Adventures in Creative Problem Solving, Part 2

The next story I have to share about adventures in creative problem solving takes back way in 2008 when I was a high school senior. Among the myriad of "what am I doing with the rest of my life" problems that I was having, I was also about to graduate.

For some reason, when I always imagined graduating from high school, I never envisioned the part where I would have to pay some third-party vendor an arm and a leg to BUY my cap and gown just so I could (mostly) sit and (barely) walk through a two hour ceremony. I don't remember the exact price of everything, but it was something in the realm of like $70-150 for a plastic bag dyed teal (my school had unique colors). I was in no financial place to spend this type of money, even if it was for my graduation, and I felt the situation too ridiculous to ask my parents. Only my grandfather was working at the time, and I would never ask my grandfather for anything unless it was literally a matter of life or death. So, I resigned to the fact that I was going to have to sell some of my possessions and give up something expensive (and that I loved) so that I could unfairly pay a ridiculous amount to participate in this ceremony. Shouldn't graduation be cheaper, or, free? Did I not give years of my life, hours of my sweat and tears into that 4.3 GPA?!?

similar to this, but not nearly as shiny 

Problem: Needing to buy a cap and gown.  Needing a cap and gown
Other factors: No money, little time, general stress
Process: IDing problem(s), IDing time restraints, gathering resources (friends, family, desire to graduate, etc.), brainstorming solutions, picking one, and testing solution.

I soon realized that my problem wasn't actually needing the money to BUY a cap and gown, but simply that I needed to be dressed to participate in the ceremony. It's not like the outfits were incredibly flattering, or that my family would be able to see how nice and new I looked from far away. I realized that I just needed to procure a cap and gown (in my school's colors), not to buy one.

My older man-friend at that time had graduated from my school about two years earlier. Luckily, the school had not changed color schemes in that time and that these things are pretty gender neutral. With some Febreez-ing and some quick non-permanent alterations (he's 6'1', I'm 5'2), I had something to wear and was able to save the money for things that were more important to me, like my plane ticket to actually get to college.

A financial restriction is often my catalyst for creativity.

picture retrieved from: http://www.graduationproduct.com/teal-graduation-cap-gown-tassel.html