It is said that seeing is believing. But what if those things we’re seeing are obscured somehow? Can we trust our eyes? Or do we require an inner knowing, a new perspective to override our senses?
The image above is my attempt to take something prosaic and make a new form of it. Would you believe that hidden beneath the vivid colours are some faded sweetpea flowers, a wire fence and a recycling bin? Yes, really.
We’re all artists at heart, creatives to the core. Because how could we not be when our Creator God made us that way, to reflect His ability to take, shape, mould and make something from nothing?
Though sometimes we don’t consider ourselves as such. But with the right type of media that suits us, a hefty dose of courage, encouragement, faith, patience, persistence and perseverance we can all discover just how to be our uniquely creative selves.
And even if that is restricted to our own pleasure in the process, it’s absolutely fine. I happen to love messing about with photographs and creating word art. If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you are treated/subjected to my imperfect attempts in those areas!
We have a choice to share or not to share, to tear up and try again if need be. We also have a choice on who gets to view our work and if we feel able to cope with a degree of public scrutiny.
With today’s #magneticmonday magnetic poetry offerings, I hope your seeing will be more than simply absorbing the words as they come. I trust the creative spirit in you will find some resonance with the poetic storyteller in me. There’s no pressure, because like all works of art, there is no single way of interpreting them. Let’s compare notes when you get to the end, yes?
A swim of light
You ask why these pictures
lie and have languid,
lazy, elaborate lives
Watch through blue fingers
as the urge is all
You never cry time
on sweet sleep symphony
and summer forest trudging,
as those red bared rose
petals crush luscious as honey
and a swim of light shows
©joylenton2017
Our shady peace
Gentle winter-wet breeze
and dark moistened air
cycle soft above pure
love’s moon, and wild
grass grows like a sweet
blanket between lonely tree
Behold, earth is our shady
peace, as we relax beneath
and feel more alive here
©joylenton2017
I love how photo editing apps can make such a difference with their ability to completely alter an image into a new work of art. Here’s a selection of some of the best editing apps for i-phones and these are great with an android device. I use picmonkey and canva to help me create blog post images. You probably know of more inspiring apps and editing sites to explore.
How do you express your creativity best? What apps do you use to aid your artistic ability? I’d love to hear in the comments below.
Poetry Joy 
Lovely painting and poems. I’m glad I found them. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Deborah, thanks for visiting. I’m glad you stopped by and were blessed here. 🙂
Your words, your art, your poetry, the Truths of our Creator combine into an image of beauty, Joy. What a delight to come here this day. I needed to be reminded that God is the One Who knows all and is all. Praising Him as I type. And thank you for sharing the apps. I just might go play!!
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Hello Linda, it’s always lovely to see you here! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know this post has spoken to you. I think that expressing our creativity not only brings us joy but also delights God’s Father heart. Happy creating, my friend! xo
Dear Joy, Oh your creative ways never cease to amaze me. This:
“red bared rose
petals crush luscious as honey”
make me lonesome for summer! But then this next phrase truly gives me pause for thought:
“Behold, earth is our shady
peace, as we relax beneath
and feel more alive here”
What a restful way to view our lives here, seeing with different eyes how He is giving us a shady peace. Thank you for taking the risk, and sharing the words and pictures that have been planted in your heart. They keep me looking up, and asking to have my eyes enlightened to see more of Jesus in my days. Hugs and Blessings my Dear Friend! xoxo
Dear Bettie, your interest in my creative efforts never ceases to amaze me! It’s a lovely grace gift I never take for granted. I love giving you pause for thought, because your appreciation of poetry is sublime. I “take the risk” with greater freedom just to know you are reading. Keep looking up,my friend. I have to remind myself to do the same on life’s darker days. It’s wonderful when God opens our previously blind eyes to “see more of Jesus” in the everyday ordinary. Hugs and blessings to you! xoxo
I love your creativity, Joy. I can easily see the flowers in the pic, but I never would have guessed what is behind it. It causes me to pray that God’s beauty will stand foremost in my heart and push back the trash. What lens we look through can change our perspective so much, can’t it? I second Bettie’s observations to those particular verses. 🙂
Thanks also for telling me about Canva. I signed up. 🙂
Thank you for taking the risk of sharing your God-given creativity! Love and hugs to you!
Oh how I love these lines you’ve shared: “It causes me to pray that God’s beauty will stand foremost in my heart and push back the trash.” What a fantastic thing to pray, Trudy! Yes indeed to how our perspective depends on the lenses we look through. May we see life mostly via spiritual lenses rather than worldly ones. I’m pleased to have inspired you to try Canva, but I must warn you that designing images there can get seriously addictive! 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind encouragement about the way I share my creativity. I hope to branch out to making more physical art when life is a little less demanding. Love and hugs to you, dear friend! xo
Reblogged this on Writing, events, competitions and the occasional personal musing and commented:
Have recently started attaching images that most closely mirror the image in my mind my crudely constructed lines are trying to express, I would like to see see your own efforts and comments if you feel it’s working for me
Hi Bobby, thank you for sharing my work and words with your readers. Bless you, friend! 🙂
Remember, to be called, “friend,” is a blessing in itself.
So it is, Bobby! 🙂
One of my fave word image apps is called WordSwag! We are all indeed creative beings.
Ah, WordSwag is a new one on me. I’ll go check it out as soon as possible. Thanks, Tara! I love the wide range of facilities at our fingertips these days. x 🙂
Reblogged this on Pastor Michael Moore's Blog and commented:
Beauty, Perspective, Spirit… thanks for sharing, Joy ❤
Dear Michael, I’m truly thankful for your kindness! May your readers be blessed by reading it. ❤
This is beautiful!! thank you!
Thank you, Daynia! I appreciate you stopping by. Bless you. 🙂