This new series title ‘On that note’ is a pun off two things- musical note and mental note. It will involve my reflections on music, particularly songs that speak to me and what lessons they teach me. I’ll try to accompany the blog series with video/audio covers of the songs (either voice or saxophone covers.)
On that note, check out my short saxophone cover of Jireh- Elevation Worship and Maverick City on my Instagram.
For the listening peeps, here's me reading the blogpost for you as is the usual here on Bloom.
For the past couple of weeks, this has been my go-to song. Whether on my way to school or while washing dishes, I have replayed it about a million times. It was particularly interesting that just before it was released, my best friend and I had a conversation on God as Jireh, that is, God the Provider. When you think of God providing, is the first thing you think about material? That is, blessings of money, a job, new clothes?
Well, Jesus is more than material blessings, and this is a lesson we must hold on to in these prosperity gospel filled times. My prayers in the recent past have looked like ‘What more can God give me?’ yet He has given me the best thing yet, Himself. Not that I don’t have any physical needs. But, I must remain cognizant of the greatest need I had that He has already blessed me with.
Jireh means ‘The one who will see to it that my every need is met.’ Just the way we say to our friends, ‘I will see to your matter’ when we are out to help them , so does God say to us. And it is in present continuous tense. The Lord Sees. How wonderful is that!
‘‘Jehovah Jireh is not The Lord Did provide, but the Lord will provide. In other words, the name doesn’t simply memorialize a past event, it anticipates a future action.’’ Got Questions website
I was curious to see where this name of God was first seen in the Bible. Turns out it was in Genesis 22. After God provided a ram in exchange of Isaac for a sacrifice, Abraham named the mountain ‘The Lord will Provide’, a prelude of the ultimate sacrifice that would be given to us, Jesus Christ.
‘For God so loved the world that He GAVE his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16
Here is a short excerpt from a Charles Spurgeon preaching in 1884 on the same:
‘’I believe that the truth contained in the expression “Jehovah-Jireh†was ruling Abraham’s thought long before he uttered it and appointed it to be the memorial name of the place where the Lord had provided a substitute for Isaac. It was this thought, I think, which enabled him to act as promptly as he did under the trying circumstances. His reason whispered within him, “If you slay your son, how can God keep his promise to you that your seed shall be as many as the stars of heaven?†He answered that suggestion by saying to himself, “Jehovah will see to it!†As he went upon that painful journey, with his dearly beloved son at his side, the suggestion may have come to him, “How will you meet Sarah when you return home, having imbrued your hands in the blood of her son? How will you meet your neighbours when they hear that Abraham, who professed to be such a holy man, has killed his son?†That answer still sustained his heart— “Jehovah will see to it! Jehovah will see to it! He will not fail in his word. Perhaps he will raise my son from the dead; but in some way or other he will justify my obedience to him, and vindicate his own command. Jehovah will see to it.†This was a quietus to every mistrustful thought. I pray that we may drink into this truth, and be refreshed by it. If we follow the Lord’s bidding, he will see to it that we shall not be ashamed or confounded. If we come into great need by following his command, he will see to it that the loss shall be recompensed. If our difficulties multiply and increase so that our way seems completely blocked up, Jehovah will see to it that the road shall be cleared. The Lord will see us through in the way of holiness if we are only willing to be thorough in it, and dare to follow wheresoever he leads the way.’’
I will be content in every circumstance.
Forever enough, always enough, more enough
Every circumstance for me feels like too it’s too many a times to be content. Just last week, something unexpected happened in relation to our ward allocation at the hospital and this lyric gnawed at my heart. I was emotionally destabilized at the changes in the ward allocation and spent a better part of the afternoon asking God ‘Really? Really now?’
It wasn’t a life-or-death moment. Surely some may even say I was being petty but right there when my heart was crushed, God provided comfort, release and joy in that moment when I desperately needed it. He saw me!
I pray that we may all prioritize Jesus, because ''more than what He can give us and what we receive from Him, He is our highest pleasure, our greatest treasure, our sole pursuit and our crown jewel.’' That’s a quote from John Musyimi’s book, A counterfeit Gospel, that I read back in 2018.
So even as we listen to this song, I hope that as you sing ‘Jireh, you are enough’ this may be true for you.
Knowing that God is a God who sees you where you are, loves you deeply, not more than He did a second ago and not less than He will in a few seconds from now. May that comfort fill your heart just as it has been for me. The one who sees. Jireh.
Trusting is so difficult
It needs you to let go of the reins
To let the horse ride on without steering it to jump over that fence,
To skip over the puddle
To follow the path.
Instead the horse does the contrary
Splashes water while galloping through the puddles
Runs wild and free
Neighing in excitement over the free country, it wants to run free.
Brown beauty @the_stableske
Trust needs you to give up the steering wheel
To a learner driver, yet you have years of driving experience
To be a passenger and watch them make mistakes
Make dangerous turns
Overtake without signaling
Trust is daring
And scary
It is letting go of what you think you can control
And letting the Master control it instead
Trust is not relying on yourself
Because you've let yourself down too many times anyway
That, my friends, is what trust is all about
A beautiful paradox
Having peace in what would otherwise be worry
Trust is finding comfort in release.
Today marks World Poetry Day and I pulled this simple poem out of my 2019 archives because my heart needed this reminder in light of all that's happening in the world around us.
"This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord . “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord , whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.†(emphasis mine)
Jeremiah 17:5 , 7 - 8 NIV
These are the lyrics to “When you believeâ€, the encore piece at the Kenya Conservatoire Women’s orchestra concert weekend, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2021. This song was magnificent! From the glorious harmonies sung by The Trebles voices of Spellcast, to the powerful brass section on my row that belted out all the emotions, to the graceful flutes and the solemn strings section. It was such an honor being among such beautiful and powerful women, sharing a passion for music.
With some of my fellow woodwind players on Day 1 of the concert
I subconsciously hum the tunes that were in our repertoire till today and fondly remember our practice sessions. At first, I was quite scared since being the only saxophonist (and an early intermediate player at that), I wondered whether I really did belong there. Had I jumped the gun and bitten off more than I could chew? Should I have waited it out one more year as I fine tune my skills on the saxophone? Would I have the time to practice faithfully with med school hot on my heels? Why did I have solo parts in some songs? Did they really trust me to be able to play that well? Besides, only my family and friends had heard me playing the sax. In fact, I had never played in front of any audience before!
Photo credits: Quaint Photography
Oh the days my eyes would beg for mercy from the conductor because I’d messed up my part and she and I both knew it! I remember leaving practice one Saturday so ready to call it quits. I told my close friends how I didn’t even believe I was capable of the task ahead of me so I would rather quit before it got too serious. You bet it felt like a movie scene, when a character is at a crossroads then a motivational song blasts out “I just can’t give up now, I’ve come too far from where I started from...† In fact mine was a whole choir, with 4 part harmonies, that belted out that song in my head!
This year’s theme for International Women’s day was #ChooseToChallenge; a challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions- all day and every day.
I’m so glad that that statement rings loud and true for me in light of my orchestra experience. I realize that nobody ever told me that I was not good enough for the orchestra. Nobody ever told me that I was a bad musician or that I didn’t deserve to be there. They were all a function of my own thoughts! The decision to push on despite how I felt was merely one of ego, to be very honest. I didn’t want to attend the concert as part of the audience wishing I was on the stage with them. Besides, being seen/known as a quitter wasn’t going to sit well with my sizeable ego!
But more so, I didn’t want to live with the fact that I disqualified myself. Would I ever forgive myself, knowing that I was the stumbling block to my own dream? In any case, the one person who could tell the story of the small improvements I had made over time or the daily progress I had seen was me! Yet I, was my biggest critic, all in the name of fear.
Koki Oyuke hit the nail on the head in her book ‘Chosen Not Cheated’:
“Safe is always slower-whether it has to do with money, relationships or plain old life. Like tortoises, we slow down our progress when we carry the burden of living sheltered. Sure, we may live longer, but the wrinkles on our faces will speak of survival and not adventure. They’ll speak of fear and not courage. We’ll have forgettable stories unworthy to be passed on. And that’s no way to live. Fear and weakness never inspired anyone to greatness. Only courage and strength.â€
And the room went silent.
Let me repeat it just for emphasis: Fear and weakness never inspired anyone to greatness!
I then implore you fellow lady reading this, #ChoosetoChallenge your own self-defeating thoughts! Rise up in courage to the journey set before you. Yes, some men or our society may disqualify us. Yes, inequality and issues diversity/inclusion may be our external enemies, but, may God help you quiet the internal voices that shut you down. Honey, you are capable of doing great glorious things! You’re worth it, never doubt it.
How interesting it is that Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston sung of the same thing in ‘When You Believe’;
“Many nights we prayed, with no proof anyone could anyone could hear
In our heats a hopeful song, we barely understood
Now we are not afraid, although we know there’s much to fear
We were moving mountains long before we knew we couldâ€
Go move mountains sis! #ChooseToChallenge
Grace and Peace.
PS: Shout-out to my beloved Hosea for the most thoughtful gift of a sax, to my family for braving through my daily evening practice (at 6pm like clockwork), to my teacher Erick who started me off with the basics on sax, to my close friends who cheered me on through my 100 days practice challenge and to all ladies of the orchestra, special mention to the woodwinds section! You guys took my breath away (hehe pun intended!)
Thank you Kimathi Makini for this nomination. You should check out his blog on https://youngdocnet.wordpress.com/. He is a fellow medic and classmate; an amazing writer that weaves sensitive topics into his fictional stories, a courage in storytelling I applaud.
I have been blogging since May 2015 and I am glad to be doing an award nomination post for the first time. Thank you to all my readers and the blogging community.
The Liebster Award is an award that exists only on the internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers.
The rules for the award nomination are:
Thank the blogger who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog
Answer the questions given to you
Share 11 facts about yourself
Nominate 5-11 bloggers
Ask your nominees 11 questions
Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post
My answers to Makini's questions:
Would you rather the truth, or dare? I know the thrill other people get from doing crazy dares, but it's definitely not for me! I'd go with the truth any day.
Of the wonders of the world, which one fascinates you the most? The Great Migration of Serengeti and Maasai Mara. The wildebeest go through a trek and a half, not forgetting the crocodile- filled waters ,for pasture in a new land. This beautiful cycle truly fascinates me.
What do you think would cause the world’s end? E.g. in the line of global warming, a microbe, a zombie apocalypse, alien invasion… I'd say the book of Revelation gives us a rough idea of how the world will end, with the glorious second coming of Jesus crowning it all!
Who/ what is your favourite fictional character? I must say, for the longest time this place was held by Lily Owens from 'The Secret Life of Bees book' that I read while in primary school. This has been ousted most recently by Helen Decatur from 'Feels like Family -The Sweet Magnolias book 3' (I binge watched the Netflix series based on the book series and can't wait to get my hand on the books !)
Who do you regard as your role model? Why? Whew! Coming up with a single name is hard! What I can say is that I look up to women who do what they do unapologetically, faithfully and beautifully. Being blessed with several gifts, I'm learning how to hone each of them and several women have shown me what this looks like. Jackie Hill Perry, Koki Oyuke, Vanessa Obunde , my mother...just to name a few.
One of your favourite memories? The day Hosea and I composed a song called "Now We Are Free" within minutes of meeting. His lyrical prowess complimented my melody making well, it came together in about 30 minutes! I couldn't believe that such an intimate thing as song-writing could happen so fast yet so magically! (We're now in a band called The Refinery Music together and have composed numerous songs together since then.)
Favourite/ most used word? Where did you pick it? This is definitely the phrase "That's interesting." I use it all the time! When I don't know what to say about something, when I genuinely think it is interesting and when I pull a blank on another adjective to use. I can't really remember where I picked it up from.
If you could get a tattoo, what would it be and where on your body? I love butterflies so I'd probably get a tattoo of one on my wrist. Though this will probably stay as an idea. Not too keen on getting one done, I've heard tattoos are quite painful, plus the permanency of it doesn't tickle my fancy.
Would you donate your body to science? Very interesting question considering we used cadavers to learn anatomy. I'd say yes, simply because of that.
Favourite quote? At this moment, it is a quote by Koki Oyuke in her book Chosen Not Cheated, "In a world of fame, followers, likes and paparazzi, we need to aspire to be something other than popular."
What is that ONE thing that you want to accomplish in life? To use the myriad of talents God gave me and not bury any of them. I'm a proud polymath and would love to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant " from God, knowing I used all the talents He gave me for His glory.
Thank you yet again for this award. Soli deo gloria. God bless!
I nominate any blogger who reads this post. Feel free to answer these questions :
If you could only have two functional senses (touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing) of your choice, which would you choose & why?
If you had the ability to turn back time, what time period would you return to?
You have the opportunity to make up a word and have it added to the dictionary. What would it be and what does it mean?
If you could get rid of one vegetable or fruit in the entire world, what would it be and why?
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.â€Â These are words from Van Goethe; a German poet, novelist and playwright.
I remember when I was young, we lived next to these two guys; I think they were brothers (never got the guts to ask how they were related). I really looked up to these two guys. They were painters and did that for a living. Every single day I came from school, I would find that they had put their art paintings outside their doorway so that they could dry. These paintings were INCREDIBLE; from the detail, to the emotion they evoked. I didn’t just want to grow up to be like them, I wanted to be them (they also had dreads and I had vowed when I grew up I would have the similar ones, even longer , it never came to pass though, I don’t think it ever will. :D )
Art in itself is beauty, God is beautiful. When you look at the marvels of creation from the Milky Way, (at times described as a band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye) 100,000 light years in size; all that is just a glimpse of His creation.
"We often get tangled up on life’s cycles that we forget to pause. Pause to see the beauty and miracles around us, from the smile of a newborn baby, to that amazing cup of coffee that just somehow helps kick starts your day, from that morning sunrise to the beauty of the twinkling of stars in the night."
To wrap this up for now, here’s a parting shot, some little poetry by Jefferson Bethke.
Be blessed and don’t forget to pause.
  The greatest artist of all time;            Â
  A guy came up to me the other night right
And he was like, "Who's your favorite artist?"
And like most people do when they ask a question
He didn't really care about my answer
And proceeded to tell me what he thought the true answer was
And he continued about his struggle to recognize
Who he said was the greatest of all time
He said "I mean is it Shakespeare, is it Frost, Picasso, Michelangelo, Is it the Beatles, Rembrandt, Michael Jackson, Beethoven?"
And he went on and on and on about who he thought was the greatest.
Not recognizing that even his infrastructure to answer that question was mislead and outdated
And so finally I kindly smile and said Ok, sir, you asked me who is the greatest of all time
Now you tried to share yours, so let me share mine because there's no debate about
Who is the greatest cause all those other artists you mentioned,
yeah, The greatest made 'em
And see this artist he's a beast, a lion, the name above names.
You don't even realize it but you encounter his art every day
And he deserves all of the acclaim. He deserves all of the fame.
Cause all other artists pass away but He remains
Oh, by the way, his name is God Yahweh, Creator, Your Maker
He's infinitely creative, sir there is no one greater
And I can tell it looks like you're starting to get mad at me
But don't be jealous just 'cause your favorite artist might bend words. My favorite artist bends galaxies
See in the palm of his hand he holds all the sand
The author of life when he whispered, "Let us make man."
See what if I told you that you are God's poetry
You were created because someone else was creative
See long ago he picked up his eternal paint brush dipped it in his glory
Placed us in his story and said, "They will live for me."
And I know it sounds outland-ish but we're not the product of random chances
And, in fact, we're not even the vine. We're actually the branches.
In the same way we're not the artists. We're actually the canvas.
Because in an instant God started to make art.
Shaped you uniquely and beautiful. Individual from the start.
And he touched the canvas of flesh and said, "This one is better than the rest.
I'll give him so much of my image So even when they're hot off the press, you can still see the steam of my breath."
And about that time the guy butted back in and said, "That sounds good n' all, but I’m wretched and filthy. God won't use me, will he?"
And I said, Ah see that's what's awesome about God. No matter what we've done, he can still use us.
Even though other artists, once they have broken equipment, They start to make excuses.
God instead doesn't refuse us and neither does he accuse us. He redeems us in Jesus. Promises never to lose us.
So stop saying' that your dirt. Stop saying' your scum of the Earth.
You ought to be careful about how you talk about someone else’s work.
Because if we've trusted in Jesus, we can stop saying we're filthy.
I mean all that is anyways is just pride clothed in false humility.
I mean if we only believed that we're truthfully created in his likeness,
Then we'd stop sayin' we're wretched, filthy, shameful, and guilty.
But instead knowing if we've trusted Jesus, we're righteous.
I mean don't you see we're drawn to repentance because of his kindness.
So how dare you call yourself worthless when he says you’re priceless?
But see the best part is since God is ultimately for God, he'll get glory out of you ,whether you like it or not
Because even temple ruins point to an architect. Even if the temple is shot.
And all I’m saying is that he's behind it all.
So why do we insist on giving him no credit at all
I mean he's the one that gave Van Gough the imagination that changed the face of painting.
Tell me who else is responsible for Mozart being able to compose at age 5 without Form of training.
See he made the fingers that Beethoven used to make art on the keys.
For Pete’s sake he made Stevey Wonder, One of the best musicians of our time, and he couldn't even see.
And that's why in the same way that our lives are borrowed time, this poem is borrowed lines.
'Cause the most ridiculous statement we could ever say is that this poem is mine.
Because we're not self-sustaining, no, we're not self-creating.
Technically nothing we do is original. We're just imitating and that's not a dis'.
All I’m trying to say is this. Even our own creativity is nothing more than an out-flow of his.
And so, I’ll end with this. You know that quote about giving credit where credit is due? Well if that's true, it's about time we give God his rightful credit too.
'Cause he's a god in the business of making all things new...
and here's the truth, He's not through with making a masterpiece of you.
Duncan Kahwai graced us with this meditative piece to end the series. He's a scientist-creative too, acing as an amazing artist(his drawings are beautiful) and a medical student as well.
Hoping you were blessed by this series. Feel free to come back here any time you've forgotten that you are creative, because YOU ARE CREATIVE. Do share this with others so that they too are enlightened; plus don't forget to subscribe to the blog so that you get regular updates. :)
Viva is the perfect example of a lady with a gentle and quiet spirit. I admired her from a distance before we actually got to interact and anytime I looked at her paintings, I was blown away. The best thing about it, is that she is so bold about her art being from God. Behind-the-scenes, as she recently shared, her art is inspired by worship music and devotionals.
If that isn't true outflow of creativity from God, I don't know what it is. She's a stunning beauty as well. And you know me, I'm a bit biased with fellow naturalistas; her mane is gorgeous!
You can see more of her artwork at https://lavidanilla.wordpress.com/.Â
Science and art have always been a part of me from a very young age. I came to explore these fields later on after high school, and joining architecture school in the University of Nairobi intensified the passion.Â
See, architecture is the balanced integration of artistic sensibility and scientific methodology as it applies to designing buildings and their environments, it is the art and science of designing buildings and other structures.
So in layman's terms it is the integration of both art and science. Now you know why I picked it, I thought I would have it easy in campus as I loved both of them; but it is not as simple as it sounds.Â
First year is the most “artistic†year of architecture school. It is where one taps into their creativity and you are forced to think out of the box but with certain constraints such as theme, principles and concepts that will govern your ideas. That to me is not the art I knew, this is because art has little to no constraints.
Anything can be seen as being a piece of art according to one's perspective; this does not apply to architecture.
Most of the time art caters for the artist’s needs first and the viewer comes second; it is more personal, but for architecture, the clients’ preferences and needs come first. Apart from clients’ needs, other factors such as practicality and functionality can also constrain ones creativity in architecture. This was a struggle for me as an artist.
As a Christian, I deem God to be various things, a creative, a scientist, an artist, a judge, a ruler, and in my case, an architect. The universe was created by God by word of mouth and we were specially created in His image. This is how God is an architect to me, through Creation; bringing something into existence from a simple concept to something one can see with physical eyes.
God definitely loves order; judging from the way He created the universe. There was an order of some sort through which He used. Like say, for example, He made light before anything else, and He made plants before the animals so that they wouldn't starve, and He saved best for last when He made man on the last day.
This is basically how architects create/come up with their projects; in a systematic order with various steps that culminate to a master piece.
Borrowing majorly from God the architect of the universe, I later on got a hang of it. Understanding the methodology applied in architecture has greatly influenced how I do my artwork nowadays. From problem definition/ brief formulation, to research and analysis, to conceptualization, to schematic design and to the final/ detailed design; these are the basic steps one takes to fulfilling a project, which I have also applied in art. Â
( Original work; "Love awakens" by Lavart, mixed media on canvas, 2017)
This has made my pieces and the process of making them more meaningful; and thus making my pieces more relatable and able to evoke emotions.
When the artist gets to understand the story behind the piece (brief formulation and research), the process of attaining the final piece (conceptualization and schematics), and finally coming up with the master piece (final/ detailed design), not only is He able to fulfill the viewer’s needs but also his needs; and that's when one is able to make art humane.
Now when I decided to put God into the picture, it made a huge impact on how I viewed art and architecture. He is not only my source of inspiration as before but also the drive and motivator, the giver of ideas.
I became a vessel through which God can speak. To say the least, it is an honour to be one; because I get to learn more and more about Him and myself through art and architecture, at the same time, I get to tell others about God through the same means.
Before I would draw just draw anything that would interest me. It is not simple, because I have to completely rely on God now, for ideas; which require a lot of patience to hear His voice and also a lot of Bible reading to understand what God really wants me to do.
Despite the struggles, the process is fulfilling when the piece is complete and the blog has been posted. That’s when you feel you’re fulfilling the true purpose that God created you for in this life; when you combine God, Science and Art.
( Original work: "Potter's hands" by Lavart Colour pencils on black embossed paper, 2016)
So today we shake things up as our Model Doctor, Mary Gitau, who was featured on the previous post, extended an invitation to her artist friend, Daniel Muraba.
She interviewed him on the same topic of Art, Creativity and Creativity. This will be my shortest post ever, but very impactful nonetheless.Â
Today's scientist-creative is a dear friend of mine. Having both grown up as first-born girls in a family of boys, we have a lot in common. So it wasn't surprising that we bonded easily in med school; over crazy experiences in the wards, times when our hope was dwindling and good times as well!
She is resolute in her Christianity and I'm honored to be present in her life as God unfolds His plans for her. When He called her to be a model, I was super excited! Her dedication was evident and it paid off as she was crowned Miss Chiromo that year.
Carrying herself with grace and poise, she shines His light brightly, even in an area of art that many Christians are wary of. Modelling. Perfect definition of beauty both inside and outside!
Speaking of which, isn't her hair just goals? :)
"A creative? Are you kidding me?"
I know it might come as a shocker to many people( ok, maybe not so many) but I basically spent the better part of my young life having such thoughts govern my mind. And to some extent, I still struggle with that. Consolidating just this one piece of writing was such a hustle that I had actually given up. Thank God for patient and insistent Joy Mueni who did not allow me to back out. And so, here I am, sharing the little I know.
I grew up in a rather good household with an amazing family, something I don't take for granted. But somehow, in all of it, I embraced the idea that creativity and I were not compatible.
And so it was. I was satisfied with being a doctor for the rest of my life( well, this has its own story) and suffering the 'reality' that I was boring and could not possibly have any creativity.
In fact, this mentality crippled even my interaction with people, especially dudes. Yeeaahh, my high school life stunk. I wasn't those creative girls with exquisite handwriting and an amazing sense of calligraphy, writing poetry to their dear beloved boyfriends in our brother school.
Nope! I was the bookworm, hiding behind the veil of serious, to cover up for my own limiting idea of how non-creative I was. And sure, I would be the best in academics. That would certainly compensate some honour for my boring, little non-creative self!
Well, you might have figured this out... It didn't. I was the best, consecutively, but I was suffering. I was not letting the full me come out. I eventually cleared high school and the dilemma was clearly evident.
How does life move on, when you have no creativity of your own to start a conversation, decide on your fashion sense or even just be you?
Of course that meant a whole lot of tough lessons on self-confidence, embracing myself and loving on me, even on my what-I-deemed-non-creative self. Slowly my creative self started coming out... And that was a shocker.
"Kumbe, I could also be creative" is what I remember exclaiming to myself when someone would compliment my fashion sense or when someone would laugh at my avid and talkative story telling moments :) Oh, how liberating it feels to be myself.. (Imagines that she has her eyes closed and her imaginary long hair is being whipped around by the wind as she stands on the sea shore! I wish I had a picture but that will suffice, won't it? :)Â )
Some pointers for what I am continually learning;
(PS: I'm no guru in this area but this is what I have to share from my personal experience.)
God created us to all be creatives:
It is a lie from the pits of hell that you are not creative. It might be in the smallest of things but there is creativity still expressed. It most definitely differs with the talents and practice put into the area of creativity but there is a basic minimum level of creativity. I guess that's why we were all forced to create compositions and insha's in primary (I loathed both oh so very dearly...who else did?)
2. Creativity is an expression of who you are from within and so it's unique:
It's hardly copying what another person is doing and mainly trying to find a way to express your inward self (which might be in a way similar to someone else's) . This calls for a degree of self-acceptance and self-love; to allow yourself to produce a creative product regardless of other people's critique. Also trying and realising what you enjoy creating/doing and what you don't is part of the process. Allow yourself a period of self-discovery!
3. There are many untapped ways of being creative.
I recently learnt of Art Therapy! Had you ever known of anything like it? Well;
Art Therapy~ a form of expressive therapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or modelling, used as a remedial or diagnostic activity. The creative process of making art is used to improve a person's physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Would you look at that! Killing two birds( bird of creation and bird of psychotherapy) with one stone.
There's more than one way of expressing yourself... painting, drawing, modelling, cooking, knitting, swimming, singing, story-telling, writing, making different bed designs, cloth hanging, house decor, ironing...Gosh, the list is endless (and I'm sure I've left out many more. Kindly comment below other creative endeavours. I'll sure give it a try!) Now all that is left is for you to find your fit!
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4. Creativity is supposed to be fun.
And it is fun. Well not all the time, especially when trying to learn the skill or improve the skill. Most especially when it's your source of income. It sure doesn't feel like fun all the time but it shouldn't not be fun. This takes me to the next point.
5. An enemy of fun is pressure from either yourself or society where standard and quality is concerned.
Of course, no one wants to be sub-standard, but laying pressure upon yourself only works to reduce the quality and fun of the process. Yes, it's not easy but it's a balance we all need to attain. Take a step at a time perfecting the creativity that you draw from within. It surely takes time and most certainly few value creativity that is not perfect but soon enough it will be good enough. :)
6. Comparison Kills!
It's a song by Jonathan McReynolds (and that's how you pitch for your favourite musician). And it's true. It kills. Take time off social media, away from people and get to hear what you want to say without having to wonder if it is like theirs. Kill comparison before it kills you. :)
I am Mary Gitau, a 4th year medical student at the University of Nairobi. I am a growing creative with my main interests being fashion, modelling, crocheting and music. I have a sweet tooth so you'll never go wrong with ice-cream or Cadbury chocolate(a shameless plugin for my birthday that passed, but every day is a day to celebrate others. ;) )I really love God and hope to be a true Christian daily.
Guys, isn't she lovely! Which of the points that she shared has resonated the most with you? Do tell in the comments. While you are at it, watch this video of Mary's modelling so far . :)
I first met today's scientist-creative at a financial literacy class for campus students. She is a bubbly and intelligent lady and I noticed this especially when we were given a group-task to come up with a business idea in such a short time. Her ideas were intriguing and we eventually chose one of them to present as a group...and greater so is her story. I admire her dedication to her art and I'm so glad I get to share her story here. (PS- I know I'm not the only one stunned by her dance outfits! They are simply breathtaking! )
You can find more of Njoki on www.thedancingbiochemist.com and her social media pages as The Dancing Biochemist. FBIG
Hello, my name is Njoki Wairua but I am also popularly known as 'The Dancing Biochemist.' I am a professional dancer and a biochemist. I am vast in ballet, jazz dance and hip hop dance, more specifically break dance. I recently completed my undergraduate studies with a major in Medical Biochemistry.
For the longest time, I felt the need to constantly explain myself as to why I chose to study biochemistry while still pursuing a career as a professional dancer. Comments such as "Biochemistry is so hard, why not study a bachelor of arts", " Are you sure you're a scientist?" and "Why not drop the dancing and simply focus on biochemistry?"Â were all too common and it bothered me at first. So much so that I would take the time out to explain to all these people who seemed to have such strong opinions on my career choices, that in fact, I could do it all. Needless to say, very few were convinced and I would end up frustrated, distraught and sometimes in doubt about my choices.Â
Life is better when you dance
I eventually chose to ignore what people thought and said, and simply worked on myself; my dancing and my studies. Soon I saw results. I was excelling both academically and in my dance career. This brought on more support from those very people who had strongly discouraged me to pursue both the arts and science. It was a relief of course but I thought it quite unfortunate as they only validated my hard work once they deemed it 'okay' according to their standards. This realization further reinforced what I had slowly come to learn, 'do you and march to the beat of your own drum! Otherwise, you'll drown trying to please the world!'
Dance is like wine, it matures with every performance
Fast forward to today and I can confidently speak these words without second-guessing myself, 'Hi, my name is Njoki Wairua, I am The Dancing Biochemist, and I am slaying at both my careers!'
Show Case of my art
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How art has built my Christian Faith
Throughout my dance journey, I have seen first hand, God's grace and abundance in blessings. When I first decided to take the steps to becoming a professional dancer, I never imagined I would accomplish some of the great feats I have thus far. From appearing in newspapers, magazines and even BBC to being a brand ambassador for my previous performing arts school, not to mention winning Sondeka Awards 2018 in the dance category. All these accolades are for me proof that God indeed walks with me in my dance journey.Â
Besides all the good, I have faced quite a few challenges as well. From racism to literally being laughed at for pursuing a dance career. God has given me the strength to keep going even when I felt like giving up. I have felt God's presence and comfort every step of the way! And as I have kept going, better opportunities have come my way and I have had the chance to embrace them. God gave me my talent and I am making the most of it as my gift back to Him.
Advise to anyone wishing to join the arts as a scientist
Just do it! Forget what the society expects of you, simply follow your heart! I found that pursuing a career in dance while simultaneously pursuing my biochemistry studies helped me balance off the pressure that comes with sciences. Biochemistry is a pretty tough course and I often needed to blow off some steam. Dance gave me the opportunity to do that!
Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances.
What Njoki has shared resonates with many, including myself. For so long I felt I had to choose one or the other. Question being, is art a science or is science an art? Sounds a lot like the chicken and the egg question huh? Well, here's what Raysam had to say about it;
" I was checking out the difference between "science" and "art". I guess the key terms that stood out for me are "understanding vs skill". The end game or final result gives the stark difference. On one end you basically ask a lot of questions and discover to know. On the other end you know in order to use practically.
 I can rephrase that to mean: On one hand you have discovery as the objective; while on the other hand you have practical solutions to an existing challenge/problem as the objective. Or rather "discovery vs application".
Then it makes sense why research and experimentation are so crucial in the scientific world. Â
And why experience is so crucial in the art world.
Though of course there's a thin line between the two terms that can easily be crossed.
I think there's truth in both statements. Science is an art and art is a science. The art science and the science of art. "
I've have literally reported verbatim what he said and would love to hear if you hold similar or contrary sentiments. Go on and share your opinion in the comments section so that we can try figure this out together!
PS- Don't forget that tomorrow morning, they'll be another interesting story I'll share. I'd advice you to subscribe/follow the blog so that you don't miss out on any new posts!
{Above is an audio recording I made of this blog post for those who prefer listening in. But for the guys like me who like the traditional option of practically reading, do proceed. :) }Â
I love mandazi. Especially mandazi that has cardamon in it. So divine!
“Wait a minute Mueni. Doesn’t the title of this blogpost say this is supposed to be about creativity and Christianity? But we are talking about mandazi...hmmm… â€
Guys, isn't this my story to tell ? Just relax, I' m getting there. :)Â
Haha, anyway… once a month, my church serves tea and mandazi to all congregants after service. I never thought I’d be the kind of person that looks forward to tea, but boy don’t I look forward to those Sundays! I get to fellowship with friends and family.... aaannd eat mandazi that has cardamon in it. ;)
Okay okay, you get it…cardamon mandazi is great. The best actually! And you will never take plain mandazi again after I've shared that secret with you. :P Fine, I’ll move on with the story.
So one Sunday, my aunt and I were having a conversation after service over tea and mandazi. I barely remember what the rest of it was about, but this part stood out the most.
She asked something on the lines of...
 “Joy,are you a creative?"
I paused for a moment.
“Me? A creative? â€
I asked, reflectively.
“Ah…why am I even asking, music, spoken word…yeah, you definitely are one…â€
She concluded rather quickly, and moved on to catch up with her friend who had come to say hello.
I stood there, wondering where all this had randomly come from and after they were done, I asked, “Aunty, what did you mean by a 'creative’?â€
“Well, as I said, your music, spoken word…all that creative stuff…that's what makes you a creative.†she responded.
I don’t remember how the conversation went on after that but it left me with many questions; does my medical school life then, fit into her definition of me as a ‘creative’?  Do my scientific ambitions assert or nullify ‘creativity’? Are scientists creatives? Can they be? In fact, who is a creative in the first place?
Whoa...questions overload!
Don't worry, we'll walk through them together, but before that, I'd like you to imagine this;
You meet someone for the first time and this is how they introduce themselves;
“Hi, my name is ___(so and so)_____ and I am a creative.â€
What are the first thoughts that come to your mind about what they could be doing as creatives? Were they any of the following?
(Please make a mental note of them before you proceed.)
So, did you think of;
Musician.
Poet.
Artist.
In our day and age, Social Media content creator…
Perhaps they even have a YouTube channooooo . :D
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Well, suppose you engage them further on that.
“Oh cool...so what do you do as a creative? "
Then they answer,
“I’m a scientist.â€
Pause. Did your mind just struggle joining those two dots? Scientist-Creative...Creative scientists…huh?
Well, this then is the series for you. #ARTWEEK #BothSidesOfTheDivide #IAmCreative #WeAllAre
This week, we will try to understand these four aspects and how they are intertwined; art, science, creativity and Christianity.
As I introduce the series, I’ll start by making a very bold claim.
You are creative. Yes, YOU!Â
In fact, we all are creative. Regardless of what we do.
But first let me share interesting nuggets I gathered in my search for answers;
“Because we image God, each one of us is born inherently creative.â€
-Hannah Varamini
“One way of thinking about the way we have distanced ourselves from creativity is this: we have lost sight of our creativity’s source. As creatures made in God’s image, we are designed by God to be like God, and this means we’re designed to create, not peripherally but as part of our fundamental nature. In other words, in the beginning, we are each given, as part of the warranty of being human, a harmonic calling, the melody of a set of good things to do with our lives. As an image or representation of God, when we create, we reflect the character of God and the glory of God. Our God-given creative passion is our unique art and the source of our fulfillment. Each of us is made to be God’s cocreator. And, as with any creative process, the work draws the workers together. When we create, we move closer to God; conversely, when we merely consume, we move further from God. To call someone, or yourself, uncreative is simply untrue. Our creativity problem is not that we don’t have this supernatural power within us. It’s that we have lost track of it. It’s latent. (emphasis mine)â€
-Len Wilson (Author of Think Like a 5 year Old- Reclaim you wonder and create great things)
The Bible itself is a work of art. From beginning to end, we are told the story of The Creator and His creation in parable, poetry and many more literary styles. Its genesis? Chapter 1 verse 1, “In the beginning , God created the heavens and the earth.†The first attribute we see of God in the Word, is Him as a creator.
Up to today, we marvel at His creation. I personally am enthralled by the majesty of creation seen in the human body. I am amazed at how every detail was worked out in such a way that we as scientists are always learning more and more about the body system. Doing more research, down to the molecular level to see how the body works. And then engineers, innovators and medics relate where man-made objects can be likened to body features. The eye as a camera. The heart as a pump. The joints as levers. The nose as a filter. The skin as protective armor. And so on.
And now, 3D printing in medical technology enables us to print organs and living tissues. New steps are being applied each day to making things better and better.
Each day, someone creates . The definition I’ll use for create is; bring something into existence. What once was not ,now is, just as was done by God in the beginning. But now, He does it through human beings. Just as God continues to show Himself as merciful and kind, He continues to create. Only that He uses people to do that. Us, His co-creators.
“How many are your works, Lord. In wisdom you made them all, the world is full of your creatures." Psalm 104:24 (NIV)
Unfortunately, we don’t really believe that. We don’t see ourselves as conduits of God’s creativity. So the glory of all our daily creative work isn’t channeled to the rightful Owner. Most times, we end up taking the glory for it.
This week, I have partnered with fellow scientist-creatives, to tell the story of how God is using them as vessels of creativity, in the fields of science and art. I particularly chose these two as they are both dear to me and I'm glad God led me to some amazing people who are shining their light in both areas concurrently! We may not focus on the art of music as much (God willingly, I’ll address this in a subsequent music-specific series) but I pray that each day, as you read their testimonies, God will use this to affirm to you that indeed, you are creative. I pray that in this realization, you will listen in to how He wants you to bring Him glory in every single thing you do and all that you create.
Do you have any expectations, opinions or questions about this topic? Have you also felt like you are on #BothSidesOfTheDivide? Do share in the comments section. I'd love to hear what you have to say!
I can't wait to share the stories from tomorrow. Every morning at 9 am sharp. Monday through Saturday!
Soli deo Gloria
(Photo credits; Deno Kim, Sammy and Alice W. |Â Featuring Julles and Mary G.)
PS- For the book lovers, here are links to 2 book suggestions I came across on this topic:
Think Like a Five Year Old- Len Wilson
The Imagination of God: Art, Creativity and Truth in the Bible
 
I am Mary Gitau, a 4th year medical student at the University of Nairobi. I am a growing creative with my main interests being fashion, modelling, crocheting and music. I have a sweet tooth so you'll never go wrong with ice-cream or Cadbury chocolate(a shameless plugin for my birthday that passed, but every day is a day to celebrate others. ;) )I really love God and hope to be a true Christian daily.
