There is nothing new under the Sun. Or is there? Taking a drawing class this semester has me pondering the ways in which we express ourselves, questioning our methods and how they serve to interpret life. In a previous drawing class, the instructor’s main message was that nothing in art should be arbitrary. Every line on the page should be justified and deliberate. Every form should stand on its own, and if the work is truly worthwhile, it explains itself.

Our instructor used the example of clouds in describing the tendency of art students to create images arbitrarily and then rationalize them into something more meaningful. You can look at the clouds and find images, but it’s your interpretation of the clouds’ shape that illicits that image. You might see a face, or a train, but you’re seeing what you want to see by way of interpretation. There’s no real thought in it … it’s just vaguely there and so you accept it.

“What does this have to do with me?” you may ask. Well, looking around campus and at the world in general, I see a complete lack of originality in people, and that I find troubling. Maybe I generalize, but there are so many cookie-cutter people everywhere that it makes you wonder if there is a such thing as uniqueness. People arbitrarily follow one another, afraid to rock the boat or make any kind of statement that might identify them as different.

This carries over into other aspects of life. Our daily actions are like those marks on the page, from the simple, mundane tasks to meaningful interactions. I always catch myself following these routines, while occasionally that little spark in the back of my head reminds me that I could’ve done something differently. I could’ve reassessed my priorities. I could’ve accomplished one of the endless put-offs on my long list of “one of these days” intentions. I could’ve done something to affect someone else’s life instead of focusing solely on mine. Could have, should have, would have.

Sometimes I just want to bust out of these meaningless routines and do something totally ridiculous. Maybe just going up to a stranger and singing a song to him, out of the blue, discarding the pointless fear of looking stupid. Or dancing in a public place for no apparent reason. Even something simple like striking up conversations with random people, just to add some variety to my life and theirs. Why the hell not?

Maybe the next time you have a crazy thought, like something you want to say during a class discussion in response to that annoying classmate, you should just let go and say it. Would it be scary? Would you be nervous? Maybe. But wouldn’t it be refreshing to let go of the fear of people thinking you’re strange and just say what’s on your mind? I don’t think a lot of us do that. Maybe we should start.

In a society where every piece of information that flies before our eyes is completely pre-digested and perfected for our consumption, it’s so simple to just follow the leader. What the leader is depends on who you are. It’s not necessarily another person, or the government, or MTV or the educational system. It’s whomever you allow to lead you when it’s easier to do that then make decisions for yourself.

I love it when I see interesting people. I love meeting people who sometimes say things that are a little weird, or wear things that no Abercrombie devotee would touch with a ten-foot pole. I’m sick to death of plastic people who say all the right things and refuse to be honest, when you just hear them and know something really cool and out-there is under the surface. These people could be totally intriguing and unique, but they choose not to out of fear and insecurity. So many of us are just plain afraid to think.

I think most of us have something beyond those clouds to offer. You know, the ones that are formed by the wind, allowing their shapes to change with its currents. We don’t have to be arbitrary and complacent. We don’t have to be common and comfortable when we could challenge ourselves and others and dare to scribble a little bit outside of the lines.

A lot of us have potential that we never tap into because we’re afraid of how people will react, or we doubt that we have the guts to do something different. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said, “I really want to do [fill in the blank] … maybe someday.” Even if I could envision it and knew it would be something I’d enjoy, I’ve been hampered by doubts.

Those doubts are a waste of time. Not to be morbid, but it’s true: Any of us could lose our lives tomorrow, and we might have thrown away wonderful opportunities because of groundless fears. We’re fortunate enough to be in a place where we’re free, exposed to such an eclectic mix of people, in an environment that thrives on culture and education. It would be a shame to discount that.