Creativity is identity

Identity is a recursive, undefinable, ever-evolving state of being. I am not who I was 10 years ago, 5 minutes ago, a second ago, not even the space in between a second ago.

I do not exist, I am the words that you are currently reading, when I am talking I am nothing but the vibration of sound waves inside your ear. I may even just be the neurons inside your brain

Who am I though, how do I live freely if I don’t know who I even am? 

Who I am is defined by who I am not. 

If there was nothing to compare myself to, 

I would be nothing,

I would be everything.

As soon as there's something, a rock, I can define myself as not a rock and all the things that make us different.

We need something to compare ourselves to. We need goals in order to beat them, we need people to look up to, and those to inspire us to never be like. The problem is this comparison limits us. 

These “goals” were created by an outside influence, parents, society, friends, government, everything, 

This creates a false narrative of who we are and who we can be. We begin to see life as defined by these arbitrary structures,

mistakes sent down the stream of history for no other reason than inertia. 

You have to rebel against it all, and that starts at the source, yourself. 

"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion" -Camus

Dig deep. As far as you can go. It is the hardest thing you can do.

If the answer was easy to find it wouldn't be important.

Take your skeletons out of the closet and dance with them

Truth lies in the shadows, the unexplored. 

If the answer was easy or obvious it would lose importance.

Understanding ourselves, our infinitely expanding identity, takes an infinite amount of effort. 

But what does this have to do with creativity? 

The creative process is to look inside yourself. And inside you is everything you need. Creativity is making connections. It is introspecting, it is realizing your mistakes, and breaking down your preconceived “walls” and so-called limits of your identity.

By: Mason Stahl

Year: Junior

Majors: ETBD and Entrepreneurship

Hometown: Basking Ridge, NJ

3 Words: Observe, Recognize, Feel

Fun Fact: Once fainted at the sight of a Torah after hearing it was made of pig skin.