Creativity and Me: Thoughts on the 2020 99U Conference

Creativity and Me

For the past several years, I have considered and discarded the idea of taking part in the 99U Conference. Something always held me back. When the opportunity came around this year, I managed to push through the concerns to register. Success!

This year’s conference theme was around the creative self. The topic spoke to me; creativity has always been a core value of mine, contributing to how I connect and understand both people and the world around me. It provided, and continues to provide, both inspiration and insight for my exploration.

People making the world a better place.

It’s not a detriment to be an introvert at a digital conference.

At first, the idea of a digital conference rankled. I have a love-hate relationship with technology and feel like I spend too much time staring at a screen. A full-day conference at a computer sounded exhausting.

Thankfully, I managed to set these concerns aside and watched the full live stream.

Reasons and misgivings around attending the conference.

It did not matter that I was not sure of my approach; I could pay attention and chime into the chat when I felt comfortable. My philosophy is to only speak (type) if I’m adding value and I felt more present because of the decreased pressure to open my mouth (press keys). As much as I prefer to see people, there would have been more of a push to speak without something of substance to contribute.

Many common themes and patterns were presented in the lectures and workshops.

Topics that appeared in lectures and workshops.

Unanswered questions leave room for exploration.

The questions require personal consideration and deserve to be revisited periodically.

1. Where do I start?
2. What am I capable of?
3. What do I value? Why?
4. What is the ‘right approach’ to the creative process?
5. How do I define ‘good enough’?
6. How do I prioritize my interests?
7. What’s my creative representation?

In terms of creative representation, one artist made beautiful prints to sell at the conference. The creative personas are depicted as animals. Perhaps it’s a rebellion against labels, but none of them fully spoke to my nature. I would have to combine several of them to create my representation.

The conference offered many exercises to help you find your creative self.

Here are a few exercises that struck me.

1. The 100 Days Project- Choose a subject, like painting self-portraits, and make one every day for the next 100 days. This provides a visual representation of your creative process.
2. Day in the Life Painting- How do you spend your time? Make a list outlining where your day goes. Then coat over this with a layer of paint. Next, consider things that you would like to be doing and make a new list. Choose an idea from this category and then paint over the list. In the next layer, create your ideal day around this item. Add any extra elements that inspire you for the painting.
3. Make a Volvelle- The paper engineering workshop was very inspiring for me. There are so many cool ways to play with tangible materials! Find a template and instructions to create your own.

Example of a volvelle (Wikimedia)

I am grateful for the accessibility of the 99U Conference this year.

By attending, I’ve gained some clarity about my creative self. There is still a lot to sort through, but I am still holding on to the insights and inspiration from participating. I hope to contribute to the creative space in a way that makes a positive difference in the world.

Where does creativity fit into your life?