How I Discovered My Creativity in Search of My Self-Identity
As I sit and reflect on the person I’ve become, I realize the individual I once identified with feels like a distant, familiar stranger. “Creative” was never a word I associated with myself or imagined others would use to describe me. Yet now, creativity defines my world and has become an intrinsic part of who I am. However, this transformation didn’t happen overnight. The journey to discovering my creative side and, ultimately, my newest passion was anything but easy.
After walking away from football during my sophomore year of college, I felt lost and aimless. Football had been such an intrinsic part of my life that I never allowed myself to believe I could excel at anything else. For six months, life without football left me at my lowest point. I didn’t know who I was anymore—until I found my way back to my first true love: storytelling.
Storytelling is the fuel that drives me forward in life. I’ve always had an affinity for creative storytelling, whether factual or fictional. The very act of weaving narratives has always fascinated me. Although my life was deeply entrenched in the student-athlete lifestyle, I often turned to media and storytelling as my escape. When football was no longer part of my day-to- day life, I immersed myself in narrative storytelling more deeply than ever before. With my newfound free time, I had no idea what to do—until one day, my younger brother, a 2D animator, suggested I start making videos. With nothing to lose, I decided to take the risk.
I’ll be transparent: I don’t believe I found creativity—creativity found me. From the moment I dipped my hand in the cookie jar, I became obsessed. From writing scripts to learning how to edit, tapping into my creative side became more than just a hobby—it was therapeutic. It forced me to reflect and understand myself in ways I never had before, sparking the motivation to become the person I truly want to be. I fell in love with the introspection that storytelling required, because to tell great stories, one must first understand their own.
As time goes on, I see myself continuing to grow as a creative. I view it as my avenue to live a truly free life. But what this journey has also taught me is how easy it is to put ourselves in boxes, limiting our ability to think beyond those confines. Creativity shattered those limits for me, showing me that the capabilities of our minds are truly endless.
Creative storytelling helped me discover that we are not meant to be tied to a single, fixed identity—whether defined by society or by ourselves. We are far more nuanced, and our minds are filled with infinite possibilities. As an aspiring storyteller in all its forms, my dream is to travel the world and provide people with a comfortable platform to share their stories. Learning about my own creative abilities has inspired me to dedicate my life to one guiding principle: Chasing Infinity.
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