Creativity

Well, my blog post assignments are now finished, but as I stated in my introduction, I hope to continue using this blog site and writing down various ideas and thoughts that come to my hyper-active mind.  This means several things.  First of all, the content of the posts may not be quite so heavy.  I do enjoy delving into the deeper topics and bigger questions occasionally, but I also like writing for the sake of writing and putting out my opinions on lighter topics.  Secondly, I probably will not get around to posting once a week, but will try to write something at least once a month (I will try for weekly, but without the encouragement or threat of grades, I won't be making promises).  Feel free to suggest topics that I might dig into.

I have no idea how many surveys and questionnaires I have filled out in the past year, but it seems quite ridiculous, and I'm sure that after the first few, the way I answer has changed and I've cared less and less about which bubble I fill in.  (Plus, being a slight perfectionist, I have to fill in the bubble completely, and inside the lines, so it seems to take me long than most people.)  I filled out surveys from impressions of college dating to favorite movies and the ideal roommate to how tolerable (or intolerable) the caf. food is (I personally don't mind it).  One that I filled out was intended to help me find out my interests and what kind of thinking I do and such.  In the process of looking over the results of the survey, I saw that creativity was a rather large theme echoing across the survey (and a couple others).  I wasn't too surprised by this, but in talking with the college's career counselor, he mentioned that it was important for me to note this and use it, by making sure that I can express myself in creative ways.

I found the idea interesting.  I knew that art and such were always great pastimes, and I understood that art was a form of expression, but I had never considered that I needed to use that creative energy, that using it could help me.  So, as finals came around along with Christmas and concerts and all sorts of holiday busyness, I calmed myself down and took time to be creative.  Tending towards the Type-A personality, though, I made sure that my creativity was also productive and made Christmas presents.  I love to paint and would consider myself a decent painter, with still many things to learn and discover.  I painted some cardboard and cut it into two puzzles for my dad.  I painted an impressionistic picture for my mom's birthday. I painted (by commission) a picture for my roommate to give her mother.  I also painted a lovely scene I called "Cow Tipping."  My favorites were the ornaments I decorated for my friend and some family members.

Since I got back from Christmas break, I started playing computer games again.  Those things are so addicting!!  You can't end on a lose, and once you win, you see if you can do it faster!  After a week or so of doing this every time I got back from classes, I realized that part of why I was being drawn to it so much was because it involves problem-solving, which is creative.  To keep myself from playing too many games, I started making a journal: something which can take lots of creativity, can be useful, is semi-lasting, and much more worth-while than solitaire or minesweeper.  I'm so glad (even if I had to sift through thousands of survey questions) that I discovered this.  I'm sure it will be extremely beneficial as school and life in general becomes more stressful, to use creativity to take a step back and do something freeing and enjoyable.