Pardon the personal nature of what I'm about to post, but it's by way of providing encouragement to my readers. Encouragement to express one's abilities and not let other people shut them down.
Some years ago someone I worked with and whose opinion I respected said to me one day, "I don't think I'd ever try writing poetry if I were you. You're just not gifted that way." This at a time when I was yearning to express myself in poems and felt I had something worthwhile to give.
Well, it shouldn't have, but this assessment of what I had to offer through poetry caused me to stifle inspiration. Regretfully, for too many years.
Then one wonderful day, poems began to flow, poems that have warmed people, made them laugh and cry. And in some instances, made them want to amend their lives. Truly. And ended up in poetry books in permanent collections of public and university libraries all over the globe. Just some of the foreign places are as follows, in no particular order.
Helsinki, Finland
Hannover, Germany
Liverpool, England
Paris, France
Bejiing, China
Riga, Latvia
Dhaka, Bangladesh
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Macao, China
Port Adelaide, South Australia
Katowice, Poland
Ottawa, Canada
Noumea, New Caledonia
Nicosia, Cypress
Guadalajara, Mexico
Coatbridge, Scotland
Manchester, England
Ontario, Canada
Alexandria, Egypt
Lampeter, Wales
Stirling, Scotland
Dublin, Ireland
Inverclyde, Scotland
Bucharest, Romania
Paisley, Scotland
Budapest, Hungary
Valleta, Malta
Blackburn, Scotland
Panji, Goa
Thessaloniki, Greece
Glasgow, Scotland
Yerevan, Armenia
Dunedin, New Zealand
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Wellington, New Zealand
Reims, France
Luton, England
Hamilton, Scotland
Hiroshima, Japan
Regina, Canada
Thimpu, Bhutan
Hamilton, New Zealand
Ballerup, Denmark
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Tallin, Estonia
Colombia, Sri Lanka
Grenada, West Indies
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Geelong, Australia
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Aiktenvale, Queensland, Australia
Wenjian, China
Melbourne, Australia
Singapore
Vienna, Austria
Livingston, Scotland
Swansea, Wales
Chennai, India
Selkirk, Scottish Borders
Galway, Ireland
Hangzhou, China
Kiev, Ukraine
Limassol, Cypress
Malmo, Sweden
Llandysul, Wales
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nara, Japan
Okinawa, Japan
Tauranga, New Zealand
Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Brasov, Romania
Vilnius, Lithuania
Glasgow, Scotland
Hastings, New Zealand
Kobenhaven, Denmark
Minsk, Belarus
Moscow, Russia
Trieste, Italy
Swaziland, Africa
Prague, Czech Republic
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Malawi, Africa
Victoria, the Seychelles
Tirana, Albania
Aberdeen, Scotland
Floriana, Malta
London, England
Leicestershire, England
Bangor, Northern Ireland
Manilla, the Philippines
Lisbon, Portugal
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland
Newcastle, Australia
Fort Saskatchewan, Canada
Zurich, Switzerland
Isle of Man
Lyon, France
Ceredigion, Wales
Hagatna, Guam
Nanjiing, China
Hong Kong, China
Osaka, Japan
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, Korea
Rekyavik, Iceland
Cardiff, Wales
Devon, England
Luxembourgh
Bogota, Colombia
Raraatonga, Cook Islands
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
Windhoek, Namibia, Africa
Limerick, Ireland
Dundee, Scotland
Bridgetown, Barbados
Suva, Fiji Islands
Milan, Italy
Naples, Italy
Shanghai, China
Santiago, Chile
Copenhagen, Denmark
Canberra, Australia
Warsaw, Poland
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cymru, Wales
Nagasaki, Japan
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Faduz, Liechtenstein
Baracelona, Spain
Birmingham, England
Majuro, Marshall Islands
Verona, Italy
Chisinau, Moldova
Medellin, Colombia
San Jose, Costa Rico
Lautoka, Fiji Islands
The Hague, the Netherlands
Brno, Czech Republic
To what do I contribute the breakthrough on creativity for me? To God, absolutely and indebtedly. As with some of the talented people down here in Tennessee who credit their accomplishments with faith in God. When we moved from New England, we were amazed at what these folks could do. It seemed that behind every rock and tree there was an artist of some kind -- sculptor, photographer, writer, poet, painter, musician, craftsman. They got an idea, a desire to create, and they just went out and did it. As someone said to us, "No one ever told them they couldn't." Or if they did, these doers didn't listen.
What God did for these, for me, He can do for you. After all, if you feel God has given you something to share that will enrich the world. wouldn't you think it was sad to not act on it? You are God's beloved child, complete and free to express all He has given you. And whatever the medium in which you wish to express yourself, our heavenly Father has the power and resources to make things happen.
In my next blog, I'll go into more detail about how specifically the teachings of Christian Science helps us look to God for our abilities and their expression.
