I am not sure where the future will take me, but I know that, professionally, I want to work in a field that truly fulfils me. There are many jobs that would do this for me, but many of them are highly creative. The Creative Process definitely satisfies this goal. Though I have always loved the humanities, whether it be creative writing, French, or graphic design, I have been afraid to truly embrace them as a professional path. But after a freshman year full of self-discovery, I realize more than ever that it is something worth pursuing, no matter how risky.

When I reflect on times when I have felt the most inspired – most passionate, it all revolves around a common factor: people. The people I care about inspire me with all their unique characteristics that make me love them so much: surprising amounts of compassion, excitement for mundane things in the world that most people overlook, etc. Very often, people I don’t know inspire me through their creative projects. And though I think everyone is creative in different ways, whether you are a police officer trying to decipher how a crime was committed or a mathematician trying to tackle a new proof, it is the creative projects that are most completely, wholly someone’s own that often have the most impact on me: movies, books, music. Projects like this are especially powerful because they exhibit what the human mind is capable of, to be able to conjure worlds, plotlines, and melodies that can move people so much. When heartbroken, people often turn to music for consolation. Frank Ocean has definitely been a source of understanding and comfort for me, and many artists have fans that would say, at one point or another, “you saved me when I needed it the most,” and that is the importance of creativity. And this all goes back to how much people have inspired me. All these powerful creations come from people. Whether nonfiction or fiction, everyone has stories to tell, and I’ve never heard a story or gotten to know someone better and regretted it. Because no matter how well I think I know myself or other people, no one ever loses the capability to surprise you. So the importance of storytelling and creativity lies in that feeling that every individual can get from being known through knowing other people and the art which they makThrough collaborating with The Creative Process, I hope to get to know other creators well and showcase their talents to leave a positive impact on wide range of people. I also hope to see what it is like to work in a highly creative field, for I have always thought the chance of getting to do that is quite low. It would also be great to see what impact my work could have on others as much of what I have created in the past has not reached a great deal of people.

This past January, I interviewed for and edited one podcast episode on the Research Director for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, a Baltimore-based non-profit that helps empower black youth. I am currently working on a completely original podcast called “What the Sky is Made of,” and it will be based in narratives from multiple people that revolve around one specific element for each episode (sky, ocean, rain, etc.) I am an editor for Zenaida, Johns Hopkins’ intercollegiate arts and writing magazine, and we are currently finalizing our publication choices. A continuous project that I do for fun is called Cups Across Coasts, which is a Youtube channel I share with my best friend who goes to school on the opposite side of the country as me (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL3btAGEfEQP9m3s2F5MTRQ?view_as=subscriber). Last, I am always working on my creative writing, mainly through short stories.