REKINDLE

ADAM MEYER, a recent graduate from Laguna Niguel, Calif., shares how he spent his extra time during the stay-at-home order rekindling his creativity, which led him to a new plan after graduation.

At one time, online classes were a great outlet. It was convenient to have a class fit within my busy schedule when time didn’t allow for a standard class. But unfortunately, they became the new norm this spring, creating a different outlook on learning.

The classes during the last semester of my senior year carried over to online effortlessly, the teachers accepted the new norm and understood the circumstances challenging their students. Personally, there wasn’t much to hinder my learning, but I empathize with students who may not have taken the change lightly. Having a good relationship with my professors became vitally important to my success, they helped me stay on top of my work and would reach out and ask me how things were going. The relationships I had with my teachers were important academically, but the other students who stayed at QU with me helped keep my sanity. Unfortunately, the amount of contact I had with people face-to-face was limited to lunch and dinner, and sometimes afterward, we would hang out in each other's rooms.

Staying in my SLC suite sparked something I wasn’t able to do actively in years - creatively think. As time slowed down, my creative thought that had slowly disappeared, began to reappear. Something so vital that helped me be different had gotten lost in the weeds of constant activities.

I HAD STOPPED TAKING TIME TO THINK ABOUT CHARACTERS, SKITS, OR IDEAS, SOMETHING I PRIDED MYSELF ON BEFORE ARRIVING AT QU. SO DURING THIS TIME, I PICKED UP MY OLD HOBBY OF WRITING DOWN EVERY CREATIVE IDEA I HAVE INTO A JOURNAL.

This rekindled exercise helped me understand where I needed to head after graduating. Because of the uncertainty of what my life would look like after school due to the pandemic, the idea of graduating filled me with anxiety rather than feeling accomplished. My original plan was to find an acting agency, earn a master's degree, and play more volleyball in California. But with the pandemic, everything closed, and no responses came to me for volleyball, so getting a masters was off the list. My ideas kept building up, but I didn’t know exactly what to do with them. It wasn't until I overcame my fear that I realized I could use social media as a medium to produce my creations and see where it could go. But for now, I wait until Hollywood opens up so I can begin putting my foot in the door.

In short, during quarantine, I dove into my creative thoughts- an activity I hadn't done in ages, and as a result, saw my future. The arrival of the pandemic destroyed my plans, but I know God lets things happen for a reason. Although many cannot see light at the end of this tunnel, we must continue to fight and pray for healing and tranquility.