Maya Angelou

by Lisa Peck, ASID
Maya Angelou has inspired me since I randomly picked up "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" at the library when I was a teenager. I keep a copy of her collected poems on my book shelf and love what she has to say about creativity.
Maya Angelou believes "you can never be great at anything unless you love it. Not be in love with it, but love the thing, admire the thing." from Oprah magazine December 2000. She inspires me to try to pursue the things I love in life. Love to cook, love to draw, love to paint, love to garden? Try it. Express yourself and you may discover new creative depths in yourself!
“I would say to young people and to old people or upper middle age, that we have seriously crippled ourselves and our children by telling people, ‘don’t try all these different things. You’ll become a jack of all trades and a master of none’. That’s ridiculous. You can become the master of everything. The best you can be. (from Scholastic video on how students can find their creative voices)
"I would encourage everybody to read everything. It all belongs to you." "I have no favorite anything. I love everything." (from Dream in Color a project in partnership with Target and Scholastic)
I  take many things away from what Maya Angelou has to say about creativity but most strikingly...Be curious, explore everything, one pursuit informs another, and you can only limit your creativity by creating limits for yourself.