I studied the cover of the slim book in my hand: Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.
I was intrigued. Not only by the title but also by the striking design.
Likewise, the author.
I knew Madeleine L’Engle only from her Newberry Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time—a children’s science fantasy. I read it for a Children’s Lit class in college and again when my daughter read it in elementary school.
What could a science fantasy writer have to say about the intersection of faith and art?
Turns out quite a lot.
Walking on Water is not a book on technique. It’s an inspiring discourse for writers (and any artist) on how to live life so we create at our highest level.
The author’s words overflow with wisdom. That’s something in an age bloated with information but hungry for meaning. L’Engle had me when she wrote, “If I leave my work for a day, it leaves me for three.”
Four Practices to Improve a Writer’s Creativity
Four main principles are woven throughout the book. L’Engle proposes that following them will increase our creativity.
Become Childlike
We must return to our childhood qualities. The openness that comes naturally when we’re children is vital for the writer. This means we live in a state of expectation and are able to imagine the impossible.
L’Engle drives home her point with this stat: At the age of five, 90% of children measure at high creativity. By age seven, the figure drops to 10%. The percentage of adults with high creativity is only two percent!
As adults, we have to constantly unlearn what the world teaches us.
Consider what she says of Mary: “She was little more than a child when the angel Gabriel came to her; she had not lost her creative acceptance of the realities moving on the other side of the everyday world.”
Surrender Control
We must abandon our intellectual control. When we give in to the notion that our writing might take us places we aren’t ready to go, say things that someone doesn’t want to hear, or write from a place that’s real and painful, then something is likely to happen that will startle us during the act of creating.
But because we’re afraid of what we can’t control, we draw boundaries. We limit ourselves to what we know and understand.
L’Engle suggests this is because we don’t dare be co-creators with God. But to be an artist means we allow our whole selves to be placed with absolute faith in what is greater than we are. The artist must be obedient to the work, “whether it be a symphony, a painting, or a story for a small child.”
“The novel we sit down to write and the one we end up writing may be very different, just as the Jesus we grasp and the Jesus who grasps us may also differ,” she says.
Listen to the Silence
We must seek silence in our noisy world. We must take ourself out of the way to hear. The act of listening in prayer, L’Engle argues, is the same act as listening in writing. And we must stay open to the voice of the Spirit.
“God is always calling on us to do the impossible,” she says. “It helps me to remember that anything Jesus did during His life here on earth is something we should be able to do, too.”
She describes the ideal state like this:
In prayer, in the creative process, these two parts of ourselves, the mind and the heart, the intellect and the intuition, the conscious and the subconscious mind, stop fighting each other and collaborate.
We hold onto the wonder of children, we surrender control, we become still and listen. But something must happen before we can listen.
Keep the Clock Wound
We must work. Writers have to pay for the “gift” of listening through daily practice, our equivalent to finger exercises for the pianist. Here’s how L’Engle summarizes this paradox:
The creative process is incomplete unless the artist is in the best sense of the word, a technician, one who knows the tools of the trade, and studies his techniques, and is disciplined.
Walking on Water is an essay worth reading, Not only does L’Engle create beauty with words, she also inspires and offers much to ponder. So much so that we can forgive her occasional rambling.
What’s something you do that helps you create at your highest level? My ritual, after I pray, is to light a red currant candle. I’m addicted to it. The scent signals my brain that it’s time to work.
“The novel we sit down to write and the one we end up writing may be very different, just as the Jesus we grasp and the Jesus who grasps us may also differ.” #writingcommunity #creativity #faithandart Click To Tweet
I wOuld never have been interested in this book. Now, I can hardly wait to read it. Thanks for this through review.
Loved this ma’am. Applies to both my Christian walk and my writing life. What an inspiring post! You just made my day my friend. Thank you!
J.D., I too was struck by how much the practices paralleled with my faith journey. Here’s to keeping the child inside us alive, listening for the Spirit’s voice, surrendering, and hard work!
Thank you for condensing the wisdom from her book and sharing it with us in an easy-to-digest manner. I think for me the most revealing sentence was that if she walks away from her work for one day, it walks away from her for three. I actually see that in my own writing that when I write regularly, I am more productive than when I write sporadically. Now I just have to act on what I know.
Joanna, That statement hit home with me too! Practice is key to getting better at anything. I’m trying to make it a daily practice, even if it’s only for thirty minutes.
This is one of my favorite books, Candyce. I especially resonate with the childhood qualities. I had to grow up quickly due to my family situation. At times, it’s hard to do but I never stop trying. This is one of my favorite posts you’ve written…and that’s saying something! I hope to see you at Blue Ridge in May!
What a kind thing to say, Cathy. That means a lot coming from such a creative soul as yourself. We have so much to learn from children, don’t we? – I’m reminded of what Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” I’m thankful you are intentional about nurturing those qualities. Our grandchildren certainly help us with that!
As far as the conference, I’m still on the fence about whether to do virtual or attend in person. Praying for clear direction. soon!
I love this line, “The act of listening in prayer, L’Engle argues, is the same act as listening in writing. And we must stay open to the voice of the Spirit.” This does sound like a great book for a writer. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading and commenting. It was quite interesting – gave me a pause from writing and inspired me to write at the same time.
Thanks for sharing this wisdom. It is true that we limit ourselves based on what we have learned from tbe world around us instead of allowing God to create through us. I now want to read this book.
It will be worth the time to read, Barbara. Sometimes we lose the spark that God placed in us to write in the first place. I find having an artist date with myself helps. I take time out to go people watch in a park or something like that. I also like to shake it up by writing in a coffee shop sometimes.
I love Madeleine L’Engle’s books, but I had no idea she wrote this book for writers! Thank you for reviewing it! For me that childlike wonder at God’s creation fuel’s my creativity and I love to try to instill that in my art lessons for children!
Hi Kathy. I’m a teacher too, and I’m constantly learning from children! Now it’s my grandkids. Children have so much more fun that most adults and live live with accepting wonder.
Thank you for commenting. Please stop by again! I’m sure that as an art teacher, you can teach me lots about creativity.
Your message inspires me to be more intentional in my writing. But, I received an even greater blessing–you’ve encouraged me to be more focused in my “living.” Remember to see the wonder of God’s creation, to let our creativity flow and live, not be stifled by the expectations of society. Surrender control! Listen! Oh, my, your message most definitely is one I needed to hear today. Thank you and may God bless.
Hello sweet friend. I agree! I was struck by how much the four practices paralleled my faith journey. All good practices for harvesting the life of abundance that Jesus came to give. Hope the flowers are blooming and the sun shining for you today!
I appreciated your post, this past week I moved my writing space and reorganized and decluttered and I can better focus. But my “go to” each time I write is to remind myself of His calling and He will equip me- the timing is His not mine.
Hi Marilyn. It’s amazing how decluttering can free up our channels of creativity. It helps me also to remember who I write for and why.