Hello friends. It’s Janine from JSK Stories. And I’m excited to share with you today’s Creativity Lesson: Find Your Heroes.
I’ve been thinking a lot the last few days about heroes. We talk about them a lot. The hero’s journey. Superheroes. You’re my hero.
What is it about the idea of a hero that leaves us so fascinated?
I’m not completely sure of the answer. But I do know this. We all look for people in our everyday life who inspire us. They inspire us to be better. To try something. To make something. To walk away from something. Whether through their own work, lives, words – whether they wear a cape or not – heroes inspire us to be…more.
This is also true of our creative heroes. For me, a creative hero is someone who has created something that made your arm hairs stand up. That made you view life in a new way. Who forced you to ask questions. Or, maybe, they’re someone who just really made you laugh on a day when you really needed it. Whatever the effect, they made our lives better. And usually inspired us to want to create something similar in the process.
Who are your creative heroes? For me, I remember sitting in the audience of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Argonautika by Mary Zimmerman in Washington D.C.. It was electric. I was fully transported by this crazy world of larger-than-life characters who cried out to the gods, did roll calls, used magic and potions, and sacrificed everything to obtain the golden fleece. I remember leaving the theatre saying yes! This! This is the type of theatre I love. This is the type of theatre I want to do. And on that night, Mary Zimmerman became one of my creative heroes.
Creative heroes can come in many forms. They can be super popular with everyone or barely known by a few. They can be in your own medium and craft or can exist in a completely different world. One of my childhood heroes was the novelist Elizabeth Speare – particularly her book The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I read that story over and over, completely entranced by the story of this girl transitioning from a fairly carefree life in Barbados to a Puritan village in colonial America. The story touched me deeply and to this day I still read it on a regular basis.
Which leads us to today’s Creativity Challenge.
Think back through your life. What are the movies, plays, books, paintings, sculptures, songs, poems, or more that have stood out in your life? The ones that made you sit up and pay attention. The ones that pierced your heart. Make a list. And, if you don’t already know, look up who created them.
We’ll explore more about what to do with that list in an upcoming video. But for now… go find your heroes.
Want to share your heroes with us? You can submit your list here. Who knows, we just might feature them in an upcoming article or video!