This article is an instalment of the MUSE online team’s 2022 back to school theme week.

Sometimes being a university student can feel like that one scene in High School Musical where they sing “Stick to the Status Quo” and the entire cafeteria freaks out at Zeke for announcing his love of baking—the poor guy just wanted to bake the perfect crème brûlée. Don’t get me wrong, the song is an absolute banger, however, I believe the attitudes in this segment represent a dramatized version of many insecurities reflected in university culture. What we study takes up a big portion of our student lives, there’s no doubt about that. But how much do we allow our educational route to overflow into other parts of our existence, from our hobbies and interests, to our social life? 

I recently sat down and discussed the idea of creative freedom with my friend Jasmine, who shares a similar experience of craving creativity while pursuing a science degree. As someone who I greatly admire for their artistic drive, I was curious about her own experience finding her identity outside of academics. When asked about the role that creativity plays for her, she says that no one is born more creative than another— “[it] is something that everybody has, but not something that everyone accesses”. I found this interesting—and accurate. I still think that some people are more naturally gifted with creative talent, but that doesn't mean we can’t all get there eventually, right? 

When you think about it, the idea that we are granted a predetermined ability in something as abstract as self-expression makes little sense. Finding your creativity is an ongoing individual process that involves stepping into the uncomfortable realm of the unknown. As Jasmine puts it, “we are as creative as we enable ourselves to be”. Contrary to much of what we see in academics, developing one's creativity is not formed from a linear framework, nor is it one that can have a predicted outcome from the start. This prioritization of the linear nature of student life also extends to the idea of tangible achievements in university, as mentioned by Jasmine. More specifically, it’s about the persisting belief system in which a major part of our worth is determined by our output as individuals. Whether it's grades, awards, or extracurriculars the idea that there is a definitive good & bad or black & white has reinforced feelings of constriction in our area of study. 

The notion that concrete success in academics is more important than the enjoyment of abstract things is what I believe to be the root of the problem. We need to flip this ideology on its head because the more that people believe tangible achievement is paramount, the less they will be inclined to explore interests outside of this constricting domain. The idea should be that there’s no good or bad with expression, it’s just how it is at the end of the day, Jasmine says, and that we need to focus more on what meaning we create for ourselves through practicing creativity rather than the value of a finished product. By pushing back on these forced values, we give ourselves room to learn about our creativity and step further outside the boundaries of our education.

From personal experience, I know it’s almost instinctual to try and abide by the identity that has been assigned to us from our environment. It can sometimes be a feeling of being enabled by your surroundings—being guided down the path that you chose to pursue and now must continue to walk. I’m sure many are fulfilled by what they choose to study, myself included, but does that mean we shouldn't branch out and take the occasional road less travelled? I am now learning that there exists a varying spectrum of how far people step outside the boundaries of their education to meet their passion. Some find it in their classes, and some find it completely elsewhere. Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize that our chosen path is, in fact, a gradient and not a grid system and that we alone determine what it consists of. In the end, what we choose to pursue does not prescribe specific personality traits to ourselves but is instead one tile in a mosaic of interests. So with that in mind, I say don’t be afraid to chase after the perfect crème brûlée.

Header by: Aglaia Joithe