I’m only sixteen years old but I couldn’t even begin to tell you when the last time I had fun in a classroom was. As soon as I entered middle school the atmosphere surrounding school changed. The friendships dwindled quickly as friends created split decisions on the schools they planned to attend within their future. The pressure increased to what felt to be a boss level of a video game that seemingly never ended. I’m not going to lie, I did stress out more than I ever truly needed to, but at the time, the idea of class rotations and constant tests was all new to me. My elementary school never truly prepared me and the other students as to how middle school was going to affect our lives and work ethic. It never truly prepared me to lose the light of the child that was once within me.

Everything was embarrassing. Kids laughed when you tripped, they laughed when you had a small stain on your shirt, and most importantly they laughed when you were having fun. The thought of playing with toys disappeared when I realized that I would be made fun of. Imaginary friends were locked somewhere deep in my memory and the shopkins were collecting dust in my dresser. The stories that I intended to tell my friends were exchanged for the talk of the homework that was going to be due the next day. My true thoughts were now defined by my limited opportunities to be expressed through writing or even going outside to play on the playground. To be honest, my main creative outlet focused on one question: Why was having fun in school so embarrassing and restricitive?

That same pattern continued on for the next four years. Four years of my life consisted of school, homework, studying, cleaning the house, and watching mindless videos that didn’t teach me anything. The wall of my stale mind was instantly broken however when I saw the little yellow tubs of playdoh. The vibrant colors and the slightly disgusting smell had brought me back to how it felt to have fun without barriers, without the worry of being graded on whether or not my work was good enough. The smooth dough felt as if I wasn’t in school, but rather hanging with my friends and sharing our thoughts and feelings with big hearts and open minds. I knew instantly what I had wanted to create, and the picture came to life within a mere two minutes.

The creativity that had longed to escape for so long blossomed into something that not only I would find joy in, but my friends and family as well. I sent pictures of my little “Turbo” snail playdoh creature to my family and showcased my creation as I carried it around school for the day. That little pink and purple snail with big googly eyes, yellow intennas, and a big white star brought back the child in me. It put smiles on people’s faces even when they weren’t completely sure what it was. The happiness evoked from that little ball of dough was enough to remind me of why we need to never hold our inner child back.

I truly loved every single second of our playdoh creations yesterday and having the opportunity to see into the minds of my fellow classmates. We all, even if it was for one day, were gracefully given the opportunity to define who we are and where we came from. The words you’re reading, the clothes you’re wearing, and the way you tie your shoes wouldn’t be possible without going through your young developmental stages in life. We wouldn’t be who we are without imagination.