Here’s a Challenge for You, Creative One:
We never know how our creativity might bless others. Nope, we just never know.
The other day, I was deep in thought, writing the next great American novel (or something like that) at the little cafe inside the hospital. It was only noon, but it already felt like a long day. My husband and I woke up at five so he could check in at six…and then wait for over three hours to have surgery. By this time, I had received a call from the surgeon saying all went well, but I wasn’t allowed to see the patient yet. So I remained on my computer, typing away on my keyboard at a private table littered with my breakfast trash and more than a few crumbs. (There’s no tidy way to eat a croissant.)
The cafe area was abuzz with hospital workers and people like me, waiting for their loved ones when, out of the blue, a middle-aged man wearing a polo shirt and cargo shorts uncovered the baby grand piano at the back wall and sat down to play. As soon as his fingers touched the keys, his music filled the space with beauty and feel-good-ness. It silenced the gossiping nurses sitting next to me, and tears stung my eyes as if I’d just watched one of those videos on Instagram where a cat tenderly takes care of a scurry of orphaned squirrels. I couldn’t help it.
I’ve waited in hospitals many times, but never experienced anything like this before. I thought, “Where am I? Nordstroms?” This unexpected concert was a nice surprise—just the kind I like. It enlivened my senses and gave me a boost. Some of the songs he played were familiar, and all of his renditions were lovely. The whole scene affected me—the music, the look on some of the faces of those walking by, and the delight of it all.
That, in part, is what I hope to deliver with my writing, especially my stories. I want them to give people a boost, to transport people and touch them in the best kind of way, even for a brief time.
Though the conversations around me soon picked up where they had left off, and customers resumed ordering their lattés and bagels, I remained transfixed on the piano man and soaked in his music. If I were a kindergartener, I might have strutted onto my imaginary stage near the piano to twirl and flutter about, as all five-year-olds have the license to do. Instead, I remained glued to my seat, all mature and proper-like on the outside. But inside…
Of course, some people were seemingly unmoved by the music as it filled the room. I couldn’t tell if they were used to this “event” on the first floor of Norton Hospital, or if they were too distracted or focused on other things to let it affect them. Perhaps, Rodgers and Hammerstein wasn’t their cup of tea.
(Come on—what's not to like about Edelweiss?)
I'm well aware that as a writer and author, my style won’t be everyone’s cup of tea either. Yet anyone who reads LaDelle & Jubilant or other works I’ve written and finds enjoyment, I count it as a win—for me and for them. With my historical fiction, I want to entertain, educate, and inspire, and if I’ve done that I’m grateful because it means I’ve accomplished what I’ve set out to do as I also trust God to use my work as He sees fit.
What are you hoping to do with your creativity? If you mostly create for your own pleasure and keep your work to yourself, that’s ok, but here’s a challenge for you: consider sharing it with at least one other person. Your creation doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, my friend, it won’t be. Nobody’s is. It may not even be as noteworthy as so-and-so’s. But don’t sell yourself and your writing/artwork/creation short. The piano man blessed me not because he was the best piano player I’d ever heard but simply because he shared his music—his art—with me. It was a delightful surprise and brightened my. That’s no small thing. I’m still smiling about it.