Creativity and Genre

Creativity is very important with almost everything we do. Having creativity can make you stand out and try new things, which is especially important in todays society. When introducing yourself to a new concept and way of doing something when you have a ripe field of options, it is important to be opened minded and see where you excel and where you don't excel as much, you have to be willing to make mistakes, but then grow from them and use them to your advantage. The process of creativity is also important because for some people it can be hard to be creative whereas others it just comes to them. In my portfolio project I am going to be working on a magazine that has a specific interest genre.   

 
 

To begin, In the "Introduction Activity" we were able to use creative thinking and change the way people usually introduce themselves to a new method. We did this by picking a topic and stating things in those topics, plus elaborating on how and why they are special to you. For example, I picked my bucket list. People were then able to learn more about me with this different approach then what they would have normally. This shows an example of, "Lateral Thinking", which was talked about in the "Ted Talk" video. Lateral thinking is the solving of problems by a creative approach, which can help solve different problems people have every day. When introducing yourself many people don't pay attention or really learn anything about you but with lateral thinking and creativity, we were able to think of this new approach, which I thought was much more successful.  

 
There is also a lot more to creativity then people realize. When watching the Ted Talk video, I was also able to learn that creativity has so many contributing factors. For example, bravery. In the video the speaker shares that in order to be creative you have to have bravery. When trying new things and asking questions it can be scary but you will realize that many times it will lead to success, even if you're wrong. The author Michael F. Shaughnessy calls this "beautiful risks" In the article, "Subtle Nuances of Creativity in Learning and Life" (Michael F. Shaughnessy) (2020) Shaughnessy states, " Beautiful risks are different because they involve doing something that may not work out but have the potential to make a contribution to the learning and lives of others. Creative expression in educational settings can often be a beautiful risk because sharing creative insights, ideas, and work not only stands to benefit oneself, but also has the potential to benefit others. " The author also gives an example of this, and states, " A teacher who decides to design a different activity to engage students in a lesson that previous students have found terribly boring is also taking a beautiful risk."(2020) Especially nowadays it is important to take these chances, if you want to stand out and be different, like when making a magazine. There are so many magazines out there already, so you have to think in different ways and takes risks in order to be successful.  

 

Other magazines that have had the same genre (special interest) that I have are "Real Simple" and "Hawai'i". The editor Sarah Collins of the magazine "Real Simple" had many features in her magazine that interested me. One of these was the selling line. This magazine's selling line was," Life made easier". I thought this selling line was great because you are able to tell what this magazine might hold and talk about, but it was short and simple just like the style and concept I want in my magazine. I thought that this magazine had a great main image that goes along with the theme as well, a bowl of mashed potatoes with light colored flowers in the background and a gold spoon. It was simple and showed that the magazine is about food and easy recipes. Some things I would have approached differently are that I would add more images and or cover lines to make it more eye catching or just to get the audience more excited to read.  (Like little teasers of what's to come) but it all depends on the look the creators going for. My target audience is very exact so I want my readers to know what there getting into right away just by looking at the cover. 

                                                                      

 

Another magazine that has different features that stand out to me is in the magazine, "Hawai'i". I thought the editor Steve Petranik did a great job at creating this magazine. One thing that stood out to me was the mast head and how straight forwarded it was. I think this was a good choice because when people walk by, it can be eye catching to see the title Hawai'i and can draw people in who like to travel, or just like Hawai'i in general. It is clear to see that this magazine has a specific audience its shooting for. This magazine is geared towards what I wanted because its about travel and the background picture is one solid picture of where ever the destination is, which I would like to do as well. One thing I would change is to again add different images or graphics to make it more interesting and maybe even appeal to more audiences because one teaser may not be enough to capture a lot of peoples attention.

 

                                                                      

 

Overall, my position for my portfolio project is that I will be doing a magazine with a genre of Special Interest. This genre mainly focuses on a specific group with a common interest. In my case the people reading my magazine would be interested in food and travel specifically and people who are also interested in cooking/baking. I think this will fit best to tell my story because I love traveling and learning about new places and I also enjoy trying new foods from different cultures. Plus it's what I do all the time so I am really excited to share my experiences with others.