Doing what you love makes the work easier...

I recently re-watched a TED talk by a young entrepreneur, Maya Penn. Penn is a 21-year-old “entrepreneur, philanthropist, designer, artist, animator, illustrator, and writer.” At age 4, her father had shown her how to take a computer apart, and put it back together. At age 8, she started a company called Maya’s Ideas, an eco-friendly, environmentally sustainable, fashionable accessories and clothing line. She’s learned how to build her own website, she makes short animated films, and she gives back to the community and the environment personally and through her organizations.

[Image from Deidre Penn under Creative Commons license

In an article for TEDYouth, Penn said:

Animation has always been my first love. I love to use creativity to give back and encourage others to find their voice and what they’re passionate about. What I love about art whether it’s through painting, acting, dancing, or music is that you can tell a story and a spark a movement through the creative spirit that is art. Art comes in many forms and it’s a way we can express ourselves. Doing what you love makes the work easier. And remember, you have to work hard and be committed. It will be worth it in the end. If you have a passion, then listen to that passion. Pursue it and don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. You have the power to move forward, and just go for it!

I found Penn’s TED talk to be infectious, inspiring, and moving – and she gave it when she was just 14. And today, I only have more and more questions to offer you, with very few answers. What was I doing at 14?! What were we all doing? And how would our lives be different if we had known our passion, and followed it? What if we all had the drive of Maya Penn? And more importantly – who among our students is Zambia’s next big entrepreneur? I’ve seen our students be inventive – I’ve seen everything toy cars made out of wire, I’ve seen model cars and trucks made out of straw (see below), I’ve seen musical instruments made out of scrap wood and metal. And with the addition of our recent upcycling and eco-construction activities, I have seen all sorts of trash be repurposed. But what if that creativity is nurtured the way that Penn’s was as a child? What can our scholars accomplish?

Reshma Patel