Students gather around UniTEA’s Coffee house to indulge in celebration of self-expression.
Creative Outlets C
Story by Megan Ripe Photo by Daniel Huppenthal
reative outlets are a way in which people can express themselves, and the community of Durango offers multiple places where creativity can be expressed. Outlets are infinite, ranging from poetry, music, exercising, and even stretching to cleaning, said Mimi Gates, a counselor at Fort Lewis College. “Journaling is a big one, I know a lot of students that journal, and it’s a creative outlet because you are really getting in touch with the conscious and unconscious aspects of yourself,” Gates said. The community of Durango offers many places for expressing creativity, such as the UniTEA House, the Smiley Building, and Studio 10. These places provide an atmosphere where creativity can be showcased. The UniTEA House is a donation based, volunteer-ran organization located at 666 E College Drive. The UniTEA House hosts a variety of community events every week, said Brandon Bashers, a regular volunteer at the UniTEA House. Some of these events include open mic night, hosted every Thursday, ecstatic dance every Friday, and also meditation each Sunday. Local bands are showcased weekly as well, he said. “It really gives people a space where it’s not too intimidating, everybody can come here,” he said. “It’s really free and open environment.” People are inherently creative beings by nature and creative outlets help tap into each individual’s purpose, Gates said. Sharing creativity encourages others to pursue what they
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love to do. The UniTEA House holds volunteer meetings every Wednesday night where anybody can present an idea and schedule it in an open time slot, Brashers said. Anyone can participate at the UniTEA House, playing the music they would like, reading poetry, or displaying creative talents in other ways as well, Brashers said. With the constant constraints society and culture has on everyone’s life, creativity allows people to tap into a true self, Gates said. “The school we have to go to, the job we have to do stifles our creativity, so it’s important to stay connected to that or reconnect with that,” Gates said. The UniTEA House is a substance free establishment for people who want to participate in a community without feeling the pressures of consuming substances while still feeling accepted, Brashers said. The community of the UniTEA House are loving and accepting of everyone, and are far from judgmental, he said. People are often disconnected with personal creative outlets and don’t really know what may hold their interests. With time, patience, and exploration, creative connections can be found, Gates said. There are many ways to express individuality, such as going to the UniTEA House and simply participating, or standing up in class and sharing personal work, Gates said. “It’s that process of beginning to reconnect for those that do feel even more disconnected from that creative place,” she said. Culture today works at a very hyper and aroused pace that can cause stress to accumulate into many health problems such as heart issues, Gates said. “Creative outlets help to calm the nervous system and allow you to be really able to be present in the moment,” Gates said. Expression of creativity can help lead people away from stressing over past, present, or future problems and give people the chance to focus in the now, she said. “It’s an exercise in coming home to ourselves when we‘ve really lost that creative connection,” she said.