A Narrative for Tomorrow: Long-Term Creativity and Storytelling as a Source of Hope
(Shortlisted among a competitive field of over 1000 entries in the Oxbright Essay Competition 2023)
Bianca Anindya, G12 St. Fidelis
As time progresses, our worries and doubts grow. Thinking and decision-making plays a big role in making sure that we, as a society, progress forward and help each other. Especially with the rise of various problems and the uncertain complexities of the state of the world, hope can always be scarce. That’s where our imagination plays an important role. This essay explores the deep connection between creative writing and a culture of optimism, as well as its role in fostering long-term thinking. Through exploring the imagination, empathy, problem-solving, and the timeless nature of literary works, we discover how creative writing contributes to a shared sense of hope and perspective.
Creativity can go a long way. We create stories that an unlimited range of possibilities. We make movies imaging if we travel back in time and change the future. We write books about what politics would be like in 30 years. It makes us wonder what kind of possibility can we bring out to the world. This optimism is can depict a brighter, more hopeful future. Examples of these can be from cartoons and TV shows. Each of those stories and crafted towards an audience that finds relatability. That empathy is what fosters optimism. These writers showcase a deep connection to our humanity even though we have our differences. They give a sense a that things will be better and that there’s always another day that will be better. These strong themes of resilience are timeless.
