The Creations of Our Time

by Jeff Pearson

The act of creating is a very special thing. By creating, we bring something new into this world. Isn’t that cool? Musicians bring new songs into this world. Inventors bring new ideas. Artists bring new images. Entrepreneurs and scientists bring us solutions to problems not yet solved. All of these contributions make up the creations of our time.

Those of you who know me, know how passionate I am about innovation—whether in the arts, science, business, or all of the above. Why do I feel this way? It’s because the act of creating something new and commercially viable is so very hard, but so very necessary.

Let’s start with Van Gogh. He never found a buyer for his paintings, but he continued to create. Let’s look at startups. 90% don’t make it, yet every day a new startup is born. We must remember, once upon a time, Apple, Tesla, and Microsoft were all new too.

Now, think of all the scientists who dedicated their lives to advancing our understanding of the world just one step forward. Where is physics without Einstein? And where is Einstein without all those before him?

Sometimes—often times—it takes great courage to share one’s creation. I believe that the greatest novel ever written is collecting dust in someone’s attic. Or worse, it hasn’t been written yet, but will decay and then fade away with the person who was put on Earth to give us that book. One might say the same about the next step to curing cancer or to viably producing energy with net zero pollution.

Any of us who do succeed are standing on top of the shoulders of all those before us who toiled and persisted despite the odds. In short, they laid the foundation for us and it is our duty to push forward.

This is one reason why I’m energized about what Clemson University’s College of Science is doing. On March 16th, five teams of courageous students will show us their creations in a competition bringing science and entrepreneurship together. They will pitch their new business idea to a panel of experienced judges who will declare a winner based on viability, novelty, and other factors.

Folks, courage is not the word. It goes beyond that. Think about it. What were you doing in college or when you were of that age? (If you were like me, don’t answer that question publicly.)

Soon, whether they win or not, these courageous students will join the special ranks of those who tried. For that alone, they’ve earned respect. I tip my hat to all of them and can’t wait to see what they bring us.

For those interested in Clemson’s program, you can learn about it here.