As I reflect on MIDE 300 and this semester the first word that pops into my head is growth. Although this is not a word that we really focused on, I think it symbolizes the general theme that I would use to describe my experience. I have always been able to see a design or a painting and recreate it pretty well with free hand, and my artistic abilities are pretty good. I used to think that artistic ability/skill was the same as creativity, but throughout this class I have learned that they are not.
I have learned that creativity is something you can be born with, but also something that takes a lot of time and work to develop if you are not as naturally inclined. Before this class I would tell myself that I wasn’t creative, and I would just copy other inspiring artists, or ideas, but after this class I have really begun to follow my own path. Failing forward has always been something that has come pretty naturally for me. I think that my failing forward stems from my desire to be successful and self drive. Especially being an athlete, it was very important to always fail forward and continue improving so I think that has stuck with me ever since and I am not afraid of a challenge (ambiguity).
On the other hand, my creative confidence as I stated before is a weakness, as well as my child’s eye. Throughout this course, I realized that all of these habits are able to be improved through practice and learning. I learned that I am able to be creative and see things differently than the “mainstream” idea and continue to create. This will allow me to have a lot of different paths in life. I think that I worked on my child’s eye and creative confidence the most throughout this class, and I definitely see a difference. I do not worry or get nervous before posting my work, and I do not rely on other classmates’ ideas for inspiration. The inspiration posts that we did in the middle of the course were really beneficial because they helped me pinpoint my inspiration and what was most effective.
I will continue to use all of these skills throughout the rest of my time at Bucknell and in my life. I already incorporated some of these ideas into my LinkedIn bio “I am majoring in Markets, Innovation, and Design. This will help me further my ability to use both left and right brain skills to understand strategy, develop creativity, and feel comfortable with ambiguity”. I want to pursue a career in sales and trading or wealth management, and although this might not sound like a normal MIDE job, I know that MIDE will help make me an asset to any team through my different perspectives and skills.