Creative Review: Beyond your familiar comfort zone. Outside of what you already know. But how do you navigate the unknown? That is what we explored at our recent Creative Power of the Mind talk with Jamie Brooker Co-Founder of Kahoot! An extraordinary award winning start-up who in just 4 years created a learning platform with a monthly reach of 50 million users.
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One thing that I thought was an interesting topic within this article was the idea of action. The article starts off by talking about how the idea that something could go wrong while in the process of completing a project, event, activity, etc. stops so many of us from ever even beginning the action of doing those things. The funny thing is, is that it is so much easier and so much more passive to think of all the negatives in an action than it is to actually start that action. In order to see the bright side of something, or to see all the ways in which something could go right, it takes a lot more activeness than passiveness. It is harder to be positive than negative, and that is what I think trips so many of us up when trying to go outside of our comfort zones.
In high school I used the app Kahoot! all the time. It was a great learning tool and it was a way to integrate technology and a different type of learning style into a classroom. Honestly it’s what helped me get through some of my classes. What I didn’t know was that it was a startup business. It is so inspiring to hear that two people just joined together to create something that they had no idea about and their creation turned into a national success that has helped millions of students across the country, including myself. If those two people did not have the ambition or the bravery to step out of their comfort zones we wouldn’t have this app that has, some would say revolutionized classroom learning into an enjoyable experience that helps student of all learning types. It makes me think; what can I do if I have the ambition and he bravery to step outside of my comfort zone. My goal with art and design is to create something new that hopefully inspires someone and sends a message. And I think the only way I can do that is to not be afraid of failure, not be nervous about doing something that I know nothing about because if I don’t try something new, who knows what I’ll be missing. Pushing myself to learn and apply myself is what I need to do to be successful and to grow as an artist and a person. I need to step outside of my comfort zone in order to make something that I have never made before.
I had no idea that Kahoot! is a recent startup! This website is the modern equivalent of watching a teacher roll the TV cart into the classroom to watch a movie- the whole class goes nuts. I really feel that I can identify with the founders' story: "They had an inkling of the direction they wanted to go in – they had absolutely no idea of exactly what it would look like." Like them, I have an "inkling" of what I want to do with my life insofar as I know that I want to work in technical theatre and other performing arts. However, I have no idea what path I'll follow along the way beyond what classes I will take in the School of Drama. As such, knowing that others have stepped into the unknown and succeeded, I find stepping into the unknown a little bit less uncomfortable.
The part of this article that really spoke to me was the second section, about Tor Udall. As artists, we’ve made the difficult decision to use our creativity to keep us alive for the rest of our lives; this works well for many artists, and they go on to have amazing and inspiring careers as makers who shape society. However, not every artist has an easy or successful path. One can put themselves out there over and over again and it just never clicks with the general public, yet you have to persevere and listen to that “inner voice” fueling your vision. I experienced this when deciding to pursue an artistic career; I knew I wanted to create for the rest of my life, and even though I strayed from that path for various reasons on the way here, I listened to my instinct and eventually stuck with what made me happiest. It’s heartwarming to hear Tor Udall’s persistence in her craft, never giving up until she got what she wanted, despite what I can imagine was a difficult journey. Her work seems really beautiful, and it’s even better to know persistence in stepping out of your “comfort zone” by pursing your dreams can really pay off.
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