I guess a good place to start would have to relate to our readings of Danny Gregory's "The Creative License." He keeps pressing the idea of individuality (of course with a huge emphasis on just being creative and expressing yourself). Individuality is expressing yourself in a unique and original way. That's what it takes to be successful, or so I hear. But truly expressing yourself in a personal way is sometimes challenging. Where did you get your ideas? Are they completely original, or are they based off someone or something else? My point is that being individual is difficult.
For a lot of people, myself included, we have to be comfortable before we can express our "true colors." Comfortable as in belonging somewhere; feeling as though we are a part of something. Whether it be a club, team, frat, or just a group of close friends, we all fit into some type of puzzle. We act, dress, and think just like those around us. We may claim to have an original idea, but it most likely is due to someone else.
I can relate to this rambling: in high school, I never felt as though I really found myself until I joined the school's cheer squad. Before, I was one of those "invisible kids" that no one really knew; just another fish in the sea. But after I joined the squad and became more... known... I seemed to grow out of my shell and was comfortable with just being myself. Was that really myself though? Was I being my creative individual by letting my true self finally show? I lean a little toward the opposite. I became a part of the group and began to act like them, dress like them, talk like them, only hang out with them, etc. They helped me to be more expressive, but was I expressing myself, or just a replica of the others? We may never know.... the mystery of individuality.
