Flavor #19: Creativity (Bara; Asah; Tob; Charis)

(Complete list and links to the 31 Flavors of Wisdom)

Meaning, essence, and significance: Creativity mirrors divine action, embodying the act of crafting intelligent and intentional experiences of beauty, goodness and connection. The Hebrew term Bara speaks of your engagement in creative activity where the outcome brings something into existence that didn’t previously exist. The term Asah signifies deliberate action and responsibility in the creative process, while Tob denotes that which is good and beneficial. The Greek word Charis represents Grace: unmerited favor that brings joy and delight. Together, these concepts highlight creativity as purposeful action infused with grace to produce something that didn’t previously exist, that’s heavily flavored with actions that result in some form of Good(ness). Your creative expression is not solely about innovation, but about developing joy, healing, and moral beauty in your life and in the lives of others. Seen in this manner, creativity is deeply relational and practical, making visible the grace you or others would like to receive.

Practical Appearance and Nutritional Value:  This flavor tastes like focused behavior intent on creating opportunities where your vision of what could be, and what you hope for, become a reality, evidenced by you using your energy to “paint into reality” a picture where your actions depict Mercy, Empathy (#6), Righteousness (#18), Understanding (#20), Moral Cognition (#15) or Compassion (#21).  Creativity manifests in thoughtful, intentional, and wise “behavioral brushstrokes” that convey you’ve engaged in Awareness (#5), Listening (#4), Thinking (#8), Reason (#12) and Discernment (#11) to name a few flavors, to devise solutions to challenges or challenging situations before you.  A question for you to consider is: What innovative thinking, or unexpected kindness, or patient effort, or creative solution will I develop and deliver, that will help mend, repair or heal what is broken, or, enhance the quality of life I wish to live?  Which of “The 18” (Love, #2) are needed right now, because the situation I’m in deserves it, based on my Awareness (#5) and Perception (#10)? Remember, integrated wisdom works the best!  Nutritionally, creativity offers emotional healing and deepens connections, reminding us that goodness is cultivated through intentional actions.​

Who deserves some of this seasoning?  “My wife deserves a generous sprinkling of Creativity from me. This involves initiating mindful and joyful experiences in our relationship, planning surprises, leaving affirming messages, or adapting communication to resonate with her love language or her needs. It means finding new ways to express ‘I see you,’  ‘I honor you,’ and ‘I choose you.’ Creativity also entails breaking unhelpful patterns with responses rooted in grace.  By loving creatively, I reflect the divine artistry of a God who continually creates goodness within us, to be shared with our neighbors.”

So thanks again for looking at these 31 Flavors of Wisdom and hopefully, participating in the 31 Day Wisdom Challenge, and for reading this excerpt from Cultivating Love: Wisdom for Life. As time permits, please visit the other blogs written by Dr. Ken McGill: Daily Bread for Life and “3–2- 5–4–24” for additional information that could be helpful.