Creativity is not only about how artistic you are. Everyone can be creative at some level. Some people are good at drawing. Some have the ability to play an instrument and write good songs. But also people who are good with kids and they know how to teach them. Release the creative beast even if you don’t think you are. There’s no such thing as being bored. You can always do things. It’s only the laziness that gets in the way. You don’t need to be a pro to be creative. It’s also about everyday life.
I’m creative most in the evening and sometimes at night. It depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes I’m not creative at all and it feels empty. Creativity is my way of expressing myself. Writing fiction is one. I usually create ideas and plots in my head. Sometimes it becomes a story and sometimes I make up something new. I also read other people’s stories to find inspiration. When I can’t find a story I’m looking for, I write my own. I don’t expect others to read them when I post them online. Of course, it’s always nice to see likes and comments but I write to myself. I have to get ideas out of my head one way or another. Since I write in English, it’s also good practice. Writing is just a hobby so I’m not planning to make a money out of it.
I like to do different things so I don’t stick to one subject only. One day I write and the next I might play with Adobe programs on the laptop. Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration. Also, Instagram (@liuzzia5) got good ideas when it comes to photography. I wish my tablet would have a better camera so I could post on my account more often. I can post photos I’ve posted online but that takes time so I don’t want to bother. I also don’t like the touch the screen thing on the tablet.
My style of creativity is doing things on the computer. I can’t draw very well to save my life but with a mouse, it’s easier. I can doodle something but I’ll never become an artist. I leave that to the real masters.
Recently on The daily post in daily prompt, there’s been words that are kind of hinting. Words like Believe, Risky, Ascend, Loyal and now Brave. It’s like they are trying to tell me something. All of those words have a meaning when it comes to job search. You need to believe in yourself and be loyal to your goals. Without some risk you’ll won’t get far. You want to ascend to the next level of your life and not get stuck. Most of all you need to be brave and that’s where I lack it. Sometimes I do feel brave though. Like when I went to see Robbie Williams this summer. From my point of view that is a brave move. I didn’t back down like I usually do. I just took the chance and went. I’m not into big crowds but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I ended up having a really good time. I wish I could be brave like that more often.
Back in 2015, I wrote a post about my job search. Some things have changed since then. Like the photography and job search campaigns thing. The latter I skipped altogether. When you looked through a lot of job ads, they’re soon coming out of your ears. I can understand why some unemployed think job search is useless. I hate the writing part where you have to explain yourself why you’re the one the employers are looking for. Especially when I have to write them in Finnish. My mother tongue is Swedish so it shines through in my writing. At least that’s what my web design teacher told me. I’ve always thought my Finnish writing was alright but now I feel insecure. Maybe the reason why I haven’t got even an interview is because of the writing. I have got into education despite that so it can’t be it. Finnish is not the easiest language so it’s not that easy for Finns either. If I keep looking to work for someone else, all my skills I’ve learned so far will go to waste. Honestly, I’m getting fed up with this whole job search thing. The gaps in my work experience are probably too high but at least I wasn’t totally lazy. I did have those clients when I studied web design so I do have some experience in the field.
I don’t really know what to call myself anymore. Yesterday I did something I didn’t think I would do. I applied for an education for a graphic designer in the same school where I studied a photographer degree, Helsinki Design School. Applying doesn’t do any harm. If I don’t get in, it doesn’t matter. I’m still looking for work and if I did find one, I could still go to school. Some say this school is a joke and that the degrees don’t mean anything. Even though I didn’t get a job in photography, I still experienced things I wouldn’t normally do. Employers might not see the degrees worthwhile but in the end, it’s the skills of people that matter. I think in Finland, certificates are too important. Especially in design. There are different ways to educate yourself and you don’t need to go to fancy schools to learn. Jealousy is a problem in Finland. If you have taken a simpler route to design, you get the look you’re not good enough. They don’t say it out loud but you know they mean it.
I see younger people’s work in design and I feel I’ve no chance in the business. I feel like Chandler Bing in Friends when he changes jobs and he started to work in advertising where all these young people worked. He felt so old and thought he didn’t have a chance. In the end, he did get a job there as a manager or something like that. In real life, you can’t get a job that easily if you have no experience or education. Employers are so into thinking about the future so they hire younger people. But how much do these 20 something know anything about life anyway? Of course, they should also get a chance but experienced shouldn’t be disregarded either. I wish I had the power to hire unemployees who’s been rejected for different reasons. But that’s too much for one person to handle. Being the employer is no piece of cake either.
As for what to call myself. I want to do something more than just designing websites. I wonder what people think of long job titles. How about web designer/photographer/graphic designer. Just designer doesn’t say much. It still feels weird to call myself a designer. They say you should stand out of from the crowd and that is it. I can do more than just one thing. The whole standing out is a bit strange. Aren’t we all a bit different in some way? I for sure hope there’s no one like me out there. I couldn’t handle two of me. At least I have been brave enough to be different and not walk the same path other people expect me to. I’m going all the way and it doesn’t matter what others think. Always follow the path you’ve chosen. That’s what I call bravery.
Post title from ‘Last night in the city’ by Duran Duran
I’ve mentioned this in other posts in this blog but I’m not a risk taker. I think long and hard before I make a decision. This can be a disadvantage. In this fast-moving world, you need quick thinking or someone else gets there first. I wish I was risky but it’s against my nature. I guess it’s an introvert thing but it also depends on the person. I’m not afraid of failure but I also don’t want to take the root things might not turn the way I planned it. That’s why I don’t plan for the future. I wish I wasn’t worried about taking risks. I keep thinking about what could go wrong instead of the other way around. I have taken small risks but the results haven’t been what I expected. With small I mean applying to different educations. I have got in but it hasn’t got me very far. What I lost most is money but that was the risk I was willing to take. I did learn something from all that studying so it wasn’t totally useless.
Risky is somewhere out there but it hasn’t found me. At least I haven’t taken stupid risks. It’s better to be safe than sorry. My hobbies have always been careful. The most ‘dangerous’ thing I have done is fall off my bike. You won’t see me going skydiving or bungee jumping. I’ve only been once on a rollercoaster and that was enough. I’m just not made for crazy things like that. Lucky for that. Someone in this world should be careful. We all can’t be like headless chickens who don’t know what they’re doing. I try to take some risks but in small doses and that’s enough for me.
Creativity is not only about how artistic you are. Everyone can be creative at some level. Some people are good at drawing. Some have the ability to play an instrument and write good songs. But also people who are good with kids and they know how to teach them. Release the creative beast even if you don’t think you are. There’s no such thing as being bored. You can always do things. It’s only the laziness that gets in the way. You don’t need to be a pro to be creative. It’s also about everyday life.
In my world 