LESSONS IN CREATIVITY BY KEVIN GROSS

A driving force for my own creativity has been, and always will be, my incredible mother. She attended the Cleveland Institute of Art and earned a degree in textiles and went on to design thousands of wallpaper samples that may very well be in your own home. But it is not just her artistic background that drove her creative passion. She always had an interesting perspective on life and encouraged me to avoid focusing too much on being “normal” and going along with the status quo. Unfortunately, she recently passed away two months ago after a courageous three-year battle with lung cancer. This was a wake-up call but more importantly, an opportunity for me to grow from intense reflection. I strive to have her creative passion not only to carry on her voice but also to better myself. Quite simply, it made me realize there is more to life than going through the motions. I believe creativity leads to passion and passion leads to success. If I want to be truly successful in my life I need to continue to think outside the box, reflect on my thoughts and actions, and settle for nothing less than the extraordinary. If you asked me this same question a year ago, I would have had a very vague response. But this is my driving force. This is why I strive to be a unique individual. This is why I’m dedicated to creativity.