CREATIVITY

Where do I even begin to find the suitable words to define this broad term? It's one of those words that are used so often but is not "clearly defined".

Probably the most common thing I associate it with, are the arts. In my perspective, creativity is a trait that we all possess. It is a way of expressing ourselves at whatever task we do, in our own individual styles.

My personal creativity comes from music. I started piano lessons and joined a choir at a young age. During middle school, I participated in various school plays and got minor roles/a few solos here and there. In my last year of middle school, I was part of the worship team and lead the school in song (along with three others) every week during chapel time. In high school, I auditioned for the school musical for the first time in grade eleven. It was a such a fun experience, that I did it again in my senior year.

In a sense, the experience of putting on a musical and enduring countless hours of hard work in the theatre, is comparable to the process of exploring creativity. The ultimate goal is to successfully put on fantastic performances that are enjoyable for both the cast and viewer (the completion of a product). However, the most crucial moments were all the rehearsals where we discovered what worked and what did not over the course of endless practices (or the proccess).

But I must say, joining a professional choir was the most memorable experience of my life. It opened my doors for travelling, to places like Newfoundland for national choral festivals, California for Disney's Magic Music Days, Cuba to explore international music differences etc. It also led me to once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as performing live on the Treehouse Kids television show "Judy and David's Boombox" and meeting/participating in a workshop with Bobby McFerrin! Throughout all the various performances, I developed confidence for singing anywhere and anytime to express myself. 

Now why did I choose this photo?
I love the random splatters of colourful paint and the concept of not having limits as to where things should be. If you take a look, the manner in which the person placed their hands creates a box shape, however, it is not fully closed. Although this may be a little cliché, I take it as a reminder to "think outside the box". Also, painting is one of the most favourite sensory activities at the child care centre where I presently volunteer. During my placement period there last semester, I constantly thought of various materials that they could use to manipulate, and also different textures they could paint on. In addition to that, they had a different daily living theme each week that activities should relate to, making it even more difficult to create sensory activities!