When I was a child I used to go see superhero movies with my dad. For us it was a ritual; whenever I came for the weekend and a new Marvel or DC movie was out, we would go see it. It was something I looked forward too and thrived on.
My young creative drive to become a writer stemmed from Harry Potter books and superhero movies. For me it was the belief that the world held just a glimmer of hope for something magical that pushed me to write. It pushed me to create characters in my head with long stories and complicated personality. It pushed me to carry around a composition notebook so I would never be without a place to record my thoughts.
As I grew older I began to realize that creativity seems to be lost on our school systems. When I would tell my father, the man who ignorantly introduced me to a world of creative possibilities, that I wanted to be a writer, I was told not about what I could do with my words but the lack of funds I would find in my bank account. I was told about the great unknown of my dream job and the instability it could offer.
I am the oldest of four and have seen my siblings exercise their imaginations as they grew up. When we are children our imaginations are praised and thought of as our greatest asset. As we grow older people expect us to shape our imaginations into something that will lead to a job, a career and a stable footing in this world. But when you approach someone and proclaim that you are a writer or an artist they believe that you are lacking the mainstream career path that has been instilled by society.
It is my opinion that creativity is no longer something we prize in our schools. We train our children to perform to a certain degree on a state test, to get into a high ranking college, and to continue on this path. I believe that we no longer encourage our children to enhance their imaginations and push themselves to believe not only in what they want for themselves but what they want the world to be.
Some people break out and become amazing artists and innovators that marvel the world. There have been many times when I see something amazing and I wonder why I couldn’t have thought of that. Those people are the ones who use their skills to innovate, creating a world that fits their imagination.
Those are the people who never stopped believing in the glimmer of hope that one day they too could do something to make the world extraordinary.
