I am a Creator
Too often we allow the structures of the world to tell us how things are, how we have to behave, how we are made to live in the world as it is. But that is not what we believe. The core energy that we are here to express is that every single person has a creative spirit within them, just waiting to be awakend. It's who we are. It's what we do. We create. And we have the ability to create our world, our reality. It's all possible and we believe we can help you bring your dreams to life by helping you to just begin.
Please read the following letter written to us by a dear member, teacher, friend, and fellow dreamer. It outlines exactly what we hope to ignite in every beautiful soul that happens upon our space. Enjoy.
A Letter from Theresa Johnson, a member of the Creators Space community
Sometimes the greatest things happen when you are least expecting them. My husband is a photographer, and he has this belief that the best photos are the ones left up to chance. The ones that you don’t plan for, organize or set up. Not that those situations can’t, and oftentimes do, turn into beautiful shots. But there is something to be said about letting the situation find you.
Sometimes, that’s exactly when the magic happens.
That’s what happened to me in August of 2018, the moment I stepped foot into Creator’s Space. Something incredibly powerful pulled at my heart. We had just moved into Lowertown after selling our acreage in New Richmond, WI. After raising a family and providing “home central” for many family and extended family members, we gave it all up and moved into 830 sq. ft. This move allowed us to, in a sense, retire before we retired. With minimalism in mind, we gave up our home and my studio and became artists in Lowertown.
When I walked into Creator’s Space that first time, I knew that it was somehow calling me, but because I had just set up my own new studio in St. Paul I was unsure of what this meant for me. And before I had time to think about it, the doors closed. I didn’t know why. I just knew that if and when they ever opened again, I needed to be a part of it. So I sent a message to the owner, Melissa, and told her that when her doors opened back up I wanted to give whatever I could of myself or my resources to help Creator’s Space succeed. And then I just waited.
Thankfully, in March of 2019, the doors were opened once again. And here I sit, in the Northern Lights Studio trying to put into words what this unbelievable space means to me. And not only what it means to me, but what I see happening here every single day. The momentum with which I see these things happening and the miracles that continue to unfold. I have never felt or seen anything like it before. Ever.
I spend a lot of time these days, creating and thinking from the Northern Lights studio area. As I prepare for classes or work on my own artwork, I get to watch people as they walk by and peer into the big beautiful windows that look out onto 7th Street E in Lowertown. I love to see the looks on their faces as they move closer and try to figure out what it is they are looking at. I chuckle as their inquisitive hearts win out over their Minnesota minds and they venture in through the front doors. I know this calling, this beckoning, because I have heard and felt it before. I wait for their hesitant peek around the corner, which is always followed by a shy, “What is this place?” Almost always this question leads to a tour of the entire Creator’s Space.
I could spend the rest of this opportunity writing to you about how all those tours are leading to more and more memberships. Or possibly, I could write about how organizations seem to be showing up on a daily basis, wondering how they can be involved, utilize our space and create opportunities for their clientele. Or maybe about the non-profits that see the work we are doing and sit down with other members or Melissa to discuss how we can pool our resources and better serve the community in which we live. What I see happening here at Creator Space increases exponentially every single day. The momentum is beyond exciting.
But that’s not the thing that inspires me the most. Although, to just say it’s simply inspiring seems to be an understatement. What fascinates and thrills me most is the fundamental “thing” that draws everyone in through the doors. It’s the mission behind what we do and the potential that lies waiting behind that mission. It’s not just the “new business” that draws everyone in here. It’s not just the artwork (although we have GREAT artwork) that puts that jaw drooping, wide-eyed look on everyone’s face. If that were the case, we would have people coming in showing most of their interest in buying art, or looking at art. “Museum on-lookers” is not what I am witnessing. What I am seeing on the faces of people coming in off the street, in the smiles of autistic adults sitting around a table of paints, in the chatter and laughter coming from the work trade young people, in the questions asked by the rappers who dance in our halls, in the retired people that lend a helping hand, in the volunteers that offer (on a daily basis) their time and resources…. What I see is not people looking for something to buy or wondering what it is we have here to sell. It’s so much greater than that. What I see on every single face is the desire to create. The possibility of creating. The potential that exists within these walls that does not exist anywhere else in their lives. And in that creating, to be offered a safe and compassionate place to understand themselves better and to be heard. To be acknowledged. I see it every day. I watch the world drop away as people walk into this building. I see color and gender and age and disability drop away. And by the time they get to the sanctuary downstairs, oftentimes they are in tears. This longing is so strong in us all! To be offered a place of respite where creativity thrives, collaboration inspires and people grow.
THIS is what St. Paul, Minnesota needs today. Not another exclusive business only for the select few. We have enough of that. What we need is an organization like Creator’s Space that extends creative collaboration to all people, offers space and bridges the gap, creating our greatest resource - community. And in doing so, ignites a Creator’s Movement. Paula Petrone, a writer at Linkedin says, ”It’s no stretch to say creativity is the single-most important skill in the world for all business professionals today to master.” With technology and automation filling so many of our societal needs; businesses, communities and governments need creative thinkers. They need people who can work together and create solutions.
We house so much more here at Creators Space than clay and paint and stone - we hold dreams. That’s what I see when I look into the faces of those who walk into this place. I see eyes full with possibility. I see a community coming together, one by one, to create dreams. I see an awakening of the creator in us all and I feel the power and possibility of a new and wonderful Creator’s Movement.
Theresa Johnson
I am a Creator