Both of my parents are engineers by profession — civil engineers to be precise. Naturally, they gave birth to future engineers. And so from the very first day of my life on this earth, I knew I would end up becoming a civil engineer, even though my knowledge just about anything at that age was as limited as the options brown parents give us as our educational careers. So, there I was, sitting in my first year of university, feeling totally alienated to my surroundings with my sketch book out on the desk and an artistic mind inside my skull. As I flipped back and forth between my finest drawings and sketched some more, trying to catch my classmates’ eyes awestruck and drooling over them, a sinking reality dawned on me: no one cared that I was an artist (how blasphemous!). No one in that place cared about the fact that I could turn a pencil into a magic wand and perform spells through it. No one cared. Maybe you found a friend or two that showed appreciation but that’s pretty much it and for how long? A month or two at most and then your talent is nothing but an extraterrestrial threat. As much as we’d like to believe that motivation comes from inside, we’re still looking for validation from someone outside of our brain. Someone who isn’t us. And when I found myself in a spot without anyone to validate it, to show appreciation for my artwork, I lost the only streak of inspiration I had. On top of that, University is merciless, they won’t give you time to breathe. The pelting of assignments, quizzes, vivas, term projects and exams left me in a state of mental paralysis which is worse than a physical paralysis, I say. So why keep creating when all they do is lock your mind up in a prison? For that, I say it’s time for a prison break.

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For me personally I gave up artwork after the first semester, at most a few people came and asked for a sketch. That too for free. To which I said, yes (rookie mistake, I know, I was young and naïve ok?) but then something amazing happened in my second year, I was introduced to societies in university. My introverted being hopped on, clinging to my friend who saw the potential in me and threw me as director graphics. I barely knew Photoshop, but I learned as I progressed and I was opened up to a whole new ball game. Like setting a bird out of its cage…but inside a house. I had space to move but was still trapped. What happened was, my work started to spread outside of my class and I was appreciated by a team of 100 members. Every poster I would make was displayed on the net and made viral by our social media team, getting thousands of views. All of a sudden there was purpose, there was fuel, and there was a challenge and until you’re not challenging yourself you’re not growing. I have to say this about societies, It’s a place where rebels meet, a place where you’ll find people that want to do more than sit in class and attend lectures. So hop on to any society you get.

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Now here comes a question I ask myself a lot, ‘am I creating for myself or for others?’ On the surface it seems like I’m creating for others, but truth be told, until I didn’t like what I made, I wasn’t satisfied regardless of what anyone said. I made what I thought was right and it spoke differently as compared to making what I was told. That’s the beauty of it. I had to defend whatever I made, because sometimes the creative frequency didn’t match. Luckily for me I had a great President who gave me her best input. There’s this satisfaction you get when you create. It envelopes your heart in this gooey sensation of goodness and the craving never dies.

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University is going to try its best to take away your imaginative mind and freeze your artsy blood. When faced in such situations don’t let your creative batteries run low, instead keep them charged by converting your suffering into a source of inspiration. Dig deep into your roots and play to your strengths. If you love sketching, doodle a teacher. Everyone will go bonkers for it. If you are a poet, write about university life and your experience in those rhythmic swerves we all adore. Watch how everyone can relate and enjoy every phrase you write. Find inspiration from the suffering they dish out and always know, even if the people around you don’t show your work the love and affection it needs, someone out there will. You are not alone. If you find yourself alone, then you can always convert the ordinary to extraordinary, because God blessed you with that ability. For example, after one year of starting my graphic designing career I had been given the title of ‘the best graphic designer of NED’ by many. In my Final year of university, when I became the Director General of my Entrepreneurship society, I took that platform and began to teach my team Photoshop in the cozy cafeteria of National Incubation Center, Karachi. There is nothing that brought me more joy than that.

Being a creative seems easy and just because the ‘ordinaries’ see you and think that’s what you do all day then little do they know about the barriers we face. Especially when your parents have forced you into a field you had no interest in. they don’t want to see paint brushes and pencils in your hands; they want T-Scales and Mechanics of Materials by R.C Hibbler (A.K.A The devil). Threats are the norm, you know typical desi blackmail you find in Starplus ‘dramay’. I’ve been threated (since most of my work revolves around graphic designing) to have my PC removed. I’ve been threatened to leave the society I managed and I’ve even been threatened with no breakfast or dinner. All for the sake of a good grade. There are days I wasn’t even seen at home, because I was out with friends managing our startup, only to come home to a sleeping house and waking up late when everyone had left for work. Let’s not forget the constant arguing about how I’ll fail and won’t get admission in masters. However it’s my stubbornness which prevailed and I gained so much experience and had so much fun, it felt like the world became my playground. As for the grades, it’s with these same friends that I would gather with every weekend to revise whatever we had studied to make sure we are performing good in our courses too. I now manage a CGPA above 3. Managing time will do you wonders. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

While you’re busy doubting yourself, so many people are intimidated by your potential. To any of my artists out there stuck in a field they don’t enjoy, never think your work in nothing. There are people out there who enjoy it. The world is cruel and it will try to take away your uniqueness, your ability. I didn’t let it bend me, so why should you? Don’t follow the stream, oppose the flow. Be something unique. In a room full of evens be the odd. In all the time I’ve spent managing my startups, I’ve learned something very important: The world needs uniqueness, if you’re not creative, you’re not winning. Remember this, university has a glass ceiling, but it’s still the safest and best place to invent, find new opportunities and try new things. It’s the best time to dish out any startup idea you have and learn any creative software you can. Discover yourself more, like I did. In these 4 years of University: I have made a 162 page comic book, I’ve started writing my own novel as well. I am known as the best Graphic Designer of my university, working for over 6 societies and covering the entire theme of prestigious events such as TEDx. With friends from software, i am developing my own video game. Lastly I have two startups, one for event management, by the name of “Xenon Events” and an app by the name of “GOWaiter” and guess what? I’m a Civil Engineer. You can be whatever you want, and do things you never sought possible as long as you put your mind to it. You can be an artist and an engineer at the same time, it’s a hundred percent possible and an artist with any degree is much more sexier so Hallelujah. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

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