“Excerpt from ‘Creativity: A Constant Renewal'”
The following is from the author’s keynote, “Creativity: A Constant Renewal,” given at the Exponent II retreat in 1986.
Like life, creating is painful, terrifying, exhilarating, demanding, and of inestimable value. But it does exact its costs, costs that must be accepted in order to progress.
To create beauty and goodness in things that are of lasting value to us is an essential part of becoming like our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother. As we begin a new creation, we can never know what it will finally be, even though we have a certain vision in mind. As we work, however, we find that inspiration gives variety and depth to the creation that we could never anticipate, that the creation finally becomes itself and only in a secondary capacity something we have made. But the making is vital, for in doing it, we learn a little more about who we are, about what matters, about truth.
Susan was the third editor in chief of Exponent II, and she accounts that experience as one of the most important in her life — both for the growth she experienced and the wonderful associations she shared. She is a retired professor of English from Brigham Young University, and she has just completed an assignment as associate editor of BYU Studies.
Ephraim, Utah
Categories: Shout Outs
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