Building Creative Careers

• Lakshmi
• 15 September 2017

As children so many factors/players determine the direction our life takes and even our daily activities.   As we age, we start to think independently and voice our opinions and thoughts, sometimes upsetting those around us with our different perspectives.  We strive to stay in control of our lives, so that we are the creators of our own destiny.  However, life, as many know, doesn’t cater to your plans and throws curve balls often.  If you are lucky, life will throw you the best kind of surprise by bringing a person into your life, that you were not expecting who was definitely not a part of your plans. Moreover, if you are brave enough you will allow this person to enter your life and heart to change you in ways you never knew possible and discover yourself in the process.

As you start spending time with this individual and getting to know about their life, their character, their personality, their habits etc, you find yourself slowly starting to lose your heart to the individual.  So, when that time comes and he makes his move and asks you out on your first date, you are filled with butterflies in your stomach due to excitement, nervousness and fear.   You pray this next step is right and it goes well because he has managed to capture your heart without your knowledge and if things don’t go well, you know your whole world will become dark.  

So, this next first step is crucial and everything must be perfect.  So, you raid your closet trying to find the perfect outfit to wear only to discover  “I have nothing to wear”!  Quickly, you call your friends and drag them to the mall to find the outfit that is in your head.  You drag your friends from store to store and since your friends love you, they bear the torture and wait while you go in and out of change rooms trying on outfit after outfit.  So, when you finally step out with a radiant smile on your face because you found your perfect dress, your friends are thrilled for you and also grateful that it’s finally all over.

Now that the perfect dress, shoes and accessories are all ready, the only remaining thing to do is, wait for the day of your first date.  Even though you already know each other, you are still a bundle of nerves as you wait anxiously for the day to arrive, spending the time lost in thoughts of him.  You wonder how this person, who is like nobody you have ever met, happen to walk into your life and take it over completely.  With so many memories of him embedded in your mind and heart you spend the days up to the first date floating on air in excitement and anticipation.  

When the day finally comes, you pour hours into getting ready making sure you look perfect, even though he has seen you hundreds of times before. But somehow you know this time, when he sees you it will be different.  And as you step out to meet him, you know all the effort was worth it because when you meet his eyes and read his expression, the magic that fills the air calms all your nerves and you know everything will be ok.

With so many factors playing a role in creating this magic moment shared the by two individuals, I’m sure the fashion designer never thought about how much their design would merge seamlessly into the crucial moments of a person’s life.   And since the fashion designer’s outfit played a vital role in making that magical moment happen they will have a created a fan of their fashion designs, where she will turn to their designs/boutique to find the next perfect outfit for another perfect moment in her life.  I’m sure aspiring fashion design students never imagined that something as simple as deciding to follow their dreams and pursuing their passion of learning to become a fashion designer could impact the lives of individuals in such a tremendous and personal way.  

• Anu
• 12 September 2017

Yesterday night, I was sitting with my husband having dinner and watching the animated movie Frozen.  I know most people think animated movies are for children, but my husband and I both love animated films.  You would be surprised how many lessons you can draw from animated films and apply to real life.  Many of the characters in animated films struggle to break through societal conditionings, parental expectations and struggle to boldly lead their life according to their hearts desire.  The courage displayed by the characters teaches children from a young age to seek out what makes them happy and pursue their passions, despite objections they might face from family, friends and society.  A lesson that needs to be adopted more frequently, by the young, in a world filled with a majority of the population opposed to change,  

I’ve often wondered why so many passionate individuals are met with opposition when trying to follow their heart both in their life and career.  Although, a small percentage of parents respect the needs of their children and support their decisions to pursue their dreams, many children still struggle and often end up compromising their own happiness, thus  making themselves unhappy and living a life filled with regret and ending in bitterness.  A bitterness, which they throw on their children, their friends, family and others they encounter.  Alarming as it may be, it is a reality many young people face, which alters their future, to tread down this sad path. However, amongst this majority, there are optimists who see the silver lining in their situation and somehow manage to live happily and ensure their children have the options that were not available to them.  Additionally, there is also a group, who later in life are given the chance to pursue their passions and change the course of their life.  But, both groups of individuals are small in number, which make it difficult for change to happen in our society and at a slower rate.  

If there is one thing in life that is a constant, it is change.  If we can all learn from a young age to accept this reality that is ever changing, then the regular and traditional conditionings that we have all been brought up with to follow and believe in till date, has the chance to change on a much bigger scale.  And a great way to impart this lesson onto the young and even the older generation is through funny and heartwarming animated films, with stories that move us towards change.  A beautiful example of a change that we can all embrace is the courage to love.  As much as we all long for love, deep down we fear it.  The vulnerability that love brings forth prevents us from opening our hearts completely and exposing ourselves to our beloved.  There have been very few people I have come across that are brave enough to be completely vulnerable and expressing themselves without fear.  A fear of not being accepted, understood and rejected.  The surprising thing that each person ,who has been fearless, has found is that when they were brave enough to boldly express themselves, they found it was received well , not ridiculed and nor was it a humiliating experience, which gave them the strength to continue being open. As a result they also became more accepting of those around them.  Just as Elsa in Frozen, the animated film, discovers that the key to her power is not being closed and afraid, but to embrace her special ability with love and acceptance, which in turn makes her bleak world transform into a blissful paradise, where she is re-united with her sister Anna.  So, the next time you sit down to watch a film, pick a fun, comedic and lighthearted animated feature and absorb the lessons in it, which you can apply to your life, changing it for the better.  

• Ruby
• 01 September 2017

It seems no matter where you are, you will run into somebody staring intently into their mobile phones with their fingers running around their screen, rapidly.  A decade ago the only way to play a video game was on your game system, like Nintendo, Playstation, xbox or your computer.  Today, however with mobile technology having become so advanced, anyone can play their favorite games on their mobile phone on the go.  It doesn’t matter if they are in the mall, restaurant, office or out with their wife or girlfriend, one thing that surely has the attention of the men in our lives is the game in the palm of their hand or on the big screen.  

With technology developing so quickly and simplifying the things in our lives, it has also created some new problems, such as the rapid advancements in video game development.  Although, I am sure it was not the intent of the thousands of game developers or the wish of aspiring game developers enrolled in game development programs, but the video games they created have taken the attention of the men in the lives of housewives and girlfriends.  The time the men are supposed to spend with their significant other is now being replaced to playing video games, even when they are taken out of the house.  How can women compete with technology, when the previously adopted solution of taking them out of the house and away from the game system was the answer?  Moreover, it is not just personal relationships taking a hit, but also the workplace.  The video games have also caused difficulties in offices across the globe, as people spend their working hours glued to the game in their hands.  

A video game is something that a person plays to relax after having a stressful day/week of working.  But with video games now available in the palm of our hands it has created stress, instead of bringing relief, especially to the non-video game addicts.  The solution to this mobile technology advancement is unknown at the moment, however a suggestion to the game developers and students learning to develop games can be to place warnings similar to the “Smoking is injurious to health” message that we see on TV or at the movies.  This warning should be placed at the start of each game, “Caution, Hazardous to Relationships Both Personal and Professional”.