I like to collect simple, interesting objects that do incredible things. One of my recent acquisitions includes this ball with sparkly dust in it that is suspended in some dense fluid. As you sit and make the ball turn, the dust glitters as if in slow motion. It beats a snow globe by at least 100x.

A thought that hit me while watching this ball was, “Is this art?” At first glance, it’s certainly beguiling and entertaining. And yet it doesn’t really say anything. It says, “I’m a beautiful glittery ball. Play with me.” And yet that is all that it says.

As she is oft to doing, Provost Jessie Shefrin made an elegant point about the hollowness of a word we often use in our society: creativity. She told me the more accurate word to use in the RISD context would be perspective. This simple thought gave me the same kind of joy as the glittery ball … but it was different. The perspective, had a perspective.

One can have a perspective. One can be a perspective. One can own a perspective. I suggest you find in yourself today what perspective is unique to you. You will then find the source of your creativity. And you will find out what art really means to you. Have a thoughtful summer.