How often do you save work that you did in class? When you finish an assignment, a project or an art piece, do you stick it in your portfolio? Do you hang it up? Do you Snapchat it or post it on Facebook?

It’s a yes or no answer, and there are problems with both.

If you don’t share your class work with those outside of class, you’re not alone. Many students toss their work in the garbage after they get it. Alternatively, they may store their work, convincing themselves they will review it or add to it later – they never do – or they save it to kindle a fire, celebrating the end of the spring semester and the start of summer.

It seems that what we create in class, regardless of the grade received, has little value. Wait a second. Doesn’t the real world, the professional workplace that you plan on entering after college, expect nothing less than real value?

For those who have their priorities straight, who stray from the banal demands of their teachers’ curriculum, who put a creative flare into their work and share it, there’s still a problem. Who do you share it with? Likely family, closest friends and potential employers who may not even look at more than your cover page. That’s not much of an outreach – for being such a strong connection, it produces weak results.

Speaking for all the students around you, all the community members and all the people that walk by you at the terrace – we want to be impressed. We want to see what you’ve got.

Real Examples

Some of my greatest work has been produced from not following instructions, from creating something in spite of doing homework. What you are likely realizing is that I’m not the only one.

I was at Fair Trade Coffee House last week and met a University of Wisconsin student majoring in journalism. During our conversation he said to me, “I’ve got a room full of journals completely filled up with stories.” Complete stories. Readable material. I may even go so far as to call it art. But how do I know? I don’t – and that’s the point.

People all around you no longer want to see the cards in your hand – they want to see the cards that you’re hiding. Your stencil art, your dubstep remixes, your knitting and yes, your writing too!

Ron Berger, chief program officer at Expeditionary Learning Schools carries a suitcase of students’ work with him everywhere he goes because when he talks up how phenomenal the students’ work is, no one believes him.

Berger says, “The student work in my giant black suitcase is exemplary – beautiful and accurate, representative of strong content knowledge and critical thinking skills – but it’s not from ‘exceptional’ students. It does not come from gifted and talented classrooms or from high-powered private schools. It’s the work of regular students in typical schools around the country.”

He goes on to note that the work he carries with him is the result of teachers pushing students to create quality work outside of class, not just items that fulfill the class requirement. Yet, this isn’t the norm in higher education. We’re left to motivate ourselves. And some of us do.

An old neighbor of mine started a Youtube channel where he uploads video game gameplay, tricks and tutorials.

John Le, an Augustana College freshman who I met twice, has a Tumblr account of all his photography and artwork. He’s 18 and pursuing a career that combines chemistry with cosmetics.

When asked about why he shares his work, he responds, “I share my art by inviting other people into the creative process, having another person as a part of the creative process imbued my art with a blend of my own mind and the other person’s energy. It almost always results in something beautiful.”

Roll Up Your Sleeves

We’ve had tricks up our sleeves since the first cards were ever dealt. But since when did we keep them there?

To the students I see in passing, the students I meet at the caf?, students I see stuffing their backpacks with their exceptional work and the students needing an external hard drive to hold all their digital creations – roll up your sleeves.

All those around you demand it; they demand that you have the guts to open yourself to criticism, to show them your tricks and to share with them your art – whatever it may be.

If you had the cure for cancer up your sleeve, would you keep it there? This isn’t an exaggeration – I promise that there is someone that views your work in the same way. And it is for that reason that I would like to invite you to email me a link to your work or attach it in the email, and I will create a document that shares everyone’s various works. I will also share it on my website GarthBox.com. Want to remain anonymous? So be it. At least show you’re here.

Garth Beyer ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism.