“I put all my genius into my life. I put only my talent into my work.- Emerson

Genius vs. talent. I sometimes feel like geniuses are so irreparably nuts it is impossible for them to channel it into actual, productive work. The fact that Steve Jobs was actually able to put all of his creative genius into the very thing I am typing on right now is pretty unbelievable for me. Genius loves crazy. I agree with Emerson that, in order to actually create work, one has to put aside genius and focus simply on the good, ol’ talent. Genius is like talent’s little ADHD sister.



Writing about this now though makes me sad, because it makes me realize that I myself am not currently a genius, nor will I be in the years to come. If anything, the amount of information NYU makes me retain will only put me in a deeper downward spiral. The only hope left for me is talent, which I maybe have. And I mean maybe like: my mom told me one time I was a good writer and my sister tells me I have nice clothes. But, am I really going to change the world? I’m gonna write it a poem or something? Give a few people some nice outfits? Well, now everything just seems really depressing. I should probably just get out of my seat, head towards the door, walk out, and “be the change I want to see in the world”. The thing is, I never really liked that quote. It’s so subjective. Like, the change you want may not be the change an 80-year-old man in the Philippines wants to see. Whatever, i’m over this. I’ve reached the end of the page and I’ve managed to fully drive myself crazy. Maybe I’m genius?


-Kelsey Garcia