Welcome to Minneapolis.

I grew up in one house and always had the same bedroom. From my polka-dot comforter to the teenage girl staple vines on the walls, this was my creativity habitat for 18 years.

A Series of Creative Fallacies

ARTISTIC FALLACY

In my early years, I thought that creativity was equivalent to artistic ability. To be creative, I thought I had to be good at the fine arts, such as drawing or painting. Since I didn’t consider myself artistic, I didn’t consider myself creative.

The walls of my bedroom reflected my aversion to "art," however I defined it. They were completely blank.

A collection of photos taken by me at art museums as early as 2010: in my head, the “real" creative people.

I’ve always been drawn to math and science—something that seemed based on facts and the concrete. As an member of this "STEM World," I couldn’t be creative—could I? It seemed to be one or the other: right brain OR left brain.

STEM FALLACY

Validated by STEM success as a kid, I believed I had a certain skill set that could be applied only to STEM stereotypes. Reminders of this identity decorated my bedroom.

FAMILY NICHE FALLACY

I have a younger sister, who's one of my best friends. In our family, I'm considered the "academic one;" she's looked at as the "creative one." 

It was a running joke within my family that I was not creative. 

My mom would laugh about how I missed creative aspects of movies or failed to understand poetry. I began to identify with a lack of creativity, through family jokes and others' views of me. I recall in high school that I gave myself a 2/100 for creativity on a personality test—the lowest in the class. This solidified my perception that my talents were distinct from the concept of creativity. 

YOU-HAVE-IT-OR-YOU-DON'T FALLACY

Lacking creativity wasn't so much an insecurity as an understanding: I wasn't and couldn't be creative, so why try? I viewed creativity like someone might view a gene. Either you were born with it, or you weren't.

These basic vines showed exactly that sentiment-- I didn't particularily like them, but most people had something on their walls, so I just "picked them."

Creativity Manifesting

Despite these beliefs, my creativity showed in my activities and passions. But because my definition of creativity was limited to artistic creativity, I didn't understand my creative capacity.

My wired earbuds were my prized possession in Minneapolis. I spent hours listening to music, creating playlists, and learning lyrics.

I started tennis in high school. I loved that it required strategy and adaptation to the opponent's moves.

As a Mock Trial witness, I got the chance to play a part in a fake trial. I loved the theatrics and quick thinking involved.

I loved to write long letters to pen pals from different countries. Later, I started a pen pal program of my own during the pandemic.

The margins of my notes were always decorated with calligraphy. I enjoyed beautiful handwriting and interesting graphics.

I ran for student council and found I was great at planning and holding new events and activities for the student body.

Creativity Defined

In the familiar Minneapolis, my perceptions of creativity were shaped by a series of beliefs that left me blind to my own creative potential.