THIRTY ONE: ISSUE 18

Michelle Demi Lee: Created to create

FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER I HAVE BEEN captivated by creativity. As a little girl I treasured my craft collection and would find any excuse I could to bring out my art supplies. Always painting, cutting and pasting, inevitably making a mess wherever I went. (My family nicknamed me “hurricane Michelle”.) Since then, I have learnt two very important things. One: to clean up after myself, and Two: my love for creativity has always been far greater than simply enjoying an artistic hobby.

Creativity is my birth right. As a daughter of the ultimate Creator, made in His image. I was created to create, and so were you!

Let me tell you a bit of my story and how God has used my creativity to show me not only who He is but how He sees me. A few days before my

20th birthday, August 2018, in my second year of VGY, my creative hobby became a small creative business, “Just Demi Designs”. It all started on the floor of my friend’s lounge with a watercolour pallet and a few sheets of paper. Within a week I had a logo, a few business cards and a handful of orders. I will never forget that feeling of excitement as I watched my business slowly grow.

At the end of that year, I moved back to my family in Johannesburg because I strongly felt God say that that was where I needed to be for the next season of my life. For those two years I painted, worked, and painted some more. Grateful to be with my family but missing the community I had found in Jeffrey’s Bay. I spent late nights and most weekends in my little studio, after a full day of my “grown up” job, taking on as many orders as I could. Not thinking of the impact it would have on my mental, physical and emotional well-being.

My business had become my top priority and eventually my passion for creativity had turned into a “just get it done” mindset. Constantly comparing myself to other local artists, questioning every move I made and whether it would make more money or not.

By the time we went into lockdown I had run out of whatever it was that I thought I was meant to give. My body and physical health took the brunt of it and my emotions were all over the show. It felt like a never-ending battle in my mind and spirit. I had received so many prophetic words about how God would use this business. So, I could not understand why I felt heavy and broken, now I see that I had spent so much time and energy trying to create what I thought was right and hardly any time seeking my creator. I had forgotten that my identity was set in Him, not my work.

By the end of 2020, after months of praying I decided to take a huge leap of faith and move back to Jeffrey’s Bay. Leaving my home and family for the promise that I’d heard from God. He was calling me to be present, not perfect. To put down the mindset that I had to “hustle” and pick up the peace and protection that He provides. For the first time in my life, I truly felt that shift in my spirit, where His voice was undeniable and clear.

I have been in back Jeffrey’s Bay for 9 months, still painting and working on my business, now with a different perspective. I am learning to seek Him first, to create from a place of worship instead of a place of need. Allowing Jesus to be my source of inspiration and assurance. Letting go of the pressure for perfection and earthly growth has brought so much freedom. So, I will carry on pursuing God’s voice and trust for more breakthrough as I continue doing what I was born to do.

I want to end off by saying this: ”YOU have been created to create.” There is no point in denying it by saying that you are not creative. You are an image bearer of God. You hold his likeness and carry His breath in your lungs. Creativity is your birth right and the fear of failure should never stop you from cultivating it. Take the pressure off, allow creativity to bring you joy without worrying about the outcome. Being a creative has absolutely nothing to do with your ability or skill set but everything to do with worshipping Jesus. I want to encourage you to see yourself as a creative today, regardless of your talents or job description.

Pick up a paintbrush, dance, write a song, work in your garden, re-arrange your bedroom, play with your kids, cook a meal and share it. Allow creativity to seep into your life and let it be your worship. You are a creative, not because you are an artist, but because you are a child of God! You have been created to create.