Entry 1: The Vision in the Attic

Confessions of a Productive Dreamer

If one were to notice me wandering the halls of my school, they would be likely to see me as focused and driven. They could notice my passion for studies, my drive to be successful. If one were to sit next to me in class they would notice my color coded planner and precisely organized binders. They would think that I have every minute of my academic future mapped out, no flaws, everything perfect. To the outside world, I am aiming for a proper education and a stable career in the business sector. But what the outside world doesn’t see is my secret. Etched in the margins of my notebooks lie a story that contradicts what one can think… and it almost hinders the academic exterior I use to put up a front.

The edges of my homework are crowded with silhouettes, sketches of garments, and scribbled notes of a brand that is buried, yet to exist. I believe that fashion is never all about looking the best or following a trend. Instead I believe it as a radical act of creation and art. Fashion is the process of taking a lifeless and flat piece of textile and moving it to create a statement of identity. I don’t just want to wear clothes, I want to build them piece by piece with the same drive I use for my studies.

Sometimes I feel like I am navigating a double life of sorts. I enjoy the Fashion CTS course at school more than I have ever enjoyed a social studies class. But it does not sustain me, nor help the family around me who strive for my success… that success being my grades in social. Because of this, I fulfill the expectations of a high achieving student preparing for my future. But I yearn to continue being a creative visionary that seeks an adventure through my art and design. I want to believe in this dream and not just earn a degree to fill a space on a resume, but I must create a structure of revolution of sorts, something that starts in my own closet. I accept that I am two things at once, a dreamer and a focused individual. With these skills, I am learning that the most important work I do is often found in my scrapped ideas, which can be found on the sidelines of my schoolwork.