Our Desire to Create

I love the talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, called Happiness, Your Heritage. He reminds us that we all have the ability to create, even if we think we are not creative. Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by the talents of others, that we overlook the ones we have. 'Creation means bring into existence something that did not exist before.' You are creative when you make someone smile, take the time to teach a child, organize an event or activity... the list goes on. An example he used that I thought was interesting was 'harmonious homes.' This does not mean having a magazine picture perfect home! It is accomplished when we centre our homes around Christ.

When I was in the hospital recovering from my liver transplant, one of my friends sent me a link to a video that absolutely put a smile on my face, and helped me realize that people had not forgotten about me. She created happiness and comfort for me. This is what she sent.

Here are my favourite parts of Elder Uchtorf's talk:

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty...You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.”You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. ⁵ The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

My mothers garden is much grander than mine, but I am just as proud :)

What you create doesn’t have to be perfect... Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."