Photo by Ken Abbott, CU Institutional
Realtions
Carol Williams, a speaker at December's
commencent, tells of the importance of writing and creativity.
|
|
Photo by Ken Abbott, CU Institutional
Realtions
|
|
Carol Williams, a speaker at December's
commencent, tells of the importance of writing and creativity.
|
Williams
asks graduates:
'What can't you do?'
Graduates were exhorted to relentlessly pursue creativity during the School's
Dec. 18 commencement in Macky Auditorium.
In her address, advertising agency owner Carol Williams of San Francisco reminded students of the importance of their creative writing skills.
"You can feel it, see it and hear it, and you have the power to bring it to life," she said.
"Funny thing about being a writer, while other people hear wind, we hear a million words flying through the air. While other people are looking, we can see their brains formulating thoughts a million miles away.
"Oh my goodness, how can I tell you how exciting your lives are going to be? How can I explain to you the power of a writer. You can make a president beg and a whole generation of mothers not even think about naming their daughter Monica."
Williams equated her accomplishments with her ability to write.
"My love of writing has multiplied my joy, and my ability to succeed, a thousand times over," she said.
"I believe that is why I stand before you today. Look at me--an African American woman who grew up in a low-income environment on the South Side of Chicago. My parents: one had a high school education, and the other, a third-grade education. My acquaintances, at one time, some of you might call gang-bangers; they were my classmates.
"From that background where I spent countless hours in the libraries going around the world a thousand times through books I've read, I have climbed that ladder and in all modesty, broken the glass ceiling."
Williams graduated from Northwestern University and became the first African American creative director and vice president at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago and the first African American executive creative director and senior vice president at Foote Cone and Belding.
"And the first African American woman to own and build a 60 million dollar ad agency and still moving," she said.
"I can do anything that I'm willing to go through hell to do. What does that mean to me? I came off the South Side of Chicago. Now, if I can do that, what in the world can't you do?
"You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue. Oh, it's not going to be easy. You are going to get knocked on your butt. But so what. Just get back up. As my father would say, 'Just try to get up with as little brain damage as possible.' "