When we think about college, we often think of it as a time of “finding yourself”. We always talk about trying new things and meeting new people as if these are the experiences that will help us define who we are and who we want to be. Well, yes. This is true. However, it is only true if we actively push ourselves beyond the bounds of everyday interactions. It is only true if we engage ourselves fully. How can we learn more about ourselves if we only do what is expected or follow the paths of others before us? If we truly want to dig deep in these so called “finding years”, we need to actually make a commitment to do so. Finding your inner creativity is one of the best ways to do just that.
Creativity is an extremely broad term, and rightfully so. Everyone has his or her own definition of what creativity really is. The heart of it, though, is in the root of the word: create. Every thought we have, or action we make, is an act of creating. Only, we often don’t push ourselves enough in the process.
Being creative isn’t about having the ability to draw well or the desire to make your own clothes. While these can be traits of a creative mind, the truest trait of a creative person lies within their imagination: something everyone has. We often scare our creativity away by thinking “I’m just not a creative person,” as we silence any new ideas we may have. This negative thought process is common among many of us, especially as we meet more people whom we feel are more qualified to make creative decisions. Unfortunately, it is this act that stuns the imagination and halts the intuitive creative thoughts.
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There is no doubt that it can be hard to nurture our imaginations as we move through a highly structured system like college, as we all take similar classes and live in the same rooms and eat at the same places. But in another sense, where else could there be so much freedom for innovation? Every time we sit in a lecture, or go to the dining hall, or walk in the quad, we have the opportunity to think and act differently.
The world of technology also plays a double-sided role. It’s easy to become clones of one another as we update Facebook and Instagram, but what else is the world of technology available for if not to create and expand our ideas? There are no limits. All we have to do is push through the boundaries we set for ourselves, and most importantly, stop believing that they even exist at all.
We have the power to think beyond boundaries that have been drawn for us. We have the power to use our minds and our bodies to make and tell stories and move and write and explore in ways that no other species can. So why do we stop ourselves? Aren’t these the things we want to learn about ourselves in college? Why should we stunt something that is so natural to the human spirit?
Creating something isn’t always a tangible thing; its true meaning lies in the act of making something new, something special, or just something valuable to you. It does not need to be defined by anybody’s terms other than your own. Whether you have created a new way to store pens on your desk or solved world hunger, it does not matter. The important part is that you have thought differently, and as corny as it may sound, it is these different thoughts that inevitably change and expand the world.
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Cover photo: girltwitter.com