Hello! I am Ramya Kumar.
Welcome to my creative writing portfolio! I have been working on this portfolio for two years – in Mr. Weinstein’s English 11R and Creative Writing classes. Last year’s English class has been so different from previous years - a good different. I have definitely improved on my reading, writing, and art skills. I was able to incorporate something I loved with the process of writing. This has definitely made the experience more enjoyable. I decided to make a website so I could have a digital copy that would last forever (while all the hard copy pieces are scattered all over my house). This portfolio focuses on my creative thinking and process for the last two years of high school; it is highlighted through my artwork, poetry, writing, and research.
This is Me!
Nature vs Nurture: What has influenced my creativity?
I have finally accepted that I am not an ordinary person; I love being on “Harvey’s riskier” level of life. My rebellious personality has lead me into my creative endeavors; I love twisting and bending rules without realizing the consequences of my actions (Well, I am a “GNS Rebel”). This mindset has allowed me to seek a different approach to every scenario – A creative approach (like sticking shells up my nose to steal them). Looking back at it, I was a very disobedient child; I would not listen to anyone and would always figure things out on my own. However, according to many researchers, this behavior strongly correlates with creativity. Studies have found that creativity correlates with dishonest behaviors, procrastination, and some mental illnesses (Gino & Ariely, 2012; Fernie & Spada, 2008; Kyaga, et al., 2012). Many artists have also supported this fact: Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Even though I am not as disobedient now, I still try to take risks in everything I do.
Another factor that has influenced my creativity was imagination. Growing up, I loved making interesting conflicts to role-play with my friends. One time, I made my friends believe I was a magical sorcerer that could control other people’s magical abilities. This could explain why I am addicted to Harry Potter – which is also known to improve creativity (Subbotsky, Hysted, & Jones, 2010). I remember holding a c-curved hand shape up to my face pretending to drink water from it. I told my friends that they could not see the water because they did not have magical powers. When I gave them my “magical powers” I asked everyone if could see it now… they all said yes. I once got mad at a friend; I took away her magical powers, so she could no longer see my invisible water (I was pratically a bully).
Thug Life
since '02
Finally, my creativity is also influenced by various experiences. My parents LOVE traveling. I have not only lived in three different places (New Zealand, Tennessee, and New York) but also visited my relatives who live all over the globe. This has allowed me to meet many new and interesting people that have inspired some of my creative ideas. Last year, I did a Creative Problem Solving event at HOSA (health occupation student of America) with Tooba, Vivian, and Alison. The problem given to us at state was the following: how can we encourage young people to be involved in more health careers?
Our first initial thought was to get doctors to speak to elementary students about the joys of their field. However, I came up with something better. When I was in 5th grade in Tennessee, our grade got involved in JA BizTown. This learning curriculum allowed students to experience the “work life.” Students had to create a resume, apply for a job, and run their position for two days. I was CEO of the reality office. Back to tackling the problem at HOSA, I thought it would be interesting to have students run a doctor’s office – similar to Biztown. My team thought the idea was interesting too. We presented it to the judges and got 3rd place in that event.
For me, these three factors have heavily influenced my creativity highlighted in this portfolio. Thank you for taking the time to look at it, and I hope you enjoy!
Referenced Papers:
Fernie, B. A. & Spada, M. M. (2008). Metacognitions about procrastination: A preliminary investigation. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 36, 359-364.
Gino, F. & Ariely, D. (2012).The dark side of creativity: Original thinkers can be more dishonest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,102(3), 445-459.
Kyaga, S., Landén, M., Boman, M., Hultman, M., Långström, N., & Lichtenstein, P. (2012). Mental illness, suicide and creativity: 40-Year prospective total population study. Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Subbotsky, E., Hysted, C., & Jones, N. (2010). Watching Films with magical content facilitates creativity in children. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 111, 261-277.