I used to draw when I was young. I created elaborate worlds with detailed characters. I loved it. I thought I could be Ronald Dahl’s next illustrator (I would still want to). And then it faded…
At some point during my schooling I was told that I couldn’t make money from drawing or being creative. I was told I needed to focus on more important subjects like mathematics, history, and the sciences so that I could get a job where I could make “a good living.” My creativity was slowly taken away from me. I was robbed by an education system that only rewarded students that did things their way.
Things are different now and have come full circle. I have quit that old system and joined another. One that allows me to think creatively and not worry that someone will disapprove. It is liberating. I can actually feel the same emotions that I did back when I was a child drawing.
Sir Ken Robinson discusses this in one of his TED speechs. Why are children stripped of their creativity? We are all born with creativity but become educated out of it. Isn’t it entirely unreasonable to assume that all children should learn the same way? Every person is unique and learns in their own unique fashion. Robinson brings up simple points solidified by valid reasoning. After watching I felt better. I felt like it was okay to be a photographer. I felt that it was okay to think outside the box with crazy ideas. If we are afraid to fail we will never be original. I am slowly learning again how to harness my creativity and direct it towards my work. I’m getting back to how I was when I was a child. I did’t care what anyone else thought back then. Pablo Picasso said, “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” I couldn’t agree more. I am trying my hardest not to grow up.
Comments +