The Cap'n and Me

I was raised by a creative type. My dad was an artist and he had the best selection of markers. They included, literally, 50 shades of gray, among every other spectrum of color imaginable. Compared to this magical assortment, even the biggest box of crayons looked like, well, child's play.

My dad worked long hours, often coming home well after the time my five siblings and I had left the dinner table and scattered to our rooms to do homework. On weekends, he'd set up shop in the basement and spend hours at his drawing board, sketching out story boards for TV commercials and ad campaigns.

Though he died at 46, he left behind an amazing body of work, including the iconic cereal box character Cap'n Crunch, along with other famous cereal peers, such as Quisp, King Vitamin, and Quake. I named my first goldfish after one of his characters, Brunhilda, a shipmate on Cap'n Crunch's SS Guppy. When I broke my arm at 6 years old, he drew all of his characters on my cast. I was the envy of the entire first grade.

I'm proud of the work my dad did during his career. And now, as a creative type myself—only with words; I'm an embarrassment even to stick figures—I've been giving a lot of thought to what it means to be creative.

God, the original creator, made us in his image. And then he invites us to create too. We tend to relegate the label "creative type" to artists—painters, writers, musicians, performers. Thanks to Pinterest, we know being creative goes way beyond these disciplines. Every person can exercise creativity in a multitude of ways.

In this issue, we take a look at some of the ways women express their lives creatively. Sara Groves shares how she has cultivated a creative community for the common good in the heart of St. Paul. Dr. Christa Koval shows us how science leads us toward—not away from—our Creator, and Margot Starbuck offers a few ideas on how to creatively help your kids show the love of Jesus in your own community. As you read through this issue, think about how God has made you creative in your own way—then let us know how you plan to go out and make something of it!

Peace,

Marian V. Liautaud

Editor

Follow me @MarianLiautaud and @TCWomancom

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