What is creativity?
Creativity is human empowerment- one empowering self by making things with their hands (or body) conjured from the mind and/or the mysterious void that our minds allow us to access. When people know how to make things with their hands- they have proven their resourcefulness and when one is resourceful- they are less dependent on a system which thrives on selling products and solutions for human beings with stifled creativity. With creative mind engaged and active, people are less dependent and more resourceful among themselves and each other- It’s no wonder then that creativity is not supported in our capitalist society unless it’s creative destruction or a marketable commodity.
A creative human being has a sense of self supporting autonomy, and while that is a great thing, it is so much greater and more powerful when one autonomous being joins forces with many others. This creates an autonomous zone, self sufficient , supporting of community and with little to no dependence on fractured systems.
Thus, I introduce to you… CELLspace, a community arts organization that exists to serve various needs of a diverse range of people in San Francisco’s Mission District (one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the bay area).
CELLspace stands for Collectively Explored Learning Labs. It was started by artists, puppeteers, and activists in 1996 and stands strong today. The founders transformed an empty 10,000 square foot warehouse space with their bare hands. It’s a volunteer based collaborative art center which fosters community through arts and education, serving people primarily 14-35, but not limited to. Low cost accessible classes have been offered there throughout the years- everything from sewing, arts and crafts, drawing, painting, metal/wood working, music, dance, theater, and social activism. Events are held there, activists gather, classes are taught, and ravers have raved there. It is literally a hub for artists/activists/ performers/musicians and drifters that either live in the city or those who are passing through.
CELL is run mostly by volunteers that it serves. It is a Collective organization which means the decision making process is completely collaborative and consensus based. There is no leader or president, CEO, etc. This can make for long bi-monthly meetings, but it’s revolutionary. And anything new which breaks out the box can take time. It’s a constant work in progress.
My personal experience with CELLspace was in 2003-2004 when I lived there as a caretaker and artist in residence. I paid very little rent in exchange for work, which is a huge blessing in the ever increasing expensive-ass yet wonderful city of San Francisco. There was a crew of six of us caretakers who lived there and helped keep the place going. We each worked in our respective areas such as office management, studio management (we leased art and music studios at an affordable, below market rate), events coordination, workshop coordination, facility management and we meet weekly for collective cleaning duties. It was an experience that has enriched me to my core and also an experiment with ever changing results yet always working towards a greater good.
Why is CELL important? Community arts organizations are not just important…they are necessary.
In a time when art/music funding is being cut left and right in public schools and in some cases nonexistent, when kids are being raised by TV and video games, when some experience nuclear family isolation, when there are media induced fear programs to create rampant distrust amongst the general public towards the general public, and a military spending budget that is off the fucking charts for war and civilian surveillance … community is crucial. It is crucial to human survival, to weave the threads of humanity that on their own are just threads, but together wind into ropes of steel that cannot be cut or burned. That’s right people… ropes of steel!
Community Arts organizations are run for and by the love of arts and as a service to community itself. They offer support systems, solidarity and are lighthouses so to speak. It can be confusing to be an artist, especially in this corporate culture that values big business and profits over anything else. For example- I was born into a family of business people, so I have been confused most of my life. It was sooooo reassuring to find a network of folks all with various creative disciplines, some which I have never even seen, to grow and learn with; to build with, to work towards something greater than just our own causes- without undermining our own causes either, but having support in our individual and collective process.
CELLspace currently has so much going on, I recommend taking a look at their website to fully comprehend the scope of their offerings. (www.cellspace.org) There is currently paid staff positions, greater funding sources and constant evolution. They provide adult education classes, events, a bike kitchen (where people fix up and build bikes from donated/scrap bike parts) and after-school programs that serve ‘at-risk’ youth who have been marginalized by low-income, race, and lack of resources- with gang life looming in their future unless positive alternatives are provided. CELLspace is providing alternatives through education initiatives such as DEF ED and Mission Urban Arts programs that teach kids a variety of skills from jewelry making, break-dancing, DJing and more.
There are several community arts organizations in the bay area- some that focus directly on youth such as Destiny Arts and Youth Uprising in Oakland. These community centers in under nourished and forgotten neighborhoods (a/k/a ‘ the hood’) offer everything from counseling, holistic health care, martial arts classes, youth leadership training, music production workshops, and the list goes on. A lot of the youth education in the bay spirals out of the positive aspects of hip-hop culture. Its suiting as it speaks directly to the youth in its accessibility, and I personally feel that the elements of hip-hop culture are tools for global human evolution when used positively; but that’s another article.
Originally from AZ, I’ve lived in the Bay for 7 years. The amount of community support I’ve seen in my time here has opened my eyes greatly as it is nothing I have experienced prior. I encourage those moved by what I’ve shared to check out the organizations listed below- and give your versions of these ideas as gifts to your community.
Peace thru respect,
seeress
seeress@riseup.net
*****
CELLspace
www.cellspace.org
Youth Uprising
http://www.youthuprising.org
Destiny Arts
http://www.destinyarts.org
