More pondering on imagination

After my last post, I pretty much found expressions of creativity that were outside of imaginiation, as mentioned in my last post. I also found that, to an extent, imagining is unavoidable, being the process which, if not responsible for, is greatly connected to memory, desigining, or making any kind of plan. But the concept of imagination in fiction still poses a question, with the answers and lines wavering as to their placement. Using Bible gateway, i could only find a few definitions of the term imagine. this is primarily because Bible Gateway only has a concordance for NASB and KJV.

In KJV, the most common definitions revolve around making plans, or devising something. others include reckon, think, and a few specifically about plotting evil

The NASB only has one use of the word, to used by Mordecai to warn Esther not to imagine (in this use, to think or make oneself out to be) that she could escape the fate of her people.

The other versions, while not having a dictionary reference, have contexts which denote similar meaning. But how do these meanings and definitions line up with the definition of what i'm putting on trial here? Is writing fiction in truth devising something or making some plan? I can clearly see in some instances, many in my life, how in my imaginings i planned, devised and worked out evil will towards others. But is this inescapable? Many imaginings are truly and undeniably vile and opposed to God's will. H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Ann Rice, J.K Rowling, write stories that by their very nature deny His God-ness. But is this avoidable in fiction? or is writing anything other than history effectively an elaborate lie, inherently a sin?

My thought goes to the parable. What is it by its nature? a truth in a story that was revealed to some and not to others. Was Jesus talking about actual seeds that were actually eaten by actual birds? I don't know, He might have been, but i dont think so. (know that i'm discussing parables now because part of what im studying is whether or not allegorical fiction is truly justified by God.) Those stories were about people and things that, as far as we know, did not actually exist. He speaks of things symbolically, doesnt He? and by the nature of Symbolism, doesnt that make them fictional? not to say unreal, He was telling truth in symbols, but can fiction be true? or does that defeat the purpose of fiction? One of the many definitions of fiction is a lie, which is contrary to everything that God is, but another is :an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation, and isnt that what is done in the parables? But i don't think i can stay on that part of the rant because it will most likely dissolve into a discussion of semantics, and those are NEVER productive.

maybe simply asking the question would get to the point better. Can I write a fictional story about people who dont really exist, doing things that never really happened in a place that never really existed, and not lie? Before you answer, think about this. I dont just mean completely unreal, with no basis in reality. This includes ANYTHING short of historical documentaion and autobiography. a character who is simply BASED on me is not really me and therefore never existed. Would telling his story be a lie even though it is my story? Why not just tell the actual story? i guess thats the question i have to ask myself. But what if the story is so much bigger? more than say or hope to describe? I don't really know, and i hope that people actually comment on this because input would be appreciated.

So at this point, i find myself at a roadblock: Fiction by its very nature seems like a lie, but that cannot be true as Jesus uses fiction and He is incapable of lying. Of course, i could be GREATLY misunderstanding or overthinking some things as i am guilty of that often. but m mind is fried right now, and i need to sleep. till i post again

A Question to Ponder

Recently a question has been assigned to me: a study of sorts.

Is the imagination something we are created with, or is it a corruption of God's creative quality, which He assigns to us?

This question when posed caused me a great deal of distress. For me, the two were almost indistinguishable. how can one be without the other? of course upon bringing that up, God immediately showed me a few things;

1.) Imagining takes us out of the real world. It does not engage with reality in any way, it is the product of our minds and our minds alone.

2.) Other creative outlets for me include poetry, sketching, other forms of writing and singing. Aside from singing in the realm of theatre performance and certain prose writing, none of these activities take me out of reality. My attention is focused on the task at hand, but not to the complete exclusion of reality. In fact, my attention becomes rooted in reality, in the working of the medium with which i am expressing said creativity.

3.)Also, in specific events where the product of creativity was prompted by the Holy Spirit, the mind is barely engaged, or thinking at all, only reacting to the Spirit's voice, which focuses the attention on God.

So, overall, before actually doing study in the Word, which is the next necessary step, it appears that imaginiation is actually quite different than creativity. Imagination is the mind working with and within itself, focused on its own creation. Creativity is a working of the mind with the world around it. and Spirit-prompted creativity focuses on nothing but the Lord, where i desire my focus to always be. So, in short, it seems that Imagination is not a basic part of creativity, but vice versa: Imagination requires creativity, but serves no purpose but to please itself.

Be posting again when i get more Scripture.

Battlefield

Spin, spin
I see you spinning
round and round about me

Closer still,
I can feel you pressing
attempting to smother me
with thoughts foreign yet familiar.

Screaming, shouting
roars from every corner
overwhelming the ears
blocking me out:
i can't hear through it all

Silence falls;
His name is spoken
and my spirit bows
to its One True King.
His victory is won
and you are powerless

So scream and spin,
shout and smother;
He will still win.
My heart may weep,
my eyes be cast down,
But I am still His
and the fire is still yours.

Preface

I do not write without a choice,
or that i am compelled.

I do not right from man's desire;
to make the ego swell.

I do not write for future fortune;
for Mammon's twisted schemes.

I do not write to cling to comfort
amidst the waking dreams.

I write for who I was last year;
for who I am today.

I write for what the Lord has shown me,
to in that vision stay.

And so, I write of past and present,
of future still, and yet,

Today I write, for He's commanded
that i must not forget.

Harlequin (Bondage)

Smiling is easy

Smiling takes very few muscles

So smile for them all

with every muscle in your face

Smile so they won't think to look

for the scars on your wrists and legs,

the razor in your purse

Smile so the won't bother to ask

when was the last time you ate

the last time you threw up

Smile so they won't know how much you hate the mirror

and the girl it holds

Dancing is simple, too

Right foot, left hand

One-step, two-step

Move the arms, move the legs

in rythm with the gossamer chains

Dance around the subject

Dance around the problem

Motion is all they're looking for

Dance for them to see

I will show you how.

Smile and dance

my little harlequin

Let me help you play the game

I can tug the strings and i can pull the lines

Force the smile, work the rythm

you know you should

it's what they're expecting of you

Happiness, Contentment

Perfection

You know you can't live up to that

my little pet

so let me help you fool them all

Smile so they won't suspect

Dance so they won't look

even if that's what you really want

Wear your porcelain grin

and dance your lonely waltz, my poppet

I will be here, whispering

always

CONTINUE? BOOYA!! YES!!!

The potery continues!!!!! Yaaaayyy for God's gift of the written and spoken words!!! and the written and spoken Word too. in fact that one is better, but i still like the gift He gives me in poetry. I also love how He's given me a class (creative writing II) that gives me a grade for writing poetry for Him. I know its been a while since i posted poetry, but ive been writing all the same. and im on route now to publishing my poetry alongside short, memoirish excerpts of my testimony (if i can ever get that one finished). There are some poems coming about pain, some about bondage, and a whole lot about Jesus and His amaizing merciful powerful wonderful just beautiful awesomeness!!!! PRAISE JESUS FOR HE ALONE IS GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To anyone who might actually be a fan of my poetry

it's editing time! im not sure if any of you know this, but the poems you see posted here are pure poetic vomit, with a few exceptions. there was little editing involved, just pure zach spilling onto a page. Now some things are going to change, some majorly, some minorly. and yes, i know that majorly and minorly are probably not words, but i dont care. im a poet and this is my blog, so im allowed to make up words! Although strangely enough, the ones im changing the most havent made it here, yet, so i guess im just writing this for the sake of writing something cause i do so enjoy writing. None of them will be re-posted, unless someone wants me to, to compare and contrast. i was simply planning on changing them, using this as the only warning any of you will ever get, but oh well, im babbling now. anyway, hello poetry! here comes the editing scalpel!