Over the last few years, using different parts of my brain in activities which require my critical thinking and creativity has definitely challenged me at times. Expanding my ways of thinking and using different parts of my brain for various tasks has also pushed me to think in a broader sense.
However, I have found that it can be most challenging to set aside time to be creative. While sitting down for periods of time to study or times to go to classes can be much easier, probably due to consistency and practice, it can be tough to carve out time to be creative or artistic. Basically, it can be much easier to set aside a couple hours to study for an exam rather than setting aside an just an hour to choreograph a dance.
I have firsthand experienced the stress and struggles of being creative on a schedule. As a biology student and choreographer for my dance team, it can be interesting to switch from studying carbohydrates and proteins to coming up with steps and concepts for a piece on the spot. But, as a choreographer with the responsibility of teaching a piece to the rest of the team before a performance deadline, it can be difficult to use a different part of my brain that has been pushed to the backburner.
As someone who is passionate about dance and choreography, it is the most frustrating thing when you don't feel one hundred percent satisfied with something you've created. This is especially when time is a factor and a dictator on how long you can spend on coming up with, changing, or adjusting steps. The pressure to complete something that starts from nothing is something I've never truly experienced before.
While dance has always been something that I have done in my free time, now doing it under a time crunch has taught me more about how I think creatively. After a long day of classes, homework, and studying, thinking about putting together a piece about a love story just seems so foreign and distant, especially if I'm given only a few hours to pick a song, select formations, and come up with a routine.
Being more spontaneous, thinking outside of the box, forcing myself to not be redundant or mundane, and pushing myself beyond what I think I am capable of has been a journey. Additionally, after learning more and expanding my repertoire, I know that I am capable of using those new skills and increasing the intricacy of my dance. I truly feel like I want to keep setting more expectations for my standards and what I think I am capable of in terms of choreography. I have so much room to grow in this skill, and though it may be stressful, I look forward to sharpening the part of my brain responsible for thinking creatively and using it even in other tasks besides dancing and choreographing. Through this role I play on my dance team, I've realized that setting aside time to choreograph can be a reward instead of a punishment if I choose to see it in the right light and not get bogged down with other stressors like school and just choose to focus on my art.
Though is a challenge, I have learned a lot about my creative and artistic brain functions. I have realized my limitations and my strengths in overcoming certain issues when it comes to scheduling creativity. Despite the battles, I think forcing myself to be creative in short stretches of time will ultimately teach me a better thinker.
