New Subcultures

Tonight’s the night. I’m going to roller derby. I parked, locked my car, fearing for both myself and my car’s safety. “This might be the last time we see each other, old fellow.”

My friend convinced me to patronize a roller derby event on a shady side of town with him. If you’re unfamiliar with roller derby…the concept (simply) is rough girls skating around a rink smashing each other into things. There’s a method to the madness but I’m not sure anyone actually cares.

Wow, it’s entertaining! I experienced a side of my city I didn’t know existed. And even though I have no desire to revisit that side of the city, it opened my eyes to new horizons. It expanded my perspective a bit.

An expanded perspective is key to unlocking greater creativity. By exposing yourself to new subcultures, you can view things a bit differently. That bit of discomfort you experience is your brain working faster. It’s getting you ready to fight or flee…it’s instinct. Your brain is examining every change to run away or every chance to fight for survival. Your eyes are seeing things you wouldn’t normally see. Creativity!

What new subcultures can you experience? Seek them out! The most unusual will be the hardest to find, but they’re there.