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In the Beginning We Create: Reflections on Collaboration, Creativity, and Rest, By Nathan L. Nicholson alt

In the Beginning We Create

Reflections on Collaboration, Creativity, and Rest

by Nathan Lloyd Nicholson

In the Beginning We Create
Ebook
  • Length: 144 pages
  • Published: April 21, 2026
  • Imprint: IVP
  • ISBN: 9781514012673
Other Formats:

Connect Your Creativity with the Creator

In In the Beginning We Create, award-winning graphic designer and artist Nathan L. Nicholson reflects on God's timeless patterns of creation, offering practical insights forhow and what you create. Nicholson guides you through twenty-one reflective meditations inspired by God's creative process, each paired with the author's original artwork, uncovering how collaboration, creation, and rest are essential rhythms for expressing your unique creative vision.

Nicholson explores how God is the ultimate Creator, and his creative abilities are beyond compare. In the Beginning We Create invites you to explore God's creative process and discover how you canemulate his creativity in the creative gifts he has given you. Using the book of Genesis as the foundation, you'll dive into the story of God creating the universe and find inspiration for your own creative journey. If the Creator of the universe took time to rest, the cycle of creation and rest is necessary for our healthy creativity as well.

Key Features:

  • 21 inspiring reflections that draw from the Genesis creation narrative and other Scripture passages
  • 40+ original artworks by the author thoughtfully included throughout the book
  • Insights for spiritual growth as you learn how the process of creating connects you with God and has purpose and meaning

Though this book, you'll see how no matter the creative discipline you use, you can offer your creativity back to God, discovering new ways to reflect the Creator's handiwork in your life.

If you yearn to create with intention and purpose, this book will help you view creativity through a new lens: aligning your creativity with divine purpose. Learn how you can honor God with every word, stroke, or melody you create with In the Beginning We Create.

REVIEWS

"Imagination and creativity were God's first feat. Yet sometimes as an artist, it's easy to feel last. Nathan has given us blessed assurance that the work creatives release into the (seeming) voids is not without purpose. Nathan's artwork throughout the text is a reminder to be bold and courageous. Broad strokes and striking color saturation encourage me to be intentional with the marks that I make through storytelling. The words I write, shape, and share are part of the broader tapestry of my existence; Nathan's book sealed that knowing in the fabric of my creative being."
E. Danielle Butler, ghostwriter
"Nathan L. Nicholson's In the Beginning We Create gave me that rare, holy kind of jealousy that rises when I encounter something truly beautiful. It stirred something deep in my gut where the Holy Spirit and imagination meet. I kept saying amen in my mind as Nathan gave language to what artists of faith often feel but rarely articulate. Rooted in Genesis, his theology is rich, his storytelling fluid, and his art bursts with boldness, diversity, and life. This is an awesome read that will stir your creative soul and remind you that you are both a work of art and an artist at work, handcrafted by God himself."
Kyle Lawson, artist and author
"This book is a breath of creative restoration. It reminds us that art is not just what we make, but how we worship. Every page feels like sitting with a mentor who helps you see your creativity as divine partnership—a sacred echo of the God who first created everything from nothing. This book fans the flame of purpose and reminds you that your art is holy. In a world where creative burnout and self-doubt often silence our gifts, this book feels like a revival for the artistic soul. It reorients the reader back to the source, showing us that creativity isn't just expression; it's communion. With biblical insight, personal reflection, and artistic honesty, this work helps you rediscover your God-given ability to create, collaborate, and rest. It's both a devotional and a creative manual for those who know what they were made to make."
Ronisha Arlene, faith and floral storyteller
"In his book, In The Beginning We Create, author Nathan L. Nicholson intertwines his love of God with his love of artmaking as he takes us through a scriptural and personal journey towards finding or refining our creative selves. He remindsus that God is the ultimate creative, and since we are made in his image, we all have the ability within us to create and be creative. What first struck me was the cover design art, and when reading through the text, I was delighted to find that Nicholson not only talked about creating artwork, but he also included color images of his own artistic creations. His discussion about collaborating with other creatives reminds me of my love for just being in the presence of others who are also makingartwork. The often almost quiet energy that can be felt in the room brings therapeutic joy to most participants. As a member of the art community, I invite you to immerse yourself in this text to help you strengthen your passion for creating or reconnect with the work you used to have the time to do but life causes you to pause. Above all, use this text to help you reconnect with God in a way that reminds us that we are creatives because he created us."
Amme A. Nowlin, high school visual arts teacher and artist
"Nathan L. Nicholson's work is a guided journey through the controlled chaos of creativity, full of encouragement, challenges, and personal anecdotes that place you inside his melodious headspace. Passionately worded and pleasurably designed, this book repeatedly aimed me back to God in the process of worshipfully maximizing my creative capacity. If you need a spark to jumpstart your flow, this might be the one."
Jelani Greenidge, author, worship pastor, hip-hop musician, and stand-up comic
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Read an Excerpt

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Created for Creativity
2. Collaboration
3. Workmanship
4. Custom-Made
5. Originality
6. Taste
7. Balance
8. Growth
9. Confidence
10. Intention
11. Focus
12. Rest
13. Rhythm
14. Disruption
15. Creating Through Pain
16. Reflection
17. Comparison
18. Resetting
19. Inspiration and Imagination
20. Divine Instruction
21. Responsibility

Conclusion: Your Why
Acknowledgments
Creations
Notes

More

BONUS MATERIAL

Download the Press Kit

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ABOUT Nathan Nicholson

Nathan L. Nicholson

Nathan L. Nicholson is an artist, award-winning graphic designer, consultant, and creative director based in Chicago. He is an ordained elder in the Church of God in Christ. In 2024, he received the 40 Under 40 COGIC Achievers Award. Nathan is also the host of the Culture Critic podcast and the founder of NUMA Art, LLC, an independent creative services and communications agency. He is married to Praniece, and they have two children.

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