According to the Google dictionary, creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. Sometimes, it feels as if there are no original ideas left. It seems as if every original idea in existence has been claimed. Original ideas in novels and TV shows have led people of all races, ages, and identities to be successful. JK Rowling started as nothing and came up with the Harry Potter franchise. Stan Lee invented the Marvel Universe. Every creator has their own success story, all based on their imagination and originality.
There are lesser known people who have been successful through a good imagination. Authors and illustrators spend their entire lives using nothing but their imagination. Social media influencers use creativity to become famous on the internet. There are many different types of success, but every successful journey starts with a creative imagination.
How does this relate to me? How has my creativity led me to be successful? The last four years of high school have been nothing but good to me. I succeeded: I made it to college. Living with a rare genetic disorder has taught me how to navigate the last twelve years of school. I can not be at school like any other normal kid. I had to learn different ways to protect myself from the deadly ultraviolet rays from the sun (and some select light bulbs).
Before I could go to school, my doctors and parents had to make sure the windows were specially tinted to protect me. We invented a special hood to protect my face from the sun. Picture it like a bee keeper had with cloth in the back and a clear film in the front that blocks out 99.99 percent of all UV radiation. This film is hard to make, so it had to be imported from Germany. If it wasn’t for the creative minds of my mom and my doctors, I would never been able to go to school, go outside, drive a car, or live like a normal kid. This is the definition of creative success to me.
When I was sixgteen, I had the huge honor of working at the Niedernhofer Lab at the University of Minnesota. This is something that I had wanted to do for a long time. I moved to Minnesota for the summer between my Junior and Senior year. At first, I was nervous because I was all alone. But quickly, I used my imagination to make the best of my situation. I learned how to live as an adult for the first time in my life.
I consider this to be a huge success story in my life because I learned how to be an adult and work as a research lab technician, something I have always wanted to learn. If it weren’t for my creativity navigating a new climate, culture, and region, I would have never made it. Stories come in all different shapes and sizes. It’s what someone makes of their story that is successful.
~~Aimee Milota