Meet Kymberli Bryant

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kymberli Bryant. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kymberli below.

Hi Kymberli, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I think my confidence and self-esteem stem from my belief that while people can be better AT things than other people, they can never be better THAN them in any way.

So many people feel inadequate because they feel “less than” in some way, but it’s just not true. I have a lot of things I’m pretty good at and a lot more that I completely struggle with. Knowing that some people are better at things than I am doesn’t make them better than me and even though I may be better at something than someone else doesn’t mean I’m better than them.

Only one person is always better at being you than anyone else. YOU! There is a lot of confidence in that.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have been a high school teacher for nearly 30 years, sharing my love of the humanities through literature, writing, theater and most recently, computer science. In education, computer science is often seen as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subject, but I have always looked at it from a more creative standpoint.

Art is intentional. It is the creation of something for a purpose, to elicit a feeling or emotion. It involves manipulating materials to create something new from them. Sometimes, it’s words to create a poem. Sometimes, it’s a fabric to create a garment. Sometimes, it’s paint to create an image. All of those things are true of STEM as well. We use materials to build bridges, numbers to form equations and code to create programs. They are all ways of manipulating one thing to make another. I look at everything through that lens and make it my goal to teach students to be appreciators and creators; people who can see the beauty in everything and who can create it in whichever way they choose.

It’s hard. Most students (and adults) don’t do most things intentionally. They are extremely limited with where they place their intent and don’t appreciate or take time with much else. People go through the motions but rarely think about what they are doing and why they are doing it. They are working toward an outcome of “to get a grade” or “to make money” rather than to create something worthy of sharing with the world.

Makers and creators of all kinds are what our world needs. That doesn’t mean that everyone should be an artist. It does mean that no matter what one chooses to do, it should be done with intent. Everything done well is an art.

My intent is not to teach a subject, but to create creators. It is work worthy of doing and sharing with the world, and it is an art.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Live with intent. Don’t just go through the motions. Do things with purpose.

When we think about what we are doing, why we are doing it, and toward what intent, we can take control of our lives and create joy and meaning within them.

2. Analyze everything. Assume everything has been created intentionally and strive to understand and appreciate it.

In addition, understand that not everything was created for you. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate it. You can dislike a song, poem, novel, building or car style and still appreciate how and why it was created and for what audience. Don’t dismiss something as bad just because it wasn’t intended for you.

3. Failing is growing. Moving on from your failures to be better is the key to success.

Fear of failure can hold you back from doing amazing things. Don’t be afraid to fail. Know that it is an integral part of success.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents always supported my interests and creativity even when they didn’t understand it. Neither of my parents were much into theater or acting, but they drove me to auditions, took me to performances and made sure I could participate in things that interested me. When they didn’t know or understand something, they looked to people who did for suggestions on how to support me. They never questioned my choices or made me feel like I shouldn’t or couldn’t do something. It gave me the confidence to try new things and know they had my back.

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