Differentiation _ Grace Herman

October 8th, 2020,

COVID -19 has done more than disrupted human life on earth; it has consumed it. Ever since March the coronavirus pandemic has wrapped it’s sickly arms around all the corners of my life leaving my reality upended. Near the beginning of the pandemic, my Grandma caught COVID-19. She was miles away locked in a nursing home and all I could do was sit, wait, and pray she would recover. To prevent myself from spiraling and becoming consumed by the monotonous fear and insecurity of the world around me, I looked for distractions. I used creative writing as a way to escape from the disrupted world and to create my own, free of a global health crisis. Writing helped me stay motivated, stay sane, and stay hopeful. As I looked around my community I realized that’s what everyone needed, a distraction to stay motivated, stay sane, and stay hopeful. As I realized this I decided I would extend my distraction to others. I created a virtual creative writing club for middle school students at my school. We met on zoom and I taught the middle schoolers about creative writing and I walked them through the creative writing process. This club has not only helped me manage my mental health during this pandemic it has reminded me that creativity is a magical thing, that we often push aside to be more “realistic”. However, I’ve learned that sometimes to survive reality you have to escape it and relish in imagination.

Thank you for reading,

Grace

*Work collaboratively with others, Engage with issues of global importance, Show perseverance and commitment to your project, Plan and initiate an activity