Monday 5 December 2022

Creativity's Path

 
Creativity—reflecting and embodying our destiny as made in the image of our Creator triune God, author, artist, designer, engineer, composer extraordinaire.

Creativity - a torch lit within and fanned by others.

One of the highlights of my childhood was winning the first prize  in an art competition (in  Grade 3). I loved to draw and paint as a child. I also had a passion for reading inspired by my parents reading the the Chronicles of Narnia to my brothers and me each night.

Lewis’ imaginative stories transported me to another world, their strong symbolism and courage an inspiration. Shortly after, I discovered the school library. Reading books especially by Lewis and Patricia St John helped me understand my faith. Stories gave flesh and blood and motions to the biblical truths I’d learnt from the cradle. They helped me understand grace and God’s great love and power. They encouraged me to appreciate other people, their perspectives and motivations.

I was nine when my family uprooted and travelled to Africa – a process that took four months from leaving Mt Isa and arriving by train in Kitwe. Around this time, I began daydreaming characters and adventures in my own world. I was inspired by Narnia, Last of the Mohicans, and later, by Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and the many other books I read. My own inner storytelling grew and expanded from one small island and a handful of characters, to continents and peoples and various nations. It was some years before I told anyone about it, though I did draw pictures, make notes and maps and genealogies, invented an alphabet and language.




While in Zambia, one of the missionaries took an interest in my world-building and encouraged me to write my stories down. I did make a series of paintings based on my world and write a short story set in it, but it wasn’t until my late teens, early twenties that wrote my first attempt at a novel.

Creativity can have twists and turns and lay-bys

Over the next couple of years, I rewrote and edited the novel, got a nibble from a publisher, wrote some short stories, but put it all one side when my life took a different tack. Over the next fifteen years, I put all my energy into post-graduate study, lecturing, church, husband and children and the challenges along the way. Writing, apart from lecture notes, student handbooks, promotional brochures, research papers, course outlines, newsletters and articles, was decidedly on the backburner. 

I invested many years of my life, my heart and soul into theological study and lecturing. Yet, due to restructuring, other people’s decisions, health challenges, and family demands, I came to the point where I had to let it go, and I was shattered. A combination of burn-out and loss of a long held and cherished dream left me empty, depressed and my faith shaken. Always before this, troubles had thrown me closer to God. Now I felt abandoned, left on the shelf, shunned. I struggled through dark days, but in midst of that darkness, God whispered to me. At a woman's camp, He whispered ‘I have a new dream for you.’ It took me three years and an amazing God-encounter in one of my darkest moments before I could hear His words, and more to the point, accept them.

But then, one day, God had other plans.

God had called me to ‘feeding his sheep’ and opened the doors to lecturing in a theological college. Then he was called me to write the stories He’d given me. I enrolled in a Master of Creative writing and, through a writers’ conference, connected with other Christian writers. I dusted off my old novel and began writing new stories and poetry. I learned new ways of writing (styles change over time) and gained a greater understanding of how story works. Gradually, my poems and shorts stories were accepted for publication and I launched out as an Indie author. I have a half-shelf of books - anthologies and sole-authored books.



Being an author is hard work. Sometimes it feels like shouting into the abyss, desperate to hear even the faintest echo return - a sale, a review, someone inspired or comforted or entertained by what one has written. Don't get me wrong, I've had many sales, reviews and people excited about my stories - but also long periods of silence in which it is easy to allow doubts to flourish.

As an introvert (as so many of us are), the constant effort to be seen and noticed can become wearying to the soul. It's easy to lose the original motivation to write, especially when life and friends and family also brings more hard knocks and disappointments. 

I write in a genre many Christians don’t understand (despite the greats like C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Madeleine D’Engle or even John Bunyan). These were stories captured my imagination as a child, that strengthened and enlivened my faith. And these are the stories I believe God has given me to write.

Being creative, being a story-teller, (or an artist or musician), pointing to the light in the darkness, are these not reflections of God, at least part of what it means to be made in His image?


Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.

She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad's Legacy series - and new short story in the Starlit Realms: Fantasy anthology.


Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life.




11 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your writing journey with us, Jenny. Although my story isn't as exciting as moving to Africa as a child, there are some similarities in terms of creativity. I was creative right from preschool years and always loved music. I started playing guitar at 7, wrote my first proper song with guitar chords at 11, and wrote songs and poems all through school. But high school is a time when you have to be sensible and think of a 'proper' career. Although English and music were my favourite subjects, and English the only one I got straight HDs in for my 5 years at high school, I was somehow pushed into the science stream (or let myself be pushed into the science stream). Nothing against science (I'm married to a mathematician/physicist), but I am an artsy person through and through. I ended up going to Uni, getting a PhD in psychology and lecturing in social psychology at a university for 25 years. There were many aspects of the academic life I enjoyed, and I'm still fascinated by social psychology, but I felt my creative life was slowly dying.

    I think it was round about 2008 that I decided to do a Grad Dip in creative writing at Tabor (just one subject a semester). It wasn't long before I realised that I was enjoying my creative writing assignments more than any of my paid work. So I left Uni altogether at the end of 2013 and started a part-time home editing and writing business with my husband so I could spend more time writing. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I can see God's hand in my academic career too. He opened many doors and gave me lots of opportunities. But I feel like the creative life is more the true me, and it's been coming alive again. You're never too old for God to birth a new creative vision. I'm in awe of your stories and creativity, Jenny. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Nola for sharing your own creative journey. I one- hundred-percent agree "You're never too old for God to birth a new creative vision." and also "I can see God's hand in my academic career too" - all those seeming detours are part of the journey and help enrich (and ground) our creativity. My dad strongly steered me into straight sciences at school (he was an engineer by trade, but teacher and humanities enthusiast by heart), which is how I ended up being a doctor. I don't regret that path and think the experience makes me a better writer.

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  2. Thank you, Jenny, for sharing your own personal journey to writing in such an honest way--I can easily relate, for sure. And thank you, Nola, too for sharing a little glimpse into your own journey too, I truly believe nothing in our lives is ever wasted--I had various career changes too and came to writing much later in life, though I am sure it wasn't 'late' from God's perspective but just right,

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    1. Thanks, Jo-Anne. I believe you are right - Like Gandalf the wizard - God's plans are never 'too late' or 'too early' but arrive with perfect timing.

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    2. Thanks Jo-Anne. Yes all those threads make us who we are and are definitely not wasted. All your years of ministry helped you to be able to write the books you do, which are still ministering to people.

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  3. Hi Jenny, thanks so much for sharing. It's really encouraging to hear your journey and to know what has shaped your writing.

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  4. What a great story of finding your creative way. I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing. 😊

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    1. Delighted to know you enjoyed it :) Thanks for commenting.

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  5. What a wonderful story you have lived out yourself ... with so many plot twists and turns. I love how God called you to write after the many other wonderful things you did. Yes, the Narnia stories captured my interest too and I can understand your call to write stories that capture heart and imaginations of others and into the kingdom.

    Thank you for your faithfulness in doing all He has called you to do and for blessing the world in so many ways. You will find the fruits of it only in eternity and may be surprised as to how God has used your stories and life to encourage others even when it seemed like nothing was happening.

    All the best to you Jenny as you continue to live out your calling. And be encouraged, God's using you in ways you don't realise. I'm sure of it. Keep on keeping on and thanks for your faithful work at CWD for many years. God bless you richly!

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    1. Yay, another Narnia fan - Lewis has touched some many lives with the sweet aroma of eternity.

      And many thanks for your wonderful encouragement Anu (you have a gift for it). I especially loved your reminder "You will find the fruits of it only in eternity and may be surprised as to how God has used your stories and life to encourage others even when it seemed like nothing was happening." And "And be encouraged, God's using you in ways you don't realise. I'm sure of it. Keep on keeping on and thanks for your faithful work at CWD for many years. " Words that are good to hear. I am sure they are just as true for your own faithful efforts and may God bless your richly too. Thank you.

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