“…But out of limitations comes creativity.” – Debbie Allen

“Mr. Jordan! Over the weekend I filled up a cup with beads, taped the top, and made a shaker!”

This has been the most potent affirmation that I’m doing my job well at the Baltimore City school where I work as a mental health counselor and resident drum circle facilitator.

The student, we’ll call him Justin, had an “A-ha!” moment; an experience of his own creative identity- and he didn’t do it by sitting in a stale classroom.

Our 20th century society fed us a road map towards the American Dream.

Go to school for seven hours a day, sit at your desk, keep quiet and follow the rules. Get a good-enough job, work eight hours a day, keep quiet and follow the rules. Do this for a half-century and you will be rewarded with a retirement plan and the gold watch.

Although devoid of individuality and creativity, this worked well enough for a short time.

This model is currently failing and though it’s painfully obvious, students like Justin are still being taught under this outdated and limiting model of how their future should unfold.

The 21st century reality is quite different.

The old ways of the once modern world are shifting and evolving faster than we can process. Globalism and technology have created an overwhelmingly competitive job market.

Although you may have earned a Bachelor’s degree with a 3.8 GPA and have buzz words on your resume- someone or some machine is willing and able to do the same work at a cheaper price or a faster rate.

As for the stability of your parents’ American Dream, well that has been crushed due to contemporary corporate and capitalist culture and its byproducts: the Great Recession, Wall Street, WalMart, Kanye West, etc.

You, Justin, and I can no longer depend on a system that has failed to provide us with the opportunity to create the lives we want. In other words- we’ve reached a limit.

Problems are relative. Becoming a problem-solver is universal.

We all face problems, sure. Life is full of them, but they do not define us. What defines us is how we handle them.

I’ve painted a bleak picture. But where most may feel hopeless, helpless, and lower expectations, I choose to see opportunity.

I see a future that I can build on my own terms. Where the Internet offers instant access to a fertile connection with the rest of the world.

I see a future where you will be rewarded for individuality by creating a professional identity on your own terms and thus becoming indispensable. (See Seth Godin’s Linchpin).

The New American Dream

I drum with Justin for many reasons, for social bonding, physical release, and emotional expression; but the most important reason is to help him discover his creative potential.

After all, who will help heal our economy or end our dependence on oil?
Who will reform public education or spark the next social revolution?
Who will invent the next Twitter or Large Hadron Collider?
Who will inspire the New American Dream?

Artists – the individuals who make use of their creative potential; those who are fearless when faced with the challenge of creating a new path.

“What about me? I’m just an average person.”

Don’t be so modest.

You are an artist. You are a creator. You are the New American Dream, and I think Justin at school is realizing this too!

What Now??

The 20th century has taught us to keep our heads down and our mouths shut, but we’ve hit a brick wall.

The key to thriving in the 21st century will be to seek novel ways to go around, dig under, fly over, or teleport beyond this brick wall. See what I did there?

In my time spent with Justin and his classmates, I do my best to awaken their creative potential; the source of problem-solving abilities.

They’ve been born into an environment where they must work harder, be more persistent, and overcome more obstacles in order to move beyond the status quo around them.

“But out of limitations comes creativity,” and creativity solves problems.

Jordan Goodman is a unique combination of music educator, mental health professional, and drummer. He is currently completing a mental health internship at a Baltimore City school, helping others achieve wellness by using rhythm and music-making.

Special thanks to Ryan Keaton & Jolie Gendler for their contributions and friendship.