Bridge in the Middle | Page 13

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mind to perform this sought-after practice, we heighten our own ability to advance our understanding, awareness and healing. Truthfully, I once believed

being creative meant producing something artistic. I never really understood how creativity could change the way we live our life until I started working with youth.

On April 20, 1999, two students entered a high school in Colorado and committed one of the worst school shootings in American history. The tragic event forever altered the way we think about school culture and moved me to develop a project that would hopefully shed light on how youth feel. After interviewing over 150 students, I discovered that most youth felt “no one really listened.” I wanted to find a way to give them a voice. My business partner and I gave five diverse youth cameras to shoot over eighty-hours of raw teen truth. I edited the footage with another student condensing it into one film (simply titled TEEN TRUTH).

In less than a year, this creative project evolved into a series of films and live presentations focused on giving youth a voice, challenging them to think differently and empowering them to be the difference. Over the last several years, I have learned that this process allowed the youths and our speakers to heal from past negative events that we’ve all experienced, and it inspired others to rethink how they have impacted others.

I have been fortunate to pursue a career that affords me opportunities to use the creative process. It wasn’t until recently that I witnessed how the process could change a person’s life. While I produced the TEEN TRUTH series I noticed how interested the students were in the filmmaking process. I decided to partner with a colleague to create a workshop to share my knowledge and passion about filmmaking. We assembled eighteen diverse students ages 13 to 18 from nine school districts and worked with them intensively for two weeks during their summer vacation. The transformation we witnessed in the youths was incredible.

In just two days, students previously not comfortable speaking to the person beside them, found the courage to present their ideas to the entire class. Older students collaborated with younger students without prejudice or hesitation. They all openly shared personal story ideas about the challenges they each faced. We called the series GOFILM! and we’ve completed three workshops with over forty students over the past three years. All of the students have stated how the program has changed how they approach their work and relationships with others.

The students were given the forum and the tools to create and the process helped them connect, collaborate, support and heal each other. Therapists use the same creative process to help individuals suffering from traumatic experiences. American psychiatrist and author, Dr. Sandra Bloom, has stated that, “the kinds of mental activities that are associated with creativity are essential for creative problem solving, for negotiating complex social situations, and for understanding and fully appreciating relationships.” During an interview for my film Truth About Nothing, I learned Dr. Bloom uses the creative process to help give her patients clarity to their challenges and the power to break unhealthy behavior. Over the past several years working with youth, I too, inadvertently observed how our film students grew from the power of creative process.

We need to be

by Erahm Christopher

New studies prove that creativity does not reside in a place, but rather, is a process that utilizes many parts of our brain.

CREATIVE

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