Business Manager Merren Hines’ “This I Believe” graphic is shown above. Hines discussed her experiences with creative outlets in her life such as dance and fashion, and how those help her maintain her stress and sculpt her personality. “No matter what that outlet is, having a form of creativity is not only something that can be showcased but shapes someone’s overall identity as a person,” Hines said. Graphic by Merren Hines
Business Manager Merren Hines discusses how the creative outlets she has in her life shape her self-expression.
Hi, I’m Merren Hines, a junior and the Business Manager for the ODYSSEY Media Group. This is “This I Believe.” These are essays that discuss the origin, importance, and rationale behind people’s personal belief systems. Students will share their personal essays discussing how these beliefs affect their everyday lives, times they may have been challenged, and how they may impact the lives of those around them. This is “This I Believe.”
I define creativity as the ability to use my imagination in the production of artistic work. To me, creativity means using creative outlets to my advantage, when things don’t go the way I want them to. Dancing when I need to let out my emotions without words, and fashion to showcase my personality without talking. I think, to some extent, everyone should have a creative outlet in their life to fall into that exhibits their personality.
My biggest creative outlet since a young age has been dance. I’ve been dancing for 13 years with only a two-year break when I was 10 due to COVID-19. Dance is the way for me to express my feelings without explaining them with words, but more so with getting those emotions out, only through my body and my physical movement rather than through my words.
The biggest way dance portrays the impact of having a creative outlet for people is by combining physical and mental artistry through movement. Having danced all these years, and something I do every day, is an art form to me. It helps me foster my artistic abilities and emotions.
It isn’t just physical, but it’s spiritual to me as well. Being able to dance away a bad day or a bad week helps me forget about my stress. When I get on the dance floor, and that moment when it’s quiet right before the music starts, and my brain and body get fueled with adrenaline but also with peace I can’t find anywhere else.
With dance, creativity comes with how it is being choreographed and how I reciprocate the choreography. Because everyone moves differently and in a way that is personal to themselves. It can be creative with the way I move with the music, the way I move my arms and legs, the costume I’m in, and the expression on my face.
But creativity isn’t just what someone does, but how they do it. Like dance, fashion is a huge part of demonstrating the type of person I am through clothes, shoes and even jewelry.
My desire for fashion is something I developed later in my life, but something I step into daily. I’m not someone who wears sweatpants and a sweatshirt every day. I want to showcase my personality in my appearance. Being creative by putting two pieces of clothing together that don’t necessarily match, but look good together. By putting on bright shoes with a bland outfit, painting my nails a fun color to match my outfit, and styling my hair a certain way.
I am a person who gets told all the time that I have a sense of style, that I show that I know who I am through the clothes and accessories I wear. Thrifting is also a big part of my life and how I create my own style. Instead of buying things brand new, I find things other people might not have and illustrate them into my personality, within that specific clothing.
Creativity is something that I know will always be a part of who I am. Through dance and fashion, creativity has sparked for me and made me into the person I am today. Everybody needs a creative outlet to get their emotions out or even channel their frustrations. No matter what that outlet is, having a form of creativity is not only something that can be showcased but also shapes someone’s overall identity as a person.
