NIFTY NOTES AND QUILTED CREATIONS BY NATALIE TURTON
On October 28th I visited the Columbus Museum of Art. On the first floor, there was an interactive exhibit dedicated to creativity. My favorite section was a room full of post-its, where prior visitors had decorated the walls with cute notes, drawings, and creations. I spent 15 minutes just looking at everything -- a lot of them seemed to be from kids, and it was fun to be reminded how little regard they give to the so-called “rules,” and how much they can create with just a stack of post-it notes. There was a series of little envelopes with little notes inside. My favorite was one that on the outside read, “you can read the note to! please read the note!” and on the inside said, “I hope you have a grate day!” It was so pure and wholesome, and I was reminded of how much of our creativity and positivity is taught out of us as we grow up.
Another room was covered from floor to ceiling in various quilts, and was designed to be interactive -- there were blocks, and crafts, and you could even practice weaving. I loved how bright and colorful it was, but also how it was designed to be played with. I took my time walking around the room and playing with the exhibit, and noticed phrases quilted into the walls. One clever wall said, “What if you are?” and I couldn’t come up with a rebuttal, so I accepted the question and moved on to the next room, existential crisis in tow.
It was fascinating seeing spaces dedicated to creative thinking, and it was strange how academic I had interpreted the topic for so long. It was nice to see the messy childlike scribbles on the wall contrasted with the elaborate yet playful quilt creations on display, showing that creativity can come in many forms. After spending 11 or so weeks studying creativity in a classroom, and practicing some outside, it was surprisingly surprising to be caught off guard by an exhibit on creativity, and that the space was colorful and full of energy unlike FSB 2046. While ESP 252 has taught me creative tools that I can use, I had for some reason thought of creativity as a chore, so it was refreshing to see lively, innovative expressions of creativity to help break that perception.
I’m looking forward to continued encounters with creativity, and I hope that I can one day be as carefree and creative as a 5 year old, because they’re so much more fun than boring old adults.
