You know how some people need their morning coffee and a chapter or two to believe everything is right with the world? I feel that way about creativity. I’m pretty sure I got a 2.8 GPA in high school because I wrote too much instead of doing any homework at all.

When I was a sophomore in college, I took a fiction writing workshop. One student was anxious to share his story, and it turned out to be one of my favorites. It sparked my desire to encourage young people to feel empowered by their voice. I was also impressed by an instructor-created writing journal with wacky illustrations and quirky prompts that made writing fun for under-prepared students.

Digital storytelling is my favorite creative thing because it’s fun.

I believe the most meaningful stories form our identity. However, meaningful stories don’t have to be epics; they can be fleeting moments. When filming, I try to exist in the moment, maybe by finding the right angle to film loose cassette tape flying across the sidewalk or filming the wave of cream pouring into coffee in slow motion. By slowing down, I notice simple things that can — with some creative twists — mean a whole lot. Shot angles, metaphor, paradox, narrative tension, sound effects — so many pieces create the story (or what it appears to be).

What is true for me may not be true for another person, or even for me at another point in time. In a sense, we collaboratively decide what is. That is pretty neat.

Onward!