Creativity through Technology (and Oreo cake)

The question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” always excited me as a kid. Not because I knew the answer, but because of the endless possibilities. The only limitation was what I could dream up. A chef for astronauts. A wildland firefighter. A honey farmer by day, a firefly expert by night. I could be all of these, one of these, or none of these, and I could be completely fine either way. That was the beauty of it all.

Throughout my life, I’ve maintained the belief that there’s beauty in freedom, but as with anything, there can be less beautiful parts. For me, the most difficult part about endless possibilities was that, to make a possibility a reality, I’d need to focus and commit. To cook in space, you need a rocketship. To be a honey farmer, you have to get some bees.

I started by finding a good recipe.

Although focusing has never been my full forte, I’ve tried my best. To get better at a sport, I practiced the correct forms and techniques. To make the best Oreo chocolate cake on this side of the Mississippi, I started by finding a good recipe.

And to become a Web Developer…I backpacked across Europe, returned to the US to be an elementary school science teacher, and traveled the country by van with my girlfriend (now fiancee!). Then, I became a Robotics coach.

I know this isn’t the most conventional way. But, in my opinion, it was the most fun and I never worried that I was on the wrong path. You see, even though I’ve always liked the possibility of doing anything, I’ve always liked technology and helping people more.

In Europe, I made iPhone apps. As a teacher, I came up with exciting ways to teach my students using technology. When I traveled around the US in a van, um, I mostly did just that because National Parks don’t really have WiFi.

I could help.

And even though I’ve never been an artist in the traditional sense, with a computer, I could create! And I could help. Whether through an app for a business, a slideshow for a relative, or a Microsoft Paint drawing for a friend, I’ve always felt joy when having the power to create something for someone.

I built my first website as a freshman in high school. And, although I took an unconventional route to get here, a part of me always knew that, while possibilities are endless, I would one day return to creating with technology. At Angel Oak Creative, I get to do not only that but also help people. And that’s icing on the Oreo chocolate cake in my book.

– Christian Gibson, Web Developer