Throughout my life, I have been drawn to beauty. Who isn’t? Who doesn’t love a sparkling necklace, a radiant butterfly?

I grew up on an acreage in rural South Dakota. Our house is nestled in the bottom of a valley, surrounded by trees on three sides. Our closest neighbors are half a mile down the road. A creek splits our property in half, with a willow standing proudly at its bank.

When I was younger, I remember running back through a path in our trees late one autumn, leaves crunching underneath my boots. The leaves had all fallen, yet the trees were not bare. Covering every branch on every tree were Monarchs—thousands of butterflies, nesting on the trees, the sunlight reflecting off their wings like topaz. Two days later, they were gone, moved on to warmer weather. It was a scene from my wildest fantasies, a scene straight from a fairytale. It is a sight I will never forget.

There is only one Being who could create such a masterpiece: the Creator of all things. He designed us in His image, and so it is our nature to create, whether designing buildings that scrape the sky, paintings that reflect our souls, music that changes generations, or technology that shapes the world. Yet, we often forget to enjoy our creations, that this life is a creation in and of itself, a gift. We lose ourselves in a grab for power, for wealth and fame, and our creations, our creativity, are left in the dust. With so many things that we allow to cause us anxiety, we neglect our inherent purpose to create.

From hanging my childhood pictures on the fridge to college art classes, I will forever live to bring my imagination to life, to strive for the natural beauty of the world, and to Think Creative.