CREATIVITY
We each face problems in our everyday lives that require creative responses. Our society faces challenges like pandemics, poverty, and terrorism. Some of these problems can be solved simply by a single individual having a good idea; others will require groups of individuals working together creatively as a unit. Understanding creativity can help us identify and realize every person's unique creative talents. Without understanding creativity, it’s easy to fail to recognize and nurture individuals with important creative abilities. If we hope to solve all of the pressing problems facing our society and our world, we must take advantage of the creative talents of everyone. Understanding how creativity works in practice can help our leaders to respond better to the challenges facing modern society. Researchers have also discovered that creativity is an essential skill for effective leadership.
The Relevance of Body Art in Human Cultures
Ravyn Rodriguez
Throughout history humans have adorned their bodies in multitudes of ways. From hair and nails to clothing and accessories, to tattoos and body modifications, the human desire to change the physical form has shown its prevalence time and time again. This excerpt will explain some history of body art, its role and importance in society, and how body art has been adapted to modern society.
Buried beneath an alpine glacier around 3250 B.C., Ötzi the iceman was discovered by German hikers on the border of Austria and Italy in 1991. Ötzi has an astounding 61 tattoos across his body ranging from his torso, lower back, lower legs, and left wrist. These tattoos have linkage to therapeutic and acupunctural practices as well as potential indicators of social status dating further back than 3250 B.C. Ötzi is the oldest human to have been found with tattoos, despite modern misconception of tattoos as a newer practice. When examining the history of the artform, it can be seen that this is no new trade, but rather one deep rooted in human history.
Contemporarily, tattoos remain one of the prominent types of body art held in human society, with styles, techniques, industry, and culture continuing to evolve. Tattoo styles and methods are found throughout the world and vary in their look, origin, culture and meaning. Some of the most common tattoo styles known and associated with different cultures are American Traditional, Japanese Traditional, and Tribal. Along with these styles, traditional methods and techniques of tattooing have evolved; one example being the method of hand poking, a newer technology leading to the common practice of tattooing done with machines. Rooted in these origins, a plethora of new styles and substyles have stemmed in the tattoo world and community, but the origins of tattoo culture, style, and methods still hold relevance and value as they have given way to new developments in the industry.
As corroborated by the discovery of Ötzi, body art has existed for thousands of years, and repeated links to societal beauty standards and body art are seen in this history. Body art has grown in popularity and acceptance in more recent times, even appearing in the cosmetic world. Body art has grown and changed largely in the last 100 years, partly due to technological advancements and discoveries in these industries, and partly because body art is gaining consensus in its perception as a form of art.
Body art is not limited to tattoos and body piercings, but any form of altering one’s appearance. Hair, nails, skincare, and makeup are all forms of body art, and with the help of social media and the internet are now widely known and sought after. While many might not think of their cosmetics as being art, the amount of freedom and creativity those mediums hold have allowed for modern day freedom of self-expression, as well as subcultures created through these mediums such as fashion and makeup subgenres.
The role body art plays in human society and culture, while not new, holds extreme relevance and importance. With the history of body art, this art form has held importance to humans as early as the B.C. era, and has continued in that role to today. While the art form continuously changes, the human desire for altering physical appearance is as strong as its origins.
Creative Social Justice and Art Advocacy
Aamirah McDonald
Creativity is a tool that can be used to combat contemporary, historical, social, and political injustices. We use it in many ways to come up with “solutions” to everyday issues such as fostering empathy, challenging stereotypes, creating community, and amplifying marginalized voices shaped by oppressive systems. Bell Hooks, a renowned African American author and activist celebrated for her insights on race, feminism, and class, once stated that “the function of art is to do more than tell it like it is—it’s to imagine what is possible” (Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, 281).
In this work, Hooks emphasizes it’s not enough to merely respond to negative stereotypes or create works that counter harmful images. Instead, she challenges us to confront what is absent in Hollywood and popular media —the untold stories and unseen perspectives that demand representation. Her argument in this quote is not only inspiring but also profoundly relevant, reminding us that art has the power to envision new realities and pave the way for creative representation beyond the status quo. If we do not challenge our histories and current realities, how can we expect to build a better future?
Art and creative expression serve diverse purposes in promoting social justice initiatives. They have the unique ability to highlight overlooked social issues through various forms of creativity, such as visual arts, literature, music, and multimedia projects, by capturing and conveying complex narratives and raising awareness about injustice. Additionally, creative expression cultivates empathy by allowing individuals to share personal stories and experiences, building emotional connections that help us understand and support one another.
Within the context of theater, plays like An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins use satire and subversion to critique racial representations (2024). This adaptation of the 19th-century play The Octoroon by Dion Boucicault reimagines a work that originally perpetuated racial stereotypes and reflected a deeply racist society (1934). The term Octoroon is defined as a person who is one-eighth Black by descent, reflecting outdated and harmful conceptions of race that have historically been used to oppress African Americans. By forcing audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about America’s past and present, the variations of An Octoroon demonstrates how art can either reinforce or dismantle racism. This play highlights the power of theater to unearth hidden histories and actively reshape the narratives surrounding Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s (BIPOC) experiences. Ultimately, An Octoroon advocates for more inclusive representation in the arts, showing how theater can critically engage with race, history, and identity while encouraging a deeper commitment to equity on and off the stage.
Creative social justice and art advocacy uniquely harness the power of imagination and storytelling to challenge and shift societal paradigms in ways that other forms of protest or advocacy cannot. Theater, in particular, offers a communal, immersive experience that invites audiences to empathize deeply and confront issues like racism, sexism, and inequality from a personal and emotional perspective. Unlike other forms of advocacy, theater transforms abstract ideas into tangible, emotional narratives by reimagining existing stories to be more inclusive and crafting entirely new ones. It amplifies marginalized voices and fosters dialogue about equity and justice. This intersection of creative expression and activism also serves as a powerful means of healing for individuals and communities affected by oppression. As a theater practitioner, I aim to create and support work that illuminates underrepresented experiences and advocates for systemic change. Finally, theater’s ability to blend imagination with activism positions it as an essential tool for social justice, offering transformative possibilities that few other mediums can achieve.
Social Media in the Beauty Industry
Sophia Guntang
Social media has become an important facet of the modern beauty industry, uprooting how brands communicate with their consumers and completely changing their marketing strategies. Through platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, communities have emerged and brought light to trends, products and brand narratives at the global scale. Today, a looming presence in social media is closely tied to the success of beauty brands and influencers, shaping the future of the industry.
Social media is a great way to increase brand awareness. Beauty brands utilize platforms to showcase their products, share tutorials, and communicate directly with their audience. On visually engaging platforms like Instagram, brands can show textures, colors, and effects of products in a way that speaks to beauty enthusiasts. For example, a content creator can create a video of how a foundation seamlessly blends into skin; such a thing can influence consumers interest in no time. Additionally, social media removes some of the major barriers between brands and customers, enabling real-time engagement. Comments, direct messages, and polls all help a brand receive feedback and solidify customer loyalty.
The rise of beauty influencers has rewritten the social norms on how products are marketed. Influencers, with their pre-existing followings, become trusted voices for consumers, who often provide honest product reviews and demonstrate product use. These are mutual relationships, where the influencer gains sponsorship and the brand reaches out to very targeted audiences. For instance, if a beauty YouTube influencer endorses your product, it may sell out within hours. Micro-influencers are those with fewer followers but highly engaged audiences; their content feels more authentic and relatable, making them very effective.
Social media platforms are nests for trending beauty topics. From makeup looks going viral to skincare challenges, it's trends go across the world in hours. This effect is amplified by hashtag culture, as it allows users to find out about new products and techniques through keywords. Take TikTok, for example: neat snippets of video have given life to "glass skin" trends and videos have single-handedly driven spikes in sales after featuring particular products. This indicates that social media, besides reflecting consumer trends, dictates them too.
Another important role of social media in the beauty industry is education. Tutorials, live demonstrations, and in-depth reviews enable users to make better purchase decisions. Information empowers consumers to try a host of new products that better meet their wants and needs. For instance, an influencer who has expert knowledge about skin care can go into detail on skincare products and their ingredients, enabling shoppers to learn what will work for their skin type and resulting in feelings of trust and transparency.
Social media has also driven the beauty industry toward inclusiveness. Consumers demand representation across all races, genders, and ages, and social platforms amplify these voices. Campaigns that celebrate diversity deeply resonate with audiences, as seen with brands like Fenty Beauty, which gained widespread acclaim for its wide shade range and inclusive marketing. This shift highlights the power of social media in holding brands accountable and pushing social change.
The Changing and Unchanging Existence of Art Through the Ages
Camilla Brown
I visited the National Gallery of Art twice this year. The first time I visited, we only explored pre-modern artists and eras from Renaissance to Romanticism. I went again with my philosophy class, and engaged with post-modern art, from Modern to Contemporary. While analyzing the differences between post and pre-modernism in art, I found there are some things about existence that will always stay the same, and others that change with our worldview.
To begin, Schopenhauer’s view on our essential nature is that we are all one being, and that the noumenal world, which does not include appearances, is not altered by phenomenal structures such as time and space. Time and space, include appearances. Our essential nature, is one being. A thought that crossed my mind while looking at the paintings was how many eyes had laid on the same painting, and what sorts of feelings does it evoke in others? Why have some paintings been so famous for centuries, and why do they continue to evoke strong feelings in us so many years later? What was it about a painting that evoked these sorts of feelings? Was it phenomenal structures, or noumenal? I found that Schopenhauer’s claim that believes there is something unchanging about our existence, even if the surface is changing, gives a strong explanation for the timelessness of our connected nature as one being. Schopenhauer asserts that, “however much the plays and the masks on the world’s stage may change, it is always the same actors who appear. We sit together and talk and grow excited, and our eyes glitter and our voices grow shriller: just so did others sit and talk a thousand years ago: it was the same thing and it was the same people: and it will be just so a thousand years hence.” I find it comforting to see the world this way, to know that the world stage continues through thousands of performances, and that, as Schopenhauer says, “while death may be able to end our life; it cannot end our existence.” We will always sit together, and feel a non-physical oneness, even if we are unable to explain it. So to answer my questions, these feelings are eternal and unchanging. Even if we are unable to pinpoint their origin, that is the nature of noumenal things. Phenomenal things are what we may see to remind us of the noumenal, and certain art reminds us of that, inspiring something in our essential being.
In comparing the differences between post and pre-modern art, I was humored by a feeling that the emphasis in post-modernism, that existence is the world is just as it is, has taken on a pre-modern depiction in post-modern art. If the pre-modern worldview is that our purpose is to reunite or realize our true essence, and that essence precedes existence, it is notable that Modern and Contemporary art depict an attempt to return to our essence. Abstract art aims to catch the essence, a feeling, an emotion, rather than show the world just as it is. Pre-modern eras such as the Renaissance, aim to capture existence just as it is, albeit with some religious imagery involved. I found that Aristotle’s definition of excellence, our souls seeking to fully actualize the essence of our human nature, has taken on a new definition in the modern day. While before, excellence in art was capturing a moment or idea, art now carries a depth that is meant to require thought and exploration of our essence as human beings. The noumenal nature of these differences is the eternal essence of beauty we find in this art, which Plato asserts, we are drawn to.
Our constant desire for excellence will take us down new paths that will eternally change our phenomenal worldview, but will never change its true noumenal essence. To conclude, although the aesthetic nature of art changes in the phenomenal world, its noumenal impact remains the same through our one being, forever.
Self Expression
William White
Music and the arts are inherently creative fields. When a new piece is created, whether it be a painting, a sculpture, a play, or a symphony, etc., it’s creator pulled an idea out of their head and put it into the real world. Works are often inspired by something, but regardless there is a level of creativity that is necessary. I could talk for hours about how much work artists put into their craft, but what I’d prefer to talk about is how anyone can use the arts as a creative outlet.
It’s news to no one that we are living through an incredibly difficult time right now. Maintaining mental health has become harder as we are severely limited in what we can do, who we can interact with, and where we can go. Because of this, people have been exploring new ways to pass the time, whether it be baking, reading, binging television shows, or revisiting past interests. When quarantine started, I and my sister began playing instruments again that we hadn’t played in years, and it served as a really good distraction from all of the bad that was going on in the world.
Music and the arts are something where we need no experience to have fun with it. We may not be able to perfectly play a Chopin prelude when sitting down at the piano, but what everyone can do is karaoke. Nobody expects a beginning artist to paint something on the same level as the Mona Lisa, but anyone can paint a cute piece that depicts a dog or our family. Expressing ourselves through a creative means is a great way to relieve stress. It allows us to express the things that we can’t say with words, which can be incredibly helpful, especially when things may not be going exactly the way we’d like.
Recently, I've been taking out my mandolin after a long day, just two play a couple of the tunes that I know, or to make up a melody. And even though I have nothing to go off of except for what’s already in my mind, making melodies is always the thing that helps me the most—because I can shape them to fit whatever mood I’m feeling. People don't need experience to do that either, which is a beautiful thing. I encourage you sit down at a piano or another instrument and experiment. Make something that sounds to like what you're going through.
Modern Music Tools: Dangerous to Creativity?
Alex Dumouchelle
It’s not unusual for the youth of 2021 to demand more shortcuts. Our lives are streamlined in so many ways. Why should that not extend to music production? With a vast array of knowledge accumulated by active musicians, and the convenient delivery system that the internet provides, should we not be collectively making better music than our predecessors? Some would argue that music has become tasteless or noise for the dull-minded. Statements such as these, however, are excessively harsh. Music today is more innovative than ever before. There is no longer a claustrophobic standard for the time period that most musical artists must follow, such as how many Europeans composers felt during the Baroque era. In fact, music today possesses a healthier mixture of culture, individuality, and collaboration than ever before.
So why are musicians claiming modern digital tools are endangering musical creativity. Aren't they actually helping more young artists blossom? The digital audio workstation serves as a quick introduction to mixing, with a low barrier to entry. Problems start to arise when products such as chord packs, progression generators, advanced quantizers, and aggressive auto-tuners are introduced. These tools are not inherently bad for the artist, but rather it is the attraction that the novice may have to rely upon them.
As technology continues to proliferate and aggressively attack the musician's problems, it’s not surprising that the use of development tools has skyrocketed in the past decade. It’s hard to avoid advertisements for services like Yousician or Simply Piano; apps which encourage the belief that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a quality music education, and boast their interactive user-interfaces are better than traditional methods. While app-based innovation is the fuel for our modern lives, there are limitations to what an autonomous device can do. There is no live feedback, no proper error-checking, no interpersonal pieces of advice that can be shared about a teacher’s struggle when they were at the student level, no messages of encouragement that aren’t pre-recorded, and no personalized curricula that adapt to a novice musician’s experience level.
Because of this, the education that a student gets is incomplete. Rather than discussing the theory or intention, many of these application have students play music for a score, focusing more on playing the right notes as opposed to developing the correct technique. A significant factor of music education is to focus on the individual development of tone, finesse, and technique before great concern is put on correct notes. If the only thing a student worries about is playing notes correctly, on a guitar for example, they may sacrifice good finger technique to play those notes, building bad habits for the future. This mentality of wanting a good result as soon as possible finds its way into music production in a similar manner.
Responding to these problems is difficult. Is there a way to provide good and meaningful feedback without the financial burdens imposed by personalized music education? Perhaps the intention is there, but the execution has yet to happen. This is what I plan to study.
A Trip to the Doctor
Kaitlyn Gentille
I woke up to the sound of my only child crying in pain. As I quickly got out of my bed and rushed to her side of the room, I prayed that it was nothing more than a sore throat, something that a little hot tea could fix. Kneeling beside her small, worn out cot on the ground, I pressed my lips to her forehead and quickly realized that her sickness had surpassed the healing abilities of a cup of hot tea.
“I don’t feel good,” my daughter whimpered to me. I smiled down at her, reassuring her that everything would be fine. But I needed more convincing of that than she did.
Being a single mother of a young teenager has its difficulties to begin with. But being an impoverished single mother may be even worse. Constantly worrying about how to keep food on the table for each meal, pleading with the landlord to give me one extra month to pay rent, and hoping that neither my daughter or I will need to visit a doctor is utterly exhausting. With all of the other bills that I had to pay to ensure that my daughter has a roof over her head and food to eat, my waitress job won't pay for health insurance on top of everything else.
In the past, I'd have done my best to treat my daughter’s symptoms through over the counter medications and natural remedies, as opposed to seeing a doctor and getting a prescription for antibiotics. However, seeing that we are living through a global pandemic, I decided that taking her to the doctor immediately would be the best option. I would have to figure out how many extra shifts I would have to pick up later. A simple visit to a physician induces an overwhelming level of stress and angst. Most physicians could not even begin to fathom the circumstances that I live in, and their thoughts are usually louder than they anticipate them being. From confused glances down at their notes and charts, to looks of pity, if I said I felt secure and respected at a doctor’s visit I would be lying.
My daughter and I got ourselves ready and drove to the nearest COVID-19 testing site. As we waited in line, I prepared myself for the lack of empathy and compassion that I might receive from those who were doing the testing. While it is true that a doctor can be beneficial in terms of treating a physical ailment, how helpful can such physicians truly be if they allow me to leave feeling worse about something else? Without even knowing it, some medical professionals I have interacted with have alleviated one type of pain, but then inflicted another. I pulled into the testing site and lowered my window. The medical professional helping us began by asking the basic questions that you always hear when going to visit, and unsurprisingly, in an impassive tone as if she were reading off of a script. Looking down at the papers in front of her, the medical professional proceeded to ask for a copy of my medical insurance. Prepared for this question, I simply told her that I was uninsured, and would be paying out of pocket for the test. As if she had just smelled something rancid, the medical professional slowly glanced up, with a look of disgust. Scrutinizing me, she repeated back to me what I had said to her, making sure she had heard me correctly. And with her response, without even knowing it, she was successful in making me feel as if I were inferior to her.
The only thing this woman knows about me is that I am uninsured, why do I allow her to make any judgements and critiques about who I am solely based off of that? I thought to myself as the medical professional proceeded with giving my daughter a COVID-19 test. I knew I should not let her expressions and comments affect me in such a way, but I drove off feeling ashamed and embarrassed of my life. The sad thing, though, is that I feel as if I have to prepare myself for interactions such as this one in the medical field. I could only wish that one day most physicians would approach both me and my daughter with empathy, giving me with a sense of security and safety in the medical field that I rarely feel today.
We All Carry Stories
Corinne Martin
You too must question the uniqueness of mankind. What is the integral aspect that makes us human? We seek this definition by pointing to the towering skyscrapers and technological advancements we’ve created. Or our greatest empires, with riches and gold. Perhaps some will even reference the great minds of humankind that have created and gave reason to the vast world around us.
But the answer is simpler than our greatest achievements, advancements, and minds. What makes us human lies in stories.
Child Prodigies
Connor Kreitzman
Child prodigies are often hailed by all. But often overlooked is whether that child truly enjoys the hard work and discipline. Would child prodigies continue developing their specific skills if they felt validated by doing other activities? Would any child truly want to live the life of a ‘naturally gifted’ prodigy? Wouldn’t they rather have a child-centered life, one that wasn’t over-scheduled and over-managed? These questions have caused me to question whether the concept of child prodigies is potentially harmful to children.
Children generally do not like to be over-scheduled, and a full schedule is not beneficial to child development. Despite the harmful effects of overscheduling children, countless hours of hard work and discipline go into producing child prodigies. While it may be impressive to see child prodigies share their crafts, what we often don’t see is the amount of time spent working on their talents. Time spent developing talents is time lost being human. It is hard to imagine that any child would prefer a life of freedom and self-discovery instead of a life dictated by others?
The constant praise and validation that prodigies receive as children is harmful. External validation easily becomes a child’s only source of validation. People typically learn at a young age to do activities for the joy of them. This causes the development of internal satisfaction. External validation prevents children from doing activities they enjoy, and causes them to seek more external validation from adults. Unfortunately, external validation tends to dissipate as children age, as others view their skills as less impressive or exceptional when they reach adulthood. This can leave former child prodigies feeling hollow and without self-satisfaction.
The child prodigy is often less the result of natural talent, and more the result of an overbearing parent who seeks validation vicariously through their child. This can involve a parent being less concerned with their child’s well-being or wants and more concerned with their image as a parent. Negligent parents have become more common. They imagine their children as influencers on social media. They view them as social currency. They see them through the lens of the reputation economy.