Best of the Week: The Elusive Big Idea

               I believe the article “Elusive Big Idea” is very thought provoking. It brought up many observations and ideas about our society that I had never thought about. When I first started reading the article, I thought it was going to be one of the clique articles stating that our current generation is lazier than past generations due to T.V. watching or plain laziness or something along those lines. But the article went on to state a very original and analytical view of today’s society. Neal Gabler, the author of the article emphasizes that our slow-down of ideas is due to the age of Enlightenment coming to an end. In the “post Enlightenment” society that we live in now often puts more importance on learning and knowing the discoveries and ideas of the past rather than coming up with our own ground-breaking ideas. This is mainly because there is so much information out there nowadays that trying to learn it all is impossible, so people often don’t think creatively or divergently in order to come up with new brilliant ideas. 

                One observation that I totally agree with is that part of the reason for our passive thinking and lack of ideas is the rise in popularity of social networking and the Internet. With the Internet, people are able to access any information they could ever want to know, in a very quick and convenient way. Social networking is a very useful tool to connect with friends close and far, but it does not do a whole lot for the formation of ideas. Social networking helps to widen one’s social circle, and even to pass on ideas; but it does not allow one to discover much about themselves or the world around them. I personally have realized that Facebook is one of the biggest unproductive time-suckers ever invented. I now think of it as very dull compared to other things I could do with my free time like create something or read a good book. I have honestly gotten to the point where I would rather clean my room or organize something than go on Facebook. But I wasn’t always this way, I admit I used to be so easily distracted by Facebook and could easily spend way-too-much time browsing on the site. 

                 If divergent and creative thinking is not practiced, then the future will also experience a horrible lack of ideas. I believe that it is society’s responsibility to teach and emphasize divergent thinking in order to produce more useful discoveries in the future. Although I may not make any huge or significant discovery, after reading this article I am going to try my best to do more useful and idea-producing thinking. I usually try to think outside the box while learning in school, while creating art, and even while picking out an outfit to wear as well as in many other aspects of my life. I will also try to keep my mind open to different subjects to study and just to think about or research. I am always open to new interests, activities, and experiences. I prefer unconventional, new, and creative concepts to old and accepted ones. Hopefully, in the future we will see a world full of ideas and discoveries that change our world and way of living in more ways than just technologically and electronically.

It Matters: Born into Brothels

 >>Link to article about brothels & sex trade in India<<

Today in class, we watched a documentary called Born into Brothels. It really opened my eyes to the horrific sex trade problem in India. It is a horrible reality for millions of women as well as children worldwide. Millions of women and children under 16 are workers in the sex trade in India alone. The sex trade is especially prevalent in Calcutta, which is a very large “red-light” area in India. Red-light areas are urban areas where a lot of prostitution takes place. Most women living in this Calcutta, as well as in other red light areas, are prostitutes. 

            These prostitutes are doomed to a hard life. They are unaccepted in society. They are often very poor and live in bad and dirty conditions; sometimes with children.  They are often blackmailed, manipulated, and raped by their pimps and police officers due to their involvement in the illicit sex trade. I believe this is a horrible reality that needs to be known about and dealt with worldwide. The number of prostitutes will only continue to rise if nothing changes. Another problem that arises from a thriving sex trade is the spreading of HIV among populations. The percent of infected people has risen to 9% recently in Sonagachi, India- an all time high for the area. HIV has been spreading far, wide, and fast in India. This is because many men come to red light areas in India while working and bring diseases back to their homes in other towns or even countries. If nothing is done soon, an HIV epidemic is bound to occur in India. If it can happen there, can’t it happen anywhere or even everywhere?

            Fortunately, there is an organization that formed in the 1990s called DMSU that represents sex workers in India as well as in other countries where prostitution is prevalent. The DMSU works to prevent HIV among the sex trade and to establish “reliance, respect, and recognition,” in the sex trade. They make condoms available cheap for the sex workers, but not everyone chooses to or is able to always use them. The organization also educates the sex workers about HIV prevention and sometimes tests them for HIV. For their protection, they are often not told when they test positive. I understand that it is so that they are not harmed or killed, but what I don’t understand is why they bother to test the sex workers if they let them go untreated and allow them to most likely spread the disease more. I believe that this group (or possibly a new one) should strive to eliminate HIV and eventually the whole sex trade system all together. 

            All of this matters because no one should have to sell their body just to make a living. Especially children. What is even worse is the rising HIV statistics that are caused by the sex trade. It’s scary because other diseases are also spread. And all of this can be prevented if prostitution and general promiscuity is seized to exist worldwide. I do not want to see widespread HIV and STD epidemics in the world when it can all be prevented so easily. Except it’s not so easy to prevent when not everyone is on board, because there are millions and millions of people involved in the sex trade worldwide; most of it done out of the view, thought, and concern of public officials or law enforcement. Another reason why more should be done to prevent prostitution worldwide is the kids that are born and grow up around its realities. Whether they were involved or their parent is, no child should ever be exposed to the sex trade first hand. If there is an opportunity for me to help these people I would take it because the images in that documentary were heartbreaking and it needs to stop.

Carry it forward: Creativity

When I signed up for Humanities, I thought it was just going to be an English class that appreciated different types of art. What I discovered when school started was that Humanities is actually a class that studies and appreciates human creativity and its importance in all aspects of life. I think that’s a great class to have available in high school because creativity is underrated and overlooked too often in today’s society. This class teaches students to value their own creativity no matter how limited or developed it may already be. It is unfortunate that many people believe (like I used to) that creativity was only essential to artists. I have found recently that creativity is one of the most valuable traits that one can have, because it can help you in a countless number of situations, careers, and in life in general. Creativity helps people solve challenging problems as well as come up with new and original ideas which are two of the most-used skills in any school, field, or career. New inventions, interesting architecture, writing of all kinds, TV shows, nice looking gardens, and a thousand other things we see and use everyday are a product of brilliant creativity. Without creativity, the world would be a very boring place filled with robot-like humans who make no advancements or discoveries what so ever. I think that creativity should be emphasized more in the school setting and that students should be offered more opportunities to use and develop their creative skills. Creativity really should be treasured and used daily by all people. 

I have been creative all my life. I don’t know if it’s because my parents are both creative and always did different types of art projects with me when I was young, or if it was just one of my natural abilities since childhood. I use my creativity to make all kinds of functional art work as well as pieces of writing. I cannot draw very well, and I used to think that drawing and painting was the only “real” form of art, but I have realized that so many things we see around the house and in the world are actually art too. I love to create / decorate unique furniture, tie dye clothing, knit or crochet, make beaded or metal jewelry, make magazine collages, write, and make ceramic pieces. Like I said before, I didn’t used to think of myself of an artist because my art was not on a canvas and I’ve realized now that I was dead wrong. I’m glad that I came to the realization that my art was valid because I could have gone through life ignoring my natural talents. I used to think I would have to express my creativity outside of my field of study and work, but I have realized that creativity is used often in business as well as almost all other fields too.

Recently, I have been thinking about majoring in business and also minoring in art when I go to college. Nothing would make me happier, because I would be able to study both of my main interests in depth. I have never considered studying art before, but I think it will be a great match for me now that I realized that I am an artist. Let’s be honest; if I could for sure make a living by just making my weird art and selling it to people that would be the ideal career for me. I would spend my days just creating in this totally chill and colorful studio with all the supplies I would ever need to satisfy my creativity. What I have been thinking about instead, is to pursue my interest in business and find a steady career while continuously creating new and unique projects on the side in my free time. My ultimate dream would to be to open a little artsy shop where I could sell my own artwork as well as friend’s and family’s, and other small scale artist’s work, who may otherwise not have a way to sell their stuff. This way I could run a business that involves my passion for art and creativity while also helping out other creative people in need. I hope I am able to achieve this new found dream at some point in my life, but even if I don’t, I will never stop making my art and expressing my creativity in every way possible. And that will make me unbelievably happy.