching, studying the children playing with the life-sized chess game or the new colorful piano, and checking the New and Notables racks.  I may even make a trip up the three flights of stairs to the top floor to get some deep breaths and blood circulation.  Finally, I head to the 808.02 section to see if there are writing books I haven’t seen before.  By then my goal is to find an interesting writing prompt and a cushy chair near a window.

All of the people I’ve seen and conversations I’ve heard and inspiration I’ve inhaled have awakened my heart, senses, and mind.  Thoughts and ideas come streaming out, and I’m learning to let the words flow —without filtering, analyzing or editing. Any day that includes this kind of pure, joyful, open writing, with the hope of creating something beautiful, is a successful day!

Posted by Ramona

www.happilywriting.com