How creativity, curiosity, and faith opened the door to something I didn’t know I’d been missing.
I didn’t return to painting because I had a plan.
I returned because something inside me had come alive again.
After losing my mom, I found myself navigating a season of grief, change, and rediscovery. And somewhere along the way, God used something beautifully simple to awaken a part of me I hadn't realized I'd been missing.
Creativity.
I had attended a creative workshop on a Monday, and something happened in that room.
There was freedom to create. Freedom to explore. Freedom to simply be present without needing to produce something perfect.
And in that space, the Holy Spirit met me.
I began to recognize something I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
The curious little girl inside me.
The one who loved to imagine, experiment, explore, and create simply for the joy of creating.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed her until I experienced that freedom again.
And what began that day has continued to unfold in ways I never could have planned.
Sometimes We Forget How to Be Curious
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us become more concerned with getting things right than discovering what might be possible.
We learn to measure our efforts.
We evaluate outcomes.
We compare our beginnings to someone else’s finished work.
And slowly, without necessarily realizing it, we can lose some of the curiosity that once came so naturally.
I wonder how many of us have stopped trying things simply because we don't know whether we'll be good at them.
Or because we can’t see how they will turn out.
Or because we have convinced ourselves that creativity belongs to a select group of talented people.
But I’ve come to believe that creativity is much bigger than artistic ability.
You don’t have to be an artist to be shaped by creativity.
You simply have to be willing to explore.
What the Canvas Began Teaching Me
As I continued painting, I began noticing something interesting.
The canvas wasn’t just revealing colors, shapes, and compositions.
It was revealing things about me.
I began paying attention to what happened when I made a mark I didn’t like.
When something didn’t turn out the way I imagined.
When I had to decide whether to cover something, change direction, or keep going.
Sometimes I felt confident. Other times I questioned myself.
Sometimes I wanted to control the outcome. Other times I found freedom in allowing the painting to unfold.
And I began recognizing how often these same patterns appeared in everyday life.
How do I respond when something doesn’t go according to plan?
What happens when I don’t have all the answers?
Can I make a decision without knowing exactly how everything will turn out?
Can I continue when something feels unfinished?
The more I created, the more I began to understand that the process itself was teaching me something.
Not necessarily how to become a better painter.
But how to become more aware.
How to begin.
How to adapt.
And how to keep going.
Faith Doesn’t Require the Finished Picture
One of the Scriptures that has become especially meaningful to me is 2 Corinthians 5:7:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (KJV)
I’ve been thinking about that word walk.
Walking requires movement.
One step, followed by another.
We don't always know what is around the next corner, and we certainly don't always know how the story will unfold.
But following Jesus has never required us to understand everything before we obey Him.
It requires trust.
And I’ve found a beautiful parallel between this truth and the creative process.
When I begin a painting, I often have an idea, but I don't always know what the finished piece will look like.
I make a mark.
I respond to what is happening.
I step back.
I notice.
And then I make another mark.
Layer by layer, something begins to take shape.
That doesn’t mean painting and walking with Jesus are the same thing. They aren’t.
But the creative process has given me a tangible way to reflect on what it means to move forward without needing to control every outcome.
Sometimes the next faithful step is the only step we need to see.
The Clarity Canvas: Something New Is Growing
Over time, these observations began developing into something I’ve been calling The Clarity Canvas.
It's a creative experience I'm developing to help people become more aware of how they think, respond, make decisions, and move forward through uncertainty.
And here’s what I find so interesting.
You don’t need to know how to paint.
You don’t need artistic talent.
You don’t even need to create something you want to hang on your wall.
Because the purpose isn’t to produce beautiful artwork.
It’s to become curious about what happens within you while you create.
What do you notice before you begin?
What happens when something unexpected appears?
How do you respond when you don’t like what you’ve made?
Are you willing to experiment?
Can you change direction?
Can you continue?
These are questions that extend far beyond the canvas.
They show up in our relationships, our businesses, our leadership, our dreams, and the everyday decisions we make.
I’m still developing this experience, learning, experimenting, and allowing it to unfold.
And rather than waiting until I have everything figured out, I've decided to invite others into the process.
Which feels rather fitting, doesn’t it?
An Invitation to Make Your Next Mark
Maybe you’ve been feeling the desire to try something new.
Maybe you’ve been standing at the beginning of a dream, wondering where to start.
Or perhaps, like me, there’s a curious part of you that has been quiet for a while.
I want to invite you to explore.
Not because you need another accomplishment.
Not because you need to become an artist.
But because there is something valuable about giving yourself permission to be curious again.
I've created a simple guided experience called The Next Mark, inspired by the ideas behind The Clarity Canvas.
It's a short, self-guided creative exercise that invites you to pause, begin, explore, adapt, persevere, and reflect.
All you need is a piece of paper, something to make marks with, and a willingness to notice what happens along the way.
There’s no right or wrong way to create.
And there’s no expectation that your finished page will look like anything in particular.
It’s simply an invitation to begin.
When you request the guide, you'll also have the opportunity to stay connected as The Clarity Canvas continues to grow.
The Beautiful Thing About Beginning Again
When I think back to that Monday workshop, I’m grateful for what the Holy Spirit awakened in me.
I didn't know then how much creativity would become woven into my life, my work, and the ways I serve others.
I didn’t know what would grow from that simple invitation to create.
And I’m still discovering.
But perhaps that’s part of the beauty.
We don’t have to know everything something will become before we’re willing to begin.
Sometimes we simply need to make room for curiosity, pay attention to what God is doing, and take the next step He's placed before us.
One mark.
One step.
One act of obedience at a time.
And perhaps, along the way, we'll rediscover something beautiful that we didn't even realize we'd been missing.
With love,
Jennifer Mehling
Artist • Author • Entrepreneur
Cultivating transformation through faith, creativity, wellness & leadership.
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