I believe each of us has a message to the world. It’s not a brand. I’m not a Hershey bar or Nike. And my message is not chocolate or colorful shoes, although I love both. I suppose there are days when we believe that message is something that doesn’t make a difference, and on other days, we know our message is one that can change the world. It’s on those days that we make bold moves. If we’re lucky, the days of being bold outnumber the days where we hold back.
I’ve made bold moves before. But, mostly the kind where I keep the ship tied to the dock, and pull myself back in. I believed so much in dreams that I succumbed to voices that told me creativity was a waste of time, and that the very person I was, was too focused on creativity. So, I held back. I tried to become something I wasn’t. I tried to turn off a part of my heart. And it broke it. This has happened more than once in my life – and it happened in school as a kid, and as an adult. I think it’s the entire reason why the passion inside me for changing school and making school more burns so very strong. It’s why things like Project Based Learning, Design Thinking, Technology, Innovation, Maker Movement, and STEAM give me so much hope. Because I waited for those things as a kid. And I know that kids are waiting for us.
The fact is, an invitation is never going to come to truly be yourself. That is all on you. And you can start right now. This journey? It’s happening right at this moment. Your soul speaks YOUR message and once you commit to it, you’ll have nothing else to worry about. Every twist, turn, failure will only make you stronger. That strength will lead you toward your goals. That’s right. When you totally fail, it will become a rock of failure that you can climb to the top of.
And before you know it, the message on your heart will be clear because you’ll be living it.
My message is clear to me. Creativity? It Matters. It draws out the uniqueness in every single one of us that the world needs. When it’s missing from learning? We’re not really learning, or living. It’s the very thing that draws me into schools, technology, global connections, gifted education, Swatch watches, colorful scarves, poster-making, metaphors, duct tape collections, robots, colorful Converse, creating ultimate learning experiences for teachers and kids, and having a Lego iphone cover. It’s the little things and the big things. It’s who I am.
And, never again in my life, will I allow the voices of others to drown my soul and try to squelch who I am, nor apologize for it. Because I’ve felt what happens when I do, and that’s a darkness that is unbearable.
I’m far from perfect, but I’m perfectly imperfect. Because I’m in that space where there is failure, accomplishment, collaboration, support, love, growth, and the kind of joy that’s there when the sun rises. I’m in that space where raw honesty makes me happy, even when it’s uncomfortable. Because that uncomfortableness? It’s me.
And that’s about as bold as I can get.
