an artist and his plan

Genesis 1: 1-2 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

As a creative person, usually when you have something bubbling in you and you know exactly how to transfer that idea into an artform, you tackle that project, and you pour your soul out on the project. You pour and pour until you suddenly stop, take a step back, and realize that something is missing. At that point, that initial excitement runs out. The artist in this stage, will most likely leave the project and do other things until another spark comes out. Sometimes the spark does not come, so the artist would fix their eyes upon the creation and look at it with such scrutiny, hoping that something would “pop” out or “speak”.

That feeling when you know something is missing, but you have not quite figured it out yet can take minutes, hours, days and sometimes even months. You want it to be perfect, so you take your time to carefully think about it, analyze it. Until one day, out of the blue, you suddenly “see” what was missing. When this happens and you do “see”, you waste no time in completing the project. You get that same energy as in the first wave and you only stop when its done and perfect as you imagined it to be.

When it’s done, you step away, look at it and smile. You smile because in your heart its like something fell into place. Something that has been out of place for a while, found its place. When that is done, the artist celebrates. Usually through an exhibition, or a small get together to share the masterpiece with the world. They invite those who they think could be inspired from it.

When I read Genesis 1, I am reminded of the artist and the artistic process. I can’t help but wonder if God also in His first inspiration created the heavens, perfectly, and moved on to the earth and then took a step back as well. What if God at that point said, “hold on”, “something is missing”. That means that He would look at the formless and empty darkness on the surface of the waters and leave it alone for a while. The heavens were the first part of God’s creation and it was perfectly designed, but He felt that the earth needed something extra.

When I paint a portrait, I would paint the face carefully and leave the background either black or white. Because when the background is a solid colour, it allows me to complete the face without interruptions. When I am done painting the face, then I take a step back and look at the entire composition. At times I leave the background as is, but the more I look at it, the more I realize that it could benefit from a background that would complement it beautifully. Something that would fill all the empty spaces and bring out the best features of the portrait. At that time, I spend time analyzing how I would approach the background. In painting, especially a huge canvas, pre-planning and sketching are an integral part of the prep work. It’s so important because you do not want to waste time and mess the artwork. So, you step away from your creative work and do something else until you can shape the idea in your head before transferring the idea onto your creative piece.

Let’s pause at the word hovering on verse 2. Most Bible translated versions use the word “hovering” when describing what the Spirit of God was doing at the time. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, the best definition for hovering is, “to stay in one place in the air, usually by moving the wings”. Other internet sources, such as the Oxford dictionary, describe hover as remaining poised uncertainly in one place or between two states or to remain in one place in the air”.

As I think of this definition, I can’t help but wonder, if by hovering God was deciding on the best design. Almost like an artist goes back and forth when he has a brilliant idea for a project and is so exited to start and usually paces back and forth with a heart bursting with a mixture of joy and excitement. Or sometimes, in my own creative process, before I start something, I usually like to get it all figured out in my head first. I want to cross all the T’s and dot the I’s before I even lift a finger to start the art project. Having the picture clear in my mind, gives me a sense of direction, its like having the blueprint securely in my mind first, before it is made public.

I remember when my ex-husband taught me the basics of driving, he told me to always decide on the path in my head before I leave the house. In that way I can anticipate any awkward turns and prepare for any anticipated traffic jams or road closures and always find alternative ways. That guidance helped me avoid a great deal of anxiety and stress on the road.

God is methodical, strategic and a great artist. God never does something without having a plan in place. When God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was made to complement the heavens. It is supposed to bring out the best features of heaven. In the next few chapters, we will together explore the little clues we find of this awesome creative work of God and the links to heaven. We will explore our role as children of God and what God’s heart wants for us. For now, just let it sink in that we are all part of a beautiful masterpiece, created by God to complement heaven. That means that we have special skills that are unique to us and our environment and we should explore and use them.

We are in this together.

Lots of love

Alcina Chipeio (5 April 2021)