Personal Creativity Reflection

Conclusion
Over the course of the semester I have tried to broaden my horizons into a variety of aspect. I have
worked on my capstone course for Digital Cultures and Creativity, teaching myself engineering skills
like 3D modeling and coding a microprocessor. I have expanded my self-awareness over a semester of
studying Indian philosophy and practicing yoga. I have expanded my network by volunteering in the
pediatric emergency department at Anne Arundel Medical Center and teaching as an undergraduate
learning assistant for an introductory level biology class. Now that I am a member of Delta Epsilon Mu,
I have also begun to attend a variety of education events on topics from meditation, to diversity in the
medical field, to engineering technology innovations. However, none of these experiences this semester
have changed me as much as this course has. Over winter break when I was reading this books for this
course, I started with the Steve Jobs book. Once I picked it up, I was unable to put it down. I had seen
the movie about six months before reading this book, but there was so much more detail and
information in the book. It was fascinating to see another side of the man who I had heard so much
about and who had impacted so many industries. Over winter break I was unhindered by academic
obligations, so I spent several days reading the book all day, just absorbing as much information as I
could about the genius that Jobs was. Though there is a lot of controversy surrounding Jobs, I think that
ultimately, he is the epitome of the American dream and he worked extremely hard to leave behind
such an amazing legacy. A lifelong learner, Jobs dabbled in everything from movie animation to music
to computers. While I have always thought of Steve Jobs as a man whose accomplishments I admire, it
was not until I read his book that I began to admire him as a role model. His reality distortion field may
be unsettling to some, but I see it as a man who has a vision and a passion, and unwilling to
compromise. Jobs worked his entire life to deliver the very best products that he could, because he
wanted to build the best computers in the world. While this semester has caused doubts as to what
exactly Id like to do with my career, I know that whatever I do in life, I will find a passion as Jobs did,
and I will pursue it wholeheartedly, stopping at nothing until whatever I do, be it helping to manage
companies or cure cancer, is crafted to perfection.
My determination in this matter did not solely come from the Steve Jobs book, as inspirational as it is.
Creative Confidence has had a great deal of impact on my life as well. I also read this book over winter

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break, and again it was difficult to put down. Ill admit, at first I was very reluctant to start reading it
because the self-help type of books was never a genre that interested me in the least. However, when I
started to read Creative Confidence, so many things clicked in my head. I realized that it was time to
start acting and not just thinking about things. The idea of this first started last spring when I was given
the daunting task of purchasing a cooler and decorating it. I had a month to get it done, and I had
several exams in that time period. I also did not consider myself artistic at all. The closest I had ever
come to crafting was during the structured art activities in middle school. However, the project needed
to be completed, and I did a lot of preliminary research, as well as iterating the designs over and over
in Photoshop until they were perfect. Eventually, I just had to stop redoing the designs on Photoshop
and start painting the cooler. I wish I had read chapter 2 of Creative Confidence prior to starting this
ambitious project. Not because of Dan Roams drawing tutorial, but because of the advice in the dare
section. This is the most important section for me because my biggest obstacle to everything is just
getting started. When I finally did get started, the painting and drawing was even more difficult than I
had imagined. Even though I had sanded the cooler down immensely, it was still rough and bumpy in
places and it was difficult to paint on, not to mention the hours spent bending over the small cooler
were really hurting my back. I kept messing up and beating myself up about it, but Kelley explains that
failure is just a part of learning, and that its not the end of the world, even though I thought it was. In
the end, the cooler turned out really well and I started to believe in my creative abilities again.

From this experience and reading the creative confidence stemmed two decisions that would not have
taken place without reading Creative Confidence of Start-Up of You. I knew that they would be good
to develop my soft assets, but I was not bold enough to take them without the confidence that the
Kelley brothers instilled in me. The first decision was the decision to choose an ambitious capstone. For
the last semester in my honors college, students create a final project that shows all of the concepts they
have learned in the program. I could have chosen a simple project using skill that I already knew how

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to do. Many people did this and took the easy way out; creating video blogs or art projects. However, I
decided that I wanted to take advantage of the resources Id been granted during my time in DCC, but
I had never had the opportunity to learn how to use them fully. I decided that I was going to create a
model of a fully working electron transport chain controlled by an Arduino, and make out of 3D
printed parts. I really underestimated the amount of free time I would have this semester to devote to a
project of that scale, but I have loved every minute of doing it. I am learning new things every day and
I know that the skills are 100% applicable in the future, whether I choose to use them for hobbies or for
a future job. I would never have believed that I could do it, and I never would have actually stuck with
it if it werent for Creative Confidence. When the project is completed, I will have something concrete to
show for my efforts, but more importantly, I will have developed my soft assets, which will give me a
competitive advantage over others in the future.
The second decision, which Creative Confidence, Innovators DNA, and the Start-Up of You have
helped me to make, is the decision to apply for, and to join the QUEST honors program. I had
considered applying in the past, but I continued to make excuses because I didnt think that I would get
into the program. I told myself that I would not be accepted, it was a waste of time to fill out the
application, and I didnt have space for the classes in my schedule. However, about two months ago I
filled out the application, and I was recently accepted to the Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams
honors program, or QUEST for short. QUEST is an interdisciplinary program that builds the leaders of
tomorrow. Through group collaboration and community engagement, students provide tangible
solutions to real-world problems. QUEST innovators learn to think outside the box to provide the best
solutions for their customers. The students in QUEST challenge each other daily both inside and
outside the classroom, collaborating and learning from their peers. QUEST is a completely different
academic setting than I am used to, and participating in the program will lead to more connections in
many different and diverse areas of industry. I will learn many more skills from the QUEST classes I
will take, and I have developed a very solid plan Z with the new skills I will learn in the program.
Without being encouraged to take risks from The Innovators DNA, the confidence to take those risks
from Creative Confidence, and the realization of the need to do so from the Start-Up of You, I would

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never have had the opportunity to continue to develop my soft assets as opposed to my hard ones, and
lead a more meaningful life.
These books wont just serve me well now; they will continue to do so in the future too. As I go through
my classes and especially during my time in the QUEST Program, I will continue to build upon the
knowledge and skills learned in this class. The design thinking session, Iliad assessment, and the team
learning adventure were definitely the most useful things I gained from this course. I surprised myself
with my Iliad results, and this gave me even more confidence that I was going in the right path by
pursuing other interests to keep my options open. The design thinking challenge will help me a lot in
QUEST, and I plan to go back to the academy for entrepreneurship and innovation to use their facilities
for QUEST projects. While I agreed with Alan Gregermans book and his message, it didnt really hit
home for me until we did the activity in DC. Using strangers is a powerful tool, and, with a little bit of
creative confidence, they can be used to expand your network. I have especially loved going to the
outside events, I didnt even realize the number of amazing and inspirational people that come to
speak at the University of Maryland.
Perhaps predictably, I can say with certainty that I will definitely continue to be on the lookout for
more PCR event-like opportunities in the future. I have met some fascinating people over the past
semester through class group work, and I have learned about many inspiring companies and
entrepreneurs that I had no idea existed prior to this course.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to have taken this class and to have done this assignment. Though
writing this paper it was a long process, it has helped me to sit down and reflect on the impact that all
of these events have really had on me. I have only just begun to realize the impact that this course will
have on my thinking now and in the rest of my life. I know that my competitive advantage will
continue to grow when Ive finished this course, and I will stay committed to learning more throughout
the rest of my educational pilgrimage.

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