By: Madisyn Zipper

Paradox of creativity

Lately it seems that everything is about being creative. The modern parenting philosophy is built upon letting kids express themselves, celebrities and the media romanticize and preach the importance of creative outlets, peers do it to be cool, and even older generations show less disapproval when it comes to hobbies that don’t involve physical stress or baseball card collections. But if it’s okay to be creative, then why are creative professions frowned upon?

From a young age we are taught to be doctors, lawyers, teachers; anything but writers, actors, and artists. Has anyone ever been praised for majoring in English? Theatre? No. If creativity is becoming such an important part of our daily lives, why can’t we spend the rest of our time doing it? Without the exploration of our minds we will turn into the machines that surround us, surrendering to the pressure of following the societal norms simply because it’s easier.

Let’s make this a call to action: encourage the kids that dream to play in a band or orchestra, the kids that want to be authors. Of course there should be warning; these careers are even harder to come by then common professions that require such work. The countless quotes regarding determination that have been sketched into our brains for so long should actually be put into action. Make it known that we can truly be whatever we want if we are up to the challenge.