Beyond Wrestling & Academics: recurring thoughts on creativity and identity through alliances
There’s a lot I’ve geared up to discuss on how the concepts of creativity, identity & alliances impact teams in college, but this post will only cover a few reccurring thoughts without all the depth. Wrestling on a women’s team in college presents athletes with unique challenges specific to the sport. In fact, just living through the traditional college years has a huge impact on how we see ourselves as people in the world. The timing and challenges present tests of character and strength of individuality.
I’m at a point in life where everything I interact with seems to come full circle as exactly what I need to be exposed to, whether I understood it at the time or not. Things I intentionally or randomly read/listen to become extremely powerful tools in my growth and understanding in classes, personal, professional and coaching areas combined. I have found in general that what I gain from one area of focus can be applied to a focus in the other areas as well. In this instance, how a lesson on the cultivation of creativity can be specifically applied to the alliances we maintain on college teams.
Creativity is an ability to think and/or apply experiences in a manner that generates novel ideas (that can stand alone or be in addition to another idea) with the potential to add value to an individual’s personal or professional life. One of my favorite podcast productions, Freakonomics, hosted a series about creativity — what it is, how it’s cultivated and how we lose it. In one of the segments, a response to a question about raising a child in the home of a creative, the parent said he tells his child, “don’t take interest in my prejudices, go and develop your own”(Dubner, 2018). Wow. Even without too much context this was really important to hear. Oftentimes growing up we acquire ideals for what is what about the world from our parents and familial surroundings — i.e., professionalism, attractiveness, creativity, politics, etc. Family, friendships and influencers are huge drivers of learning, happiness and success in our lives, but we have to make sure to habitually test the assumptions of the group to ensure the integrity of our beliefs.
There are tremendous pressures competing with the attention of our individual and group compasses of right and wrong while attempting to skew our perception of reality. Often before we recognize the forces it’s too late: we take interest in the prejudices of others and completely forget that we have the power to develop our own. The results of this attachment can be minimal or significant.
As growing young adults, this interest in the prejudices of others can become true of the acquaintances and friends we keep by our sides. We form alliances, friends, teams, relationships, etc., that are important to our lives. Our alliances have the ability to shape our identities. The very identities formed through alliances may become so strong they unconsciously tip the balance from a positive relationship toward a negative relationship. I.e., cliques that can ruin the culture or the experience of a team. What we allow ourselves to interact with becomes truth reflected in our lives and actions. Our presence physically and mentally shifts from one way of being to another based on frequent interactions and the formation of habits.
At the extreme negative end of the spectrum, an attachment to the ideals of others may resurface immediately or over the course of several years as a detachment from the self we know — the self that was built and confidently centered in our own values and beliefs. It can lead to anxiety, depression, feeling lost or even shame expressed as indignant pride. Only when we stand true to the values and beliefs that make us the unique individuals we are can we handle the pain and joy, that is life, without destructive tendencies and breakdowns.
Ask yourself some tough questions. Why do you believe what you believe? Are you involved with the right people? Are your habits reflective of your goals?
As teammates, sisters, friends, daughters, members of society, etc., we must remain cognizant of the prejudices and alliances we cultivate based on the thoughts and opinions of others. Believe in and support others, but be original. Disagree with your friends and family — let that be okay and learn from uncomfortable situations. And if you feel that you’re not on the right path or around the right people, have the strength to stand up for yourself and your understanding of what is right and wrong. Be somebody that’s about something, and at all costs be the one to walk away from the degradation and manipulation of others. Be strong women that build with each other.
As I wrap up these thoughts prompted by an inquiry into creativity I find myself returning here: I wish for you all the ability to use one platform to engage your thinking into other areas — that the people and places you interact with have purpose and meaning. I wish for you all the ability to form strong positive alliances that are flexible enough to shape the bright futures available to you. I hope that you enjoy today and be thankful for all the people in it, because you will never have this day or opportunity to interact with others in the same way ever again.
