Doug Van Pelt

Creator Creation Creating

My new business cards arrived yesterday. This was a big deal, because it's something I designed. I asked Monty Colvin if he was okay with me using an old illustration/painting that he had done of me for his comic strip, Gas Fist. It has the HM logo on it, my image, and my pertinent information. That's not what's exciting, though. The exciting part was that this was one of many "creations" I had been working on and now it was time to hold it in my hands. There's something really rewarding and healthy about that, I believe.

Like a carpenter, a painter, or a graphic designer, being able to see the fruit of your labor is gratifying. I can't imagine being a manager or an accountant. Yes, there are ways of seeing the fruit of this labor, but it's not always as visual or tangible as these other things.

That's one reason why I like to encourage everyone to paint.

"Me? Paint? Get out of here!"
Everyone. Yes, you.

Go buy some acrilyic paints (get the primary colors...like red, yellow, and blue. Maybe get black and white, too. Get one or two brushes (a thin one and a thick one). You don't need canvas, but can get some thick paper (thicker than typing paper, but thinner than cardboard. This will absorb the paint well. Start painting.

"Paint what?"

Paint a house. Design a new postage stamp, complete with the archway frame thing around it. Draw a rectangle made of two solid triangles -- see how one color contrasts with another. Experiment with splatter. (get your paint a little wet, and use a straw to blow the paint across the page. Maybe your first several paintings will be worth very little in your eyes. Maybe you'll create something that you actually want to keep. After doing this for a couple weeks (any good habit gets pretty ingrained at the three week mark), you will have accomplished a great goal -- you will have started creating.

This is similar to what God's character is like (or one simple facet of it). He is a Creator. He created everything we see. All matter. Every sunset is a result of His creation, set in motion by His Word. I think He likes creating. I think He must love art. Artists reflect back God's creation to the Creator, shaping some part of creation to reflect back the creation all around. This is a form of worship or glory-giving -- even if the intent of the artist doesn't even conceive of that motive.

The very first job that God gave man was a creative job. God asked Adam to name the animals. Can you imagine doing that? The first catipillar, the monkey, the dog, the giraffe, the bear, the elephant, the ostrich. That would be some kind of chore, but maybe a fun one. Maybe the next time any of us goes to the zoo we could bring a notepad and pen, and rename all the animals. Maybe we could get a glimpse of how fun that would be.

So, it's been an exciting couple of months in that regard. A new issue of HM just got delivered to me yesterday, along with the new edition of Heaven's Metal Fanzine. There's been new shirts, new stickers, new mailing labels, and new media kits for the magazine. I tell ya, it's been a real creative season for me lately; and it's so much fun.

I am constantly amazed at the power of our family when a new issue of Heaven's Metal Fanzine arrives. I get back to my roots by sitting down and slapping on the mailing labels of each copy, stamp a return address and a "first class" stamp, as well as postage, and then I seal the envelopes. It's mostly been my wife and I this time, but often our whole family gets involved. We even had an alien help us with an issue once (a Canadian). It reminds me of the old days when Heaven's Metal Magazine was sent out that way. This sort of "get down and dirty" approach really brings one face to face with their creation. Lots of fun. I'll be toting a few bins full of zines to the post office here in a few minutes.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at April 21, 2006 09:18 AM