John O’Donohue on Creativity and the Divine Imagination


“At the deepest level, creativity is holiness”


Clementine | 8×10 inches | Oil on Canvas Panel | Michael Lynn Adams

Poet philosopher John O’Donohue (1956-2008), is one my favorite authors on beauty. His concept of beauty goes far deeper than popular culture’s superficial view. For O’Donohue beauty, and its cousin creativity, are what engages us with the ultimate reality, which has many names – The Creator, The All, Divine, God, The Universe. Through creative acts we join the dance that God began.

Here is a just a snippet from O’Donohue’s book “Beauty, the Invisible Embrace: Rediscovering the true sources of compassion, serenity, and hope”:

“At the deepest level, creativity is holiness. To create is to further the dream and desire of the creator. When the world was created it was not a one-off, finished event. Creation is a huge beginning, not a finished end. Made in the image and likeness of the Divine Imagination, human creativity helps to add to creation. The unfinished is an invitation to our imagination. This is what happens in experience: the unfinished reaches towards us in order to come to form and expression…Everything we feel, think and do, even the smallest thing, expresses and unfolds the dream of God.” ~ John O’Donohue

Two of many wonderful books by John O’Donohue that will be treasured on your bookshelf:

 

FULL DISCLOSURE: If you purchase a book linked from this page, I receive a small commission from Amazon.

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