Creativity is the backbone of humanity. We use creativity in our inventions, our experiments, all things. Without creativity there is no innovation and with no innovation there is no growth. On an even smaller scale, we humans use creativity in our day-to-day lives, myself included. I use creativity in my artistic pursuits and school work. I like to create things whether they be small crafts or writing. Small crafts are my favorite thing to devote creativity too. When I first started making earrings I didn't have the supplies so I improvised. I did not have jewelry wire to put through the earring, so I got pipe cleaner wire and used that instead. I didn't have the clay I needed, so I made some D.I.Y play dough and used that instead. I also did not have any paint besides watercolors, so I used the watercolors to dye the D.I.Y clay before I shaped it. I had to solve some problems creatively to make a creative project. In order to write a good story, you need an out-of-the-box idea and in order to get that you need creativity. I use creativity in my stories when I give the characters their backgrounds and motivations. The plot of the story requires lots of thinking and creativity. Especially when you want your story to be unique and interesting. Creativity is crucial for artistic pursuits. I use creativity in my school work in many different ways. Sometimes I have to come up with ways to get the other students to work with me. Ideas in group projects usually fall to me. My ideas and execution of them always get us the highest grade. My creativity has earned me high marks at school and I've made friends through my abilities.

It inspires me to no end the determination of humanity to create, my favorite example of this is the Cueva de las Manos in Argentina (also known as the Cave of Hands). Ancient humans made this piece of rock art between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago within a complex cave system. These ancient people had to fight so hard to survive in unforgiving conditions but still, they took the time to create. Just like modern humans, these people wanted to leave their mark on the world and say "I was here, I existed and I want to be remembered." We may be separated by thousands of years and vast changes in humanity but we can still be connected through these pieces of art. The Cave of Hands is the best example of this because it is the most human out of all of them. They are simple outlines of hands but they are many and they are everywhere in the cave system. I am truly inspired by the connection that we can make to these long-dead people through this art. We don't know their names or faces or anything about them, but we can remember them through the outlines of their hands. We can connect with them and know them through this small act of observing their creation. I am astounded that we can connect to a people so far buried in time, it inspires me to find connection and remember that humanity's base instinct is to create and to love. We will always be connected by our love of art and creation.

Towards the beginning of the pandemic my interests in jewelry and crafting coalesced into one. Now for the past two years I have been making my own earrings out of homemade clay, charms and materials I find. I cherish the uniqueness of each pair I create. The feeling of accomplishment I get after finishing an earring project is one of my drives. Making my own earrings is a source of happiness in my life that I love and would never give up. The act of making the earrings is one of the best parts. Besides the hooks, I typically make everything myself, starting with the clay. I used a flour play-dough recipe to make my own clay and have used it ever since. Some of the first pairs I dyed myself. I added watercolors to get the desired colors but mostly I paint the dried earrings with acrylic paints. While the earrings are still soft I insert the metal posts that I later attach the earring hook to. The final steps are to lay the earring out to air dry for 24 hours and then attach the hook with needle nose pliers. While making the earrings out of clay is very satisfying, sometimes I find other materials to make my jewelry out of. Earrings can be made out of almost anything, I often find charms or random items and turn them into earrings. Some charms I have found are battleaxes and compasses. Items that I've discovered and made into earrings include: paperclips, small toys and noise makers. The hunt for these items is part of the fun. Some of the materials I can attach hooks to easily, but sometimes I have to glue on the posts. The process of making earrings is definitely the fun part of this hobby but the emotions I feel by wearing them encourages the hobby. By wearing the earrings I've made I get a sense of satisfaction. That's the beauty of making something yourself, you get to feel satisfied because you made it, it is completely your own and well done. Not only do you get this satisfaction you get to feel unique. It's unlikely that anyone will have earrings quite like yours, especially when handmade. That small feeling of being different in a good way is something I live for. Finally I gain confidence by wearing them, I feel beautiful when I wear the wacky earrings. Getting compliments on them cements the confidence as well. All of these things combined make me want to continue and share my hobby with others. My hobby is making my own earrings. I enjoy the actual act of making the earrings; making my own clay, molding it and attaching the hooks. Making earrings out of charms and found materials is also enjoyable. Wearing the jewelry I've made gives me a sense of satisfaction and makes me feel beautiful and confident. My hobby of creating earrings makes me so happy and I would never give it up.

Life is a difficult thing, it can be extremely hard to find the good in anything. However there are simple pleasures to be found in our hectic lives. One such pleasure is reading. Each book you read teaches a valuable lesson while also granting some reprieve. By reading, one can find some rest from the volatile state of the world. Without taking the time to slow down and enjoy yourself, you're going to be miserable in this world. My favorite simple pleasure is to read. Reading is a beautiful form of escapism that everyone should take part in. Most books teach us that no matter how tough times get, you will survive. Good will always prevail, no matter how seemingly insurmountable the evil is. I find solace in my books because I can recognize myself in the characters and know that I'll be okay. I will be okay no matter what life throws at me. The simple pleasure of reading books teaches me this lesson everyday. Books also teach me the lesson of soothing my anxiety. Our world is in shambles, and it can be very difficult to deal with the happenings of the world. The craziness of everything is only exacerbated by the pandemic and graduation looming. The best way to take a break from the anxiety I feel about what's happening around me is to read. I can decompress from my problems by reading about someone elses and seeing how they handled it. I gain calmness by reading about what fictional people have done. Using other peoples worlds to take a break from my own is the best simple pleasure I can find out there. If one doesn't take the time to find pleasure, the world will be a very hard place to live in.

I've been helping my grandmother since I was a young child. She has bad knees and lung problems, I have always been the one around to help her. I still help her often with things around the house. Taking things off of shelves, remembering things for her, taking care of the dog, setting things up and then taking them down. My grandmother can't do all of these things for herself so I do them for her. My grandmother is also a member of the Elks Lodge so I spend a lot of time there helping as well. I lift boxes, hang decorations and do whatever my grandmother or the other elderly people need me to do. Most of the Elks are over 65 and need help with lots of different things and I am always there to help with such things. It is my pleasure to help them with these things big or small. I know they'd be in a tough spot without me School is another place I extend acts of service. As a Cyber Patriot I have some knowledge of Windows Server and Windows 10. When need be, I stay after school to teach my fellow Cyber Patriots Windows if they're in need of help. I'll walk them through the basic security steps and give them a checklist. I let them know that they can always use my binder for notes if they need a refresher. I spend a lot of my free time helping others. Most is spent with my grandmother, she is old and sickly so I do what needs to be done around the house. I help her and other elderly people at the Elks Lodge with whatever they need. At school I help my fellow Cyber Patriots with learning Windows 10 and Windows Server.