Creative Obstacles — Second Right Answer

Sep 12

Sep 12 Creative Obstacles

by Ryan Gallman

To be honest, I feel like I’m struggling to apply creativity to my life right now. This past summer, I

rented a beach house with a couple friends for most of the break. The sense of freedom from

living there was addicting; I just had to go to work four or five days a week but how I spent most

of my time was up to me. For example, I learned to surf by driving to a nearby beach with larger

waves and asking for advice from my coworkers and other local residents.

I was excited to come back to campus and resume college life, but the transition has felt stifling.

I am happy with my life in Oxford, but my RAs tell me when I have to be quiet, my professors tell

me how I have to format my papers, and the dining hall employees tell me when I can eat.

I enjoy my entrepreneurship classes and the perspective they offer of encouraging me to break

the mold and get more from my daily activities. These classes leave me feeling inspired, but if I

live with that attitude I’ll be written up by RAs, docked points by professors, and left hungry by

dining hall employees. I’m not trying to blame any of those people because they have fair

reasons for their policies. My struggle is that they all add up to make me feel discouraged from

living a creative lifestyle.

I don’t want you to read this and think I’m giving up on a creative lifestyle. I’m going forward

more determined to push my creative limits. Creativity is at its best in the face of obstacles; if

anything I’ll emerge with better creative skills from learning how to maneuver them.