The Need to Write

It's only been a bit over three months since the last post—there's no real need for more, but I figure it won't hurt.

And I still don't have my own writing to post. Life has been full to bursting since that last post, but I can't get up the gumption to recap it all. So I offer someone else's words instead.

I found a set of signs I used to have up in my office in order to remind me of why I write, or why I should be writing; to encourage me to get to work or to keep working, or at the least not to give up completely. When I moved offices, they got shuffled, and now they're in bad shape, so I'm working on recreating them.

And I figured I'd get you in on the work. If you know of any inspirational or chastizational (my adjective form for chastising), or other quote that touches on writing—or creative endeavor of any kind—feel free to post it as a comment below. I need all the encouragement I can get these days. (I'm also putting up a similar post with different quotes over on my Facebook page, if you're interested in such things.)

The following comes from Michael Card's book, Scribbling in the Sand, which is a great read. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that it includes a number of letters from Christian artists to others; these are selections from a letter by H.R. Rookmaker:

“If God has given us talents we may use them creatively—or rather, we must use them creatively. A Christian artist is not different from, say, a Christian teacher, minister, scholar, merchant, housewife, or anybody else that has been called by the Lord to specific work in line with his or her talents. There are no specific rules for artists, nor do they have specific exemptions from the norms of good conduct God laid down for man.

“Freedom is the necessary basis for creativity, for creativity is impossible where there is timidity, when you allow yourself to be bound by narrow rules... Freedom is positive. It means being free from tradition, from the feeling that everything you do has to be original, from certain fixed rules said to be necessary in art—but also from the thought that to be creative you must break all kinds of rules and standards.

“Freedom means also that there are no prescriptions for subject matter. There is no need for a Christian to illustrate biblical stories or biblical truth, though he may of course choose to do that. An artist has the right to choose a subject that he thinks worthwhile... It is freedom to help a neighbor out and give him something to delight in.

“... art has its own task and meaning. There is no need to try to justify one's artistic activity by making works with a moralistic message, even if one is free to emphasize moral values. Nor is there any need to think one has to serve as a critic of culture, or always provide eye-openers to the non-artists, or teach, or evangelize, or do whatever other lofty things one can think of. Art has done its task when it provides the neighbor with things of beauty, a joy forever... [The artist] has to make art while thinking of his neighbors in love, helping them, and using his talents on their behalf.”