A Reflection on #639create

I just got home from the last class of Creativity and Innovation for the semester, and not to my surprise, I am feeling inspired. The passion, the enthusiasm, the support experienced in this class is unlike any educational experience I have ever been part of. I'm still teary eyed from the last 20 minutes of class. Truth be told, I cried the whole way home in my car.

As a class, we are a motley crew. We vary in age, life experience, spiritual belief, political viewpoint, lifestyle, and career background. We recognize, even celebrate these differences. We accept each other's truths and can see our own as "small t" truths as well. Our identities are neither right or wrong- none are concrete, or defined by one aspect of what makes me me or you you. We are uniquely ourselves, shared through our personal narratives; expressed through our own words; and lived through our passions, but somehow among this sea of diverse life, we have built a beautiful community here.

We learn together and grow together. We applaud one another. We rally each other's spirits. We offer constructive feedback and encouragement. We are ALL teachers and students in this classroom.

I've not an artistic bone in my body and generally avoid making a fool of myself by drawing stick figures. However, for some reason when surrounded by the safety net of these people, my inner artist is unleashed. I create art.

Group exercise classes make me incredibly self-conscious. What if I do it wrong? What if I sweat through my shorts? What if my face gets beet red? None of these thoughts cross my mind when I am in the company of this group. I am centered.

Wait, that's a lie- I was concerned about sweating, but I think that was a universal issue for the class :)

#639create exemplifies what makes the MA OComm. program truly special. It's about us. It's about an experience that enlightens new possibilities. It offers us each a voice and platform to share our stories. It challenges what we thought we knew. It pushes us to think differently. It makes us curious. It opens doors we didn't even know existed.

Life is a journey. We are constantly reminded by life's twists of fate that we still have growth to do- lessons to learn and words to share. This portion of my life's journey is amazing. I want to freeze time. I want to keep learning from these people, who have been kind and brave enough to share themselves with me. They are awesome teachers- and I have enjoyed being the student.

Next year at this time, I will be done with this program. Hopefully, the tweeting and the blogs live on and keep us connected, but the in-person experience shared twice a week with this motley crew of communicators will come to an end. It's hard to wrap my head around it, and I almost don't want to think about it out of fear of crying (for the third time in an hour)

Before taking #639create, I thought a lot about the year ahead in terms of where I will be professionally. Will I be promoted? Will my salary increase? Will I feel more rewarded by my work? I have thought about my personal life. I have wondered if I will be engaged- even possibly married. I have pondered what house I will be living in. What neighborhood might be home... how long my commute will be to work everyday. I have a lot of variables at play in all the areas of my life. But, sometime between May 16, 2011 and tonight, I have found myself counting down the classes left before I graduate...not in anticipation, but in curiosity of what that will mean for me. What's on the other side of this experience? Suddenly, I'm not so concerned with the other variables. I am more concerned with the me I will be without this community. Who will I be when I have to end this part of my journey?

In the midst of my car ride home tonight, while wiping tears and managing the windshield wipers, my Ipod shuffled to a song that seemed to uncannily embody so much of the things we talked about in #639create....our personal doubt and confronting fear. It was the perfect end to the night- an anthem that tells a narrative of not letting limitations keep you from soaring. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.