There is a vibe at Columbia College Chicago - a creative vibe that is palpable in the air. Students roam in their respective departments, constantly thinking, creating, developing. Each student comes to the school with an identity, an idea of themselves, but often that idea changes. Many come from small towns, where they were considered unique. They are immediately immersed in an environment overflowing with students who are just like them - different, authentic, original.

Alexa Rixon is a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago. As a freshman, she was a Cinema Art + Science and Graphic Design major, but she is now exploring the world of journalism.

“Whether originality exists is debatable,” Rixon said. “I feel that originality means something that comes from a very emotional need, something that is very visceral, a gut feeling that you follow, and then create something with it. Whether or not it’s been done before doesn’t matter as long as it is truthful to yourself.”

Rixon struggles with the concept of originality and said that if the unique experience of an individual comes specifically from them, it must be original, even if someone else created the same thing in the past.

“Like a treehouse,” Rixon said. “They’ve been made so many times before but this is my treehouse, and I think the process itself is worth venturing into even if the work itself may not be entirely different.”

With originality, comes combinations. Rixon said sometimes creators forget to experience life outside of their art. Filmmakers forget to socialize and instead watch movies all day long.

“It’s the idea of honing your craft, and creating, building experiences for yourself that contribute to your work,” she said. ‘Art is life and life is art.”

Originality can have a different meaning with different fields of work.

Michael Matti is a freshman broadcast journalism major who believes originality comes from inspiration.

“I think you can take something, but add on to the idea, making it deeper,” Matti said .

Mia Smith is a sophomore fashion studies major who said designers can take inspiration, but have to make it their own.

“To be original you have to have your own creative look, you’re the only one who can determine if you want to look like everyone else,” Smith said. “When I’m making clothes, I get inspiration from other styles, but as soon as I add my own touch, pattern or material it’s not theft.”

However, Smith said idea theft happens all the time in the fashion industry, but people do not really talk about it.

“I’m not sure when an idea specifically belongs to someone, but I believe that if you take something from someone else that has no touch of you, it must be theft,” Smith said.

Coming to art school is a challenge for many students setting out to create their identity. As she watches other fashion majors walk around campus, Smith feels like ‘the basic one’.

“Everyone tries too hard to be different,” Smith said.

Rixon said that although she is having less of an identity crisis now, she felt the same way as a first semester freshman.

“I thought a lot about how in high school, I was an art kid, but now at college everyone is the art kid, so who am I?” Rixon said.