Ever since I was a little kid, my approach to projects and assignments has been different than my peers. The blank computer page is quite possibly my largest barrier when it comes to creativity. During my first semester at Carolina, I took an introductory English course that changed my life. My teacher was brilliant and dedicated to guiding us freshman to success. During one of our units, she taught us a trick to use when writing papers. First, type out 6-12 important quotes that you can support and argue. Then group them into three groups, each of which representing one of your body paragraphs. Then, title each subsection. Next, begin writing an introductory sentence before each of the quotes. Last, weave the quotes together within the paragraph and then organize your writing as a whole. This process seems like a no-brainer, but it was because of this professor that 8-10 page papers are no longer intimidating.
My personal creative process is a mix of activity and contemplation. In chapter 6 of The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp discusses the process of “scratching” when creating ideas. My version of scratching creativity involves white pieces of printer paper. Before beginning any project, I jot down my initial notes on pieces of white 8.5x11 pieces of paper using colorful sticky notes. These ideas are anything from quotes to sketches to full-fledged concepts. These sticky notes represent the exact conversation that is going on in my head when I am thinking, a visual representation of my subconscious.
I am most creative when I am in a space that I am most comfortable in, such as my desk. When I am comfortable, I can calm my mind enough to expand beyond my initial ideas. For me, the creative process is less about the ingenuity of my ideas and more about the connections between my ideas and the subjects I am familiar with. My best ideas usually are my best because they overlap with my passions and my strengths. My creative process is the result of four years of practice in the International Baccalaureate program in high school and my sixteen years as a dancer.
Arriving at Chapel Hill definitely shifted my creative process. Throughout the day, it is difficult to find time for the rituals and activities that would enable me to think up the most creative of ideas. College is a time where you must discover which aspects of the creative process are necessary enough to create time to do. If your creative process is stagnant, then you will not find success with your thoughts alone.