Arts Explorer #1: My Creative Inspiration

What does creativity mean to me...

     When thinking about the word creativity I tend to associate it to expression. Expression and creativity seem to go hand- in- hand as they both value the "no boundaries" mindset that I personally have a passion for. Thinking outside of the box and making ties between the real life world and the imaginative one are also modes of creativity I believe in. Anything and everything is possible with a little creativity! 

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     I also believe creativity is how we express ourselves everyday and within every activity we do. It is not simply just seen within a painting or heard within a song. It is how we look at everything we and others do. For example, looking at a painting I may see something but you, looking at the same painting may see something else. In saying this, I believe creativity is also about perspective. When looking at this piece of "Hello Kitty" graffiti, what do you see? Through my imagination and perspective I see a harsh version of the usual happy cartoon character. It may be a boring expression to some, but to me it represents a darker, almost hypocritical view of of the fun- loving character I'm sure we all know. 

     In thinking about my own life I can see various examples of how I am creative. Throughout my childhood, I loved painting in school and decorating my whole driveway with chalk- filled flowers, hearts and dogs. As I grew older my passion for the "arts" side of creativity left me as I constantly compared my works to the works of my friends who were clearly (or so I thought) much more creative. However I proudly transferred my creativity into other aspects of my life. When I was about 10 years old I started to play softball. I was switched around from position to position until I found my calling- being a pitcher. The thrill alone of standing in the middle of the diamond was what I loved but looking back now my creativity also thrived. Creating the perfect windup, holding the ball at different seams and essentially playing "mind games" with the batters are all examples of how I was creative. 

     I am also creative through my organizational skills. From my room to my book bag I organize everything! I guess I can thank my perfectionist, "everything has a place" mindset. My room is organized in terms of my shelving, drawers and overall look. I love cleaning my room and my drawers as it makes me think about how I can better organize my "stuff". For example this passed summer I bought plastic containers with about 15 smaller sections within them which are supposed to be used for sewing materials or buttons. I used my "creativity" to convert that into a jewelery holder as it separates all items and prevents the ever- annoying knots in necklaces. 

     In demonstrating just these two examples it is clear to see EVERYONE can be creative. Creativity can be seen within the most natural and normal sets of activities which is why creativity in itself is universal.

     To conclude I would like to end with a quote and 2 pictures of John Lennon's "Imagine" Memorial, in Central Park, NY. I ventured to New York in grade 11 and was lucky enough to visit the memorial. When I first saw it I was blown away- the ways in which people can decorate and express their emotions through placing different objects around the boarder was beautiful and captivating and again, instills the notion that creativity is within everyone and is found everywhere! 

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"You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

and the world will be as one"

- John Lennon

Imagine