Women, Creativity and Family Culture
By Tessa B. Williams
A meme in the great internet-somewhere read that “women are natural born artists—from drawing on eyebrows to drawing conclusions.”
The fact that so many women know how to put on makeup is astounding. A casual, textured-surface, ever-evolving, daily painting... It’s no wonder that women are all called to be creative in their daily lives; they are already doing it! So too, and abundantly more, in the comfortable or conscious absence of or indifference to makeup, women are wildly, naturally artistic in a myriad of ways. In their work, in their approach to parenting, health, nutrition, homemaking, logistics, gardening, education, marriage, cultivation of family culture, community-building, hunting, gathering—the list goes on. Women are constantly making new and creative inroads to the good life.
The privilege of mothers to conceive, bear and raise children has been pondered, debated, envied, and argued over throughout the ages. This particular creative spark inherent in the privilege of motherhood seems other-worldly both from the outside and to those who experience it. How can women and mothers understand, cultivate and grow this gift of natural creativity while taking into account their personal skills, interests and gifts?
There is an argument that says “Let art exist for art’s sake.” That is, do not make it utilitarian, do not make it something to profit from, do not make it a lesson. But another argument says that art’s purpose is not just for humans to behold beauty and marvel at it, but rather, that art should breed, grow and foster Love. Love with a capital ‘L.’ This is the true mission of creativity.
If we are made in our Father’s image, we are beautiful. We want to create beauty. And that beauty is then a reflection of Him, a returning call to Him, an embrace of Him, a prayer to Him. It is an adoration. Creativity and artistry then are not meant to boost our ego, but to fulfill our sense of self insofar as we are children of God, and insofar as it allows us to point toward him. We can view every creative act as a finger pointing toward Heaven. Art and creativity become, in this way, not fanciful extras, but daily admissions to the Almighty, that He is almighty.
An act of creativity can become then a sacred, serious and indelible call to Communion with our Creator, for ourselves and for anyone who beholds the beauty which we might be allowed to create. The ones first in line for our “art show” can be our husbands, as we invite them to date again, in new and fun ways. It can be our children, as we discover creative paths to connection, healing, growth, and education in our child-rearing.
If we invite our Lord into this pondering, we will discover bold, pioneering pathways of personal joy which breed, foster and grow Love in our families and our communities.