Created in the Image of a Creative God

Technical artists are creative professionals, creating art with technology. To explore creativity and what it means for the technical artist, we must get a proper understanding from scripture and develop a theology of creativity. To do this, we look to God Himself as He creates all things.

In the beginning, God created

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3

And then in verse 26 we see:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-17

There’s so much we can learn from Genesis 1, but I want to specifically draw your attention to what scripture show us about creativity and how it affects us as humans.

God is a creator

The first way God reveals Himself in Scripture is as a creator. Before we see God is holy, faithful, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, just, merciful or any of His other characteristics, we see God is creative. We also see everything God creates is good.

There’s also something unique about what God creates. God is the original Creator. When God creates, He creates from nothing. Genesis 1 also gives us a biblical definition of creativity: to be creative simply means to create.

To be creative simply means to create.

We are made in his image

As we continue through the creation account, we see God creates humans in His own image. We see our own role in creativity; God is a creator and we are made in His image, which means we are creators too.

We’re not God, yet we’re still creators. What does that make us? What’s our role in creation? We oversee, steward, and have dominion over all of creation. When it comes to creativity, this makes us co-creators with God.

We are co-creators with God

When God creates, He creates from nothing. When you or I create, we create from things already in existence, things which God created. Everything we create is co-creating with God.

God is the One who moves and does the work in people’s hearts and lives. We are simply the vessels to create what He’s called us to create. God is the Original Creator and we are co-creators with Him.

Everyone is creative

There’s this understanding in our culture that some people are creative and some people are not. This is not what the bible says. Genesis 1 clearly show everyone is creative because everyone is made in the image of a creative God.

Theologically speaking, everyone is creative. We were fashioned and formed in the image of God. God is a creative God. So we’re creative too. We bear the divine imprint. Our Maker is creative, therefore we are creative.
Gary Molander

The reason this is confusing is because we’ve declared some jobs “creative” and some jobs not. It’s easy to look at a graphic designer, filmmaker or songwriter and think they’re creative, but being a chef, a parent, or an engineer is just as creative.

A helpful way to understand this is the analogy of cooking a meal for your family. You take all the ingredients, you put them together, and when you’re done, you have created a meal. This doesn’t necessarily make it a work of art, (not that food can’t be art) but shows even through the simple, possibly mundane, process of feeding your family, you are exercising your creativity.

You are made in the image of a creative God

All creativity comes from God. He is the Original Creator and everything He creates is good. God created us and calls us good. Everyone is creative and we regularly exercise our creativity simply through the act of creating.

You are creative because you were made in the image of a creative God. Every time you create, whether through making a meal for your family or writing a song, you are being like God. As you create, remember you are a co-creator with God. God is the One who works with you and through you to change other’s lives.