⚡️ Introduction
When Starbucks announced that they were removing straws from their stores, Benjamin Von Wong, a Canadian artist and photographer, used 168,000 plastic straws recovered from the streets of Vietnam to create Strawpocalypse. Why? Because Von Wong’s mission is to “help make positive impact unforgettable.” If you aren’t familiar with Von Wong, check out his work here.
As creators, oftentimes we get so wrapped up in our work that we forget the effect it has on others. But what if we began to think of our creative projects as vehicles for social change? Social impact does not have to be an afterthought; in fact, why not make it the whole point of your project? Here at Cornell Creatives, we like to think big, and we truly believe that any form of creativity has the power to make an impact on society.
But don’t let Von Wong’s installations intimidate you! Absolutely any amount of change can be impactful, even if it only reaches one person. So how do you create change using your own creativity? I spoke to some creators on campus who are using their platforms for change to try and gain some insight.
📣 Tip #1. Communicate.
I sat down with Madelyn Yu, the VP of Marketing/PR for Cornell Fashion Industry Network (CFIN), to talk about some recent initiatives they’ve had. In February, CFIN hosted Black Fashion Week, where they highlighted the contributions and impact of black fashion. Here is the flier for Black Fashion Week, which they posted on their Instagram:
Madelyn and I spoke a lot about Black Fashion Week and how it became such a success. She said she thought it was unique because “although we have seen a lot of diversity and inclusion initiatives recently, this particular event was the first of its kind to occur within the fashion department.” Because it was received so positively, Madelyn told me that they are considering turning it into an annual event.
We also talked about CFIN’s Sustainable Fashion Week, which starts April 19. Madelyn told me about an upcoming screen printing workshop that they are hosting with Cornell Thrift. She told me that the goal was to put a sustainable twist on creating organization merch by upcycling old or thrifted clothing.
I asked Madelyn if she had any advice for students who are trying to create change through their own creative mediums, and for those looking to address an issue that perhaps isn’t typically addressed within their medium or major. According to Madelyn, the best way to make change is to “reach out to your community and bring people together,” because “that will provide you with a diverse perspective which will help make change possible.”
🤝 Tip #2. Get involved.
I also had the pleasure of speaking with Connie Liu, a member of Cornell’s Hack4Impact. We talked about her current and past projects, and advice she has for coders/designers who want to dive into social change.
Before she was an aspiring product designer, Connie was an artist (check out her art instagram page @conliuart), but this quickly traversed into design and technology. She told me she’s also interested in creative coding, and she currently works as the design lead of Hack4Impact, a club that makes software for nonprofits.
In her first semester on board, she helped create a volunteer management system for Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties, which she designed in two weeks. And last semester, she helped design the CANY Data Visualization Platform to “easily create graphs that use real-time prison complaint data.”
Connie told me that she joined Hack4Impact because she wanted that experience of getting to work for a lot of different causes, so that she could see how technology aids different people. She told me that although it’s not always free-form creativity, the most important aspect of working with Hack4Impact is to “solve the client’s needs,” which I think is a very creative form of problem solving in itself.
When I asked Connie for some advice for Cornell students looking to make a change, she talked about “getting involved on a local scale” and “staying up to date with traditional forms of civic engagement, like participating, voting, and activism.” Hack4Impact is always looking for more designers, so if you feel inclined, join Connie on her journey to make change!
🎬 Tip #3. Take action.
Making an impact is definitely harder than it sounds, and it requires a lot of commitment, as evidenced by Madelyn and Connie; however, using your creativity as a vehicle for change can be extremely impactful, and it feels a lot less like work.
Creativity has the power to change the world, but the decision is up to you. If you feel called to action, pick up your brush, your guitar, your laptop, or your camera, and create the change you want to see!
Julia
CC Writer
Julia is a sophomore in Arts and Sciences majoring in Information Science. She is a content writer for CC, but she also loves playing the guitar and writing music!
Did this blog post supercharge your creativity? ⚡
We hope so. And we can’t wait to see what magic you make next. ✨
Take this email as the reason you’ve been searching for to dive into your next creative endeavor, and know that you’ve got a creative community backing you at every step of the way. 🙌