Creativity is Being Yourself

I identified with much of what Professor Nichols wrote in her lectures, especially in the last post when she said, “I felt like a hippie at a business meeting.” I, too, often feel I am in a place I don’t belong – I’m sure we all do at times. But the lecture helped me to remember that fitting in and going with the flow is not always the most positive way to go.  Her personality often came out in her writing and that is the biggest thing I took from this course, that what I write not only needs to be good, it needs to sound like me.

This course was a lot of work, but not in the normal “got a paper to do for school” sort of work. It strained my brain to not only open up, but to make the words that trickle out more concise and to the point. The text book, as well as the lectures by Prof Nichols, was enlightening. Both concentrated not on grammar, but on finding your own voice.

Creativity is a big part of my life in a visual sense. I have a number of creative “hobbies,” but I have to admit that my writing has gotten stale. My job requires me to write about technical topics for a military audience. Writing has become drudgery for me instead of the creative outlet it used to be. The writing I read and critiqued this term helped me to break out of those boundaries. “The quiet kid with the Mohawk, the pecker waving contest,” and other bits of REAL speech helped me to strive to rid my writing of  some of the formality and just be me.

Prof Nichols is right. Writing is hard and I am tired. But it’s a good tired – like you feel when you just completed a nice long hike and are looking forward to the next one. Thanks for that. 

At the end, a new beginning

I’ve been struggling for months trying to figure out what my focus should be. What am I passionate about? I love my kids, but no one would want to read about them all the time … and since they are grownups, would they still talk to me if I blogged about their lives in a public forum? I considered writing about some of the serving ministries I participate in as one of my classmates suggested, but the interesting stories are confidential and I haven’t pinned myself down to just one anyway. What about the missionary family we support in Ecuador?  I designed a mock web site for them last term—old news and communication is not reliable enough to give them the coverage they need.

I finally decided to talk about myself and my life experiences. Although therapeutic for me, I’m still not convinced it would be an interesting and popular blog and I’m certain if I didn’t soon run out of things to say, I’d quickly tire of what I consider my whining. Many of my classmates have found topics they not only want to blog about, but are already considering for their final Capstone project.  What’s with me?

It’s finals week and I intended to spend the entire weekend on my final projects. Unfortunately, the commitments I’ve made to family, friends, church, and work don’t wait for finals to be over. My church was planning a missions fair and fundraiser today so I had committed to putting together two baskets for the silent auction, making fliers and price lists, and manning a booth. This morning as I was fighting with the clear acetate that keeps the stuff in the basket … ten minutes before it was supposed to be delivered, it struck me. I’ve encouraged friends to serve and held leadership positions in several programs. I ignored the call to write about it because, unlike fellow volunteers, I’ve not committed to one cause. Herein lies the answer to my quest.

Executive Summary:  Many people who are interested in serving the local community are not affiliated with a church or may be new to the area or are temporary residents. They need a place where they can find information on serving opportunities and meet other like-minded people.

Problem Statement:  People need details. They want to know exactly what is needed and what they will be doing. They often don't want to hand over money blindly, but want to supply a specific item that they shop for themselves. And they run in packs. Few people want to enter a homeless shelter or a Habitat build by themselves. They want to meet the people they will encounter there before they begin.

There is no one place in Dayton, OH area where those willing to serve can find out what needs to be done and where. Many people have never served before and are not sure what they are comfortable doing. They want to try out various missions and find out for themselves where their passions lead them.

A notice in a newsletter might be enough for some, but I’ve found from trial and error that people respond better to a personal touch. Send an email out at the office asking for help doing something and see what response you get. Stop by someone’s desk or call them on the phone and ask the same question and see how many more followers you’ll get.  It’s hard to turn down a personal request for help. I should know. I’m the expert at saying yes when my brain is screaming no!

Product Description:  The site will feature a moderated wiki where various groups can post their needs.  A vacation Bible school that expected 50 children and attracted 200? They need more supplies, volunteers, and childcare for volunteers with young children. A fundraiser festival? They need volunteers to run children’s booths, prizes, and a clean-up crew.  A church organizing a mission trip to Japan?  They need more participants, donations of sky miles and supplies. Needs will be posted real-time and an RSS feed will distribute the posts.

One section will be dedicated to a blog where volunteers can comment on their experiences and encourage others to join them. Message boards will allow people to meet, talk, and get to know each other before they participate and prospective volunteers can post their interests and skills so they can be match with organizations. Posters will be required to supply a valid telephone number or email where the website staff can contact them for more information. Much like CraigsList, the posters can remain anonymous if they desire.

To avoid being inundated with school and sports fundraisers, those activities will be placed in a separate area so that boosters from different school districts can see what is happening in their specific schools.

About Us:  I am an active community member. Although I have held leadership positions, I have not committed to one mission. My passion is variety and encouragement of others to serve. Although the blog will be based on Christian mission, it will be open to any type of community need and serving opportunity. 

Ugh. I don't like the sound of my own voice so I've recorded this script over and over. Still some blips and I STILL sound like Mini Mouse, but here it is.   

Script:

Is it possible to observe and not judge? Is it possible to express yourself without drawing on your own encounters and your own history? I don’t think so.

I’ve learned a lot by studying myself. I’m not a therapist and have no desire to become one, but I can see from my own journaling that the people and experiences of my past often explain my reactions in my present life. Like most people, certain names, landmarks, and even smells, trigger associations still today.

Many studies have been done on observation and experience. Jury selection, for example, has become an art form. Sometimes controversial, the selection process can employ background checks as well as intensive interviewing techniques to uncover potential biases. Building the optimum jury pool brings benefits to both sides. Jurors are often meticulously chosen to give the defense a better chance of winning sympathy for their client. At the same time, advocates contend that jury selection methods give both sides more confidence in the verdict. Think about that in the real world and what would happen if we could choose our observers and how they react to us.

Psychologists have examined the unreliability of eye witness accounts and how peoples’ past experiences influence what they see or think they saw. The term “mind’s eye” describes how humans are able to visualize what they WANT to see which does not always mirror reality. That can explain how your big sister’s memories from childhood differ from yours though you lived in the same house at about the same time.

This blog is meant to capture that very human practice of comparing our lives to others. You’ll read character studies of individuals and cultures I encounter as well as those who choose to be in the public eye. I’ll attempt to map my response to them by drawing from my past experiences.

I’ve found that first impressions are often wrong. Many of my closest friends now are people I had deemed too loud, too humorless, or too arrogant. Because of my naturally vigilant behavior, I still form bonds slowly. My self-study has made me more thorough in my reasoning and yet less judgmental -- a revelation that could be positive for others as well.

The blogs I enjoy most are those which attract comment. A blog is not complete without reaction; the varied responses are of greatest significance to me. There are many people who will not commit to journaling or logging on their own, but are happy to reveal themselves in other’s work. My intent is to invite commentary on my self-study and encourage scrutiny of my readers’ own lives. In examining others, we’ll learn more about ourselves.

My commitment was to write about myself, but my relationships with others are a big part of who I am.  Hopefully these introspections, by me and my readers, will have positive effects on us all.