The Most Decadent Artist I Know:

Do you ever feel guilty for using time for creativity when the world (and your house) is in a mess? This poem is a response to that.

Sometimes I feel bad about the words that clamour to pour out

And the paint that wants to be scribbled

When the world is in such a mess.

It doesn't feel very proper or holy somehow.

But,

God is

The most excessive, lavish and decadent artist I know.

This Creator who made

400, 000 types of flower, 1.05 million species of insects, 200 billion trillion stars in the universe.

As if that wasn't enough

He made each of the 1 septillion snowflakes that fall each winter, unique,

And each of the 117 billion humans who have ever walked this planet to have their very own fingerprint.

Have you ever seen creativity on this scale?

An explosion of colour, energy and ideas that makes galaxies for fun.

How can I ever feel guilty about my own swirl of ideas?

Or that I should spend my time on more worthy things?

Yes, the world is in a mess

And marching and letters and prayers need to happen.

Yes, there is need everywhere

And feeding and comforting and campaigning need to happen.

Yes, my house is in disarray

And washing and dishes and cleaning need to happen.

But, my worship can look like the songs I sing

And prayer can be the words I write

And the overflow of thoughts that erupt and collide with a life of their own

Is part of the new imaginings of hope and love that will change the world,

Because creativity needs to happen.

(This post first appeared on my Substack blog on Feb 18, 2023 - https://faithn.substack.com/p/the-most-decadent-artist-i-know )

Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay