Illuminate
Article and Playlist by: The Chartium
I created Illuminate in order to share my experiences with creative expression. Growing up, my childhood was filled with funny and absurd inventions, glitter gel pens, fantasy novels, offbeat Garageband compositions, and skits I had directed with my elementary school friends. As a child I rarely doubted my ideas, spontaneously pursuing my dreams rather than contemplating about its consequences. However, as I grew up, the stress and anxiety of adolescence took a toll on my mindset, rendering me to ponder on an idea’s ‘what ifs’ rather than its potential. As an avid writer, the fun and excitement of crafting a novel soon escalated into a series of negative thoughts, my mind constantly calculating a success rate for every story I had created. ‘Would people be interested in reading this?’ ‘Would someone make fun of me for posting this?’ ‘Why can’t I write as well as them?‘
I suppose there isn’t an exact solution to overcoming this fear, but something that helped me in particular was the quote ‘We cannot shame ourselves into change—we can only love ourselves into evolution.’ This quote really resonated with me because I had previously rendered myself into a loop of self doubt, thinking that I had to change myself in order to gain the best results. However, by understanding that all my mistakes, my dreams, and my fears were all a part of what made myself me, I was able to rediscover my true imagination and express myself not only creatively, but authentically.
My playlist Illuminate is all about the highs and lows of discovering your creative self. The beginning of the playlist depicts the energy and excitement you feel when a creative idea sparks, and as you gradually delve into the playlist, you’ll notice some positive, energetic songs blended with some sad and reflective songs. This is to represent the mixed emotions and thoughts you feel in the midst of pursuing your idea. Lastly, the final song in the playlist is ‘Yes I’m Changing’ by Tame Impala, because I believe it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of finding yourself and that it’s completely alright to express yourself creatively.
