The Office of the Arts recently launched their Create@Brandeis Instagram on Aug. 31 as a way to increase relations between varying departments across the university and spread the word about creative projects on campus. This movement, created by Ingrid Pabon, the programs coordinator of the Office of the Arts, was a way for students to express outside the classroom setting, Pabon told The Brandeis Hoot in an interview.
“My vision for Create@Brandeis is that it’s somewhat of a movement,” said Pabon. “It’s a way for people to express themselves without any judgment and without a ton of commitment because all you need to do is post about what you’re working on our Instagram page.”
Since coming to Brandeis the previous year, Pabon heard around campus that students felt like there was not a space where students could take risks without worrying about being judged. “Sometimes people feel uncomfortable in classes and through their academic work so I was thinking of a way for people to express themselves without feeling like they’re being graded or judged in a class,” Pabon said. “A lot of people are creative but don’t have outlets to show their creativity, and I wanted to create that platform.”
Pabon went on to describe what creativity really means to the page and in general. “Creativity doesn’t necessarily have to mean a painting or a photograph, it could be a science experiment that you’re working on or some innovative way to do problems in a business sector,” Pabon said. “Or it could be some beautiful plate of food you made that night, it’s not necessarily anything formal. It’s just a way for people to know there is a rich, diverse community of creativity here on campus and there’s a wonderful opportunity to bring light to that.”
The main goal is to ultimately “cultivate connectivity across academic interests and departments,” described Pabon. According to the Create@Brandeis website, the goals of the space are to help build a sense of “creative community and understanding across academic interests, and to spark opportunities for collaboration.”
Those who choose to submit their pieces are welcome and encouraged to post a photo of themselves with the work, as the website states this helps “deepen our compassion and understanding of one another on campus.” It is also a non-curated page, meaning that all posts are welcome except for those with “hateful or violent content,” according to the submission page.
Those interested in submitting pieces to the Instagram page can go to http://www.brandeis.edu/arts/office/createatbrandeis.html or email their submissions to Pabon.
