Celebrating Creativity
When I was a little girl...
When I was a little girl...
When I was a little girl, people always asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. At age 6 it was a dancer, at 10 a broadway star, at 13 a novelist, and at 16 a journalist. While my dream careers changed over the years, one constant was my desire to work within a creative field. My biggest nightmare is spending all day in a stuffy cubicle while wearing a tight suit. As I grew older, fewer and fewer people thought that having a creative career was “cute.” I would constantly hear snarky remarks such as, “good luck paying your bills,” or “that’s just a hobby, you can’t make a living out of that.” Being creative was supposed to be a child's dream; it had no space in an adult's reality.
When I got to college, I thought those naysayers would shut up. I was in an academic setting where I should be respected for working hard. But too often, I’d hear from peers on how I “picked an easy major.” They would try to undermine my hard work and effort by making claims such as, “try being a STEM major, that actually takes skill.” All these comments had me questioning if I was taking the right path in my life, a feeling that I’m sure so many creative majors are familiar with.
You see, society loves to celebrate creatives and their work when it benefits them. People love to watch Zendaya act and direct in Euphoria or watch Kanye West create a fashion line, but they refuse to show support for student creators and invalidate their contribution to society. They won’t take the time to watch a student film or attend an up-and-coming designers' fashion show. They watch TikToks and YouTubers all day, but cringe at the girl in class blogging about her life. Our jobs as creative majors seem easy because we work so hard to make them look effortless. And yet, people still discount our skills.
But the truth is, the world thrives off creativity. Whether it's film, dance, music, graphic design, journalism, or any other artistic path, we make content that makes people feel good. Our jobs allow people to relax, to feel seen, and to feel heard, something that many majors don’t do.
During the pandemic, so many people began to truly appreciate how important it is to be able to be creative. People began to search for outlets that not only took them to a new world, but helped them cope with the daily challenges they encounter. Outlets like reading books, watching movies, and creating art, are all works done by creative minds. While STEM-related jobs are essential and help serve certain needs, creative jobs serve to push people to see the world in a different light. They help showcase injustices, emotions, experiences and so much more.
On our campus, creative majors hugely impact our school culture and help it thrive. Creative clubs push students to think outside the box and separate them from strict academia. For example, SDSU’s Kolorhouse allows students to cultivate creativity through clothes, community, and conversation, along with Fashion Club, which allows students to connect through their love of fashion. Fuck Fast Fashion, Skull and Dagger, Black Renaissance, Zine club, and The Look all create a vibrant scene on campus. These clubs help share the actual stories and lives of SDSU students.
So next time someone tells you that they are pursuing a creative career, think of the amazing ways they are going to impact the world, and block out society's negative views on creativity.
Sierra Stallworth — October 6th, 2022
