Editorial
Why are creative endeavors important in our lives (both mortal and immortal)? Why do we do what we do as writers, artists, and purveyors of these things?
There are a lot of different answers to these questions, but I find for myself it is ultimately about connection and growth. Author Chaim Potok wrote, “Art happens when what is seen becomes mixed with the inside of the person who is seeing it.”
In an article by Janice Kapp Perry, whose music raised the Mia Maids and missionaries of my generation, she talks about her song-writing process. She outlines the reason she recommends writing what you know: it is through sharing personal experiences that we connect to others and to the universality of the human condition.
The first time someone read one of my poems and said, “I know exactly what you mean—I’ve felt that way before, too,” I was hooked. It wasn’t the praise, rather the shared connection to a specific point in time: a place, the light, how my heart was beating. It was exhilarating to realize that in a moment I thought I was alone, I wasn’t, really.
As we share artistic works with one another through any platform, we bridge the gaps between what separates us and what can bring us together. This oneness is a large part of what is asked of us in mortality as disciples of Jesus Christ, and it strengthens us all.
We don’t all love every aesthetic or voice when it comes to art and literature. We never will, and that’s okay. These artistic bridges of experience are not intended to assimilate or drown out the individuality our Heavenly Parents organized in us from the very beginning!
In one of my favorite talks, Elder Uchtdorf says:
“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul…we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment.
He closes with the thought that “through the things you create…you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place.”
As Segullah evolves and grows, we hope to continue to share pieces that highlight a variety of women’s perspectives and creativity within the framework of what we have in common, with our belief that through the art and writing we publish here, we build on the work of our Heavenly Parents, and can make the world a better place.
This edition’s offerings are diverse and abundant. The seventeen poems included are both lush and stark, filling space and creating spaces. Art Editor Linda Hoffman Kimball shares a deep-dive into the work of Diantha Hopkins’ fascinating mixed-media art, which is shown throughout these digital pages. Our prose department delivers a quartet of thought-provoking stories pulled from fiction and reality. Thank you for joining us—enjoy our latest creation!
Journal Contents
