As graduation approaches, senior Stone Goniea finds himself looking into the future that once seemed so far away. At the moment he is a member of a band mainly focused on local performances and streaming platforms.
He wanted to continue to pursue music, he tells himself. Music is the language of emotion, and Goniea is an author who tells his story.
“I think it’s a big thing. It lets me express my emotions… [or] how I exist,” Goniea said.
Ever since he began playing and creating music, it had been a core creative outlet in his life, letting him express his emotions and imagination of both abstract and tangible things.
“I think it’s a conduit like– it sounds like an electrical charge giving you, pumping you up,” Goniea said.
Even though Goniea could not come up with a specific reason for this– for it was just the outlet that seemed appropriate– music resonates with him deeply. And through music Goniea grows, discovering not just about music, but creativity in general as well.
“Creativity fluctuates a lot,” Goniea said. “Because you’re never making the same thing twice– just like your day is never the same. There’s always different things, so you kind of have to rock things that are different– not get too attached to what happened before.”
At times, Goniea often is unable to find that spark of creativity just like everyone else. This problem seemingly perpetually haunts creatives no matter the creation– for it is a definite byproduct of the nature of their work. However, to this, Goniea has a surprisingly simple solution.
“Just trying,” Goniea said. “Just trying new things– even if you’re not sure about it. At first trying it and then seeing what happens.”
Yet one cannot create with creativity alone. Perseverance and commitment to the effort are also central to Goniea’s efforts.
“You have to be committed to the process,” Goniea said. “You have to have faith over fear.”
Goniea’s approach to creativity extends beyond the boundaries of his work. From his creative endeavors Goniea had also gained insight to his decisions in the ever-flowing rapids of the river named life.
“The creative thing that you made before [and] the new thing that you make is always going to be different,” Goniea said. “New doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just new. So just being open to accept that is a big thing.”
And now as Goniea approaches the society as a newly-inaugurated adult, these ideas have become ever-so important.
“If you feel called to do something, you should listen to that, and you should do that no matter what,” he said. “You just have to have to do it. You [just] have to get through the anxieties [and] the fears.”
