‘Creo’ founder Olaoluwa Olatunbosun hopes his art workshops will help Sault’s at-risk youth
While expressing creativity can require a lot of courage, everyone has the ability to share their talents and discover new ones.
This is the message that Olaoluwa Olatunbosun, a 20-year-old student at Sault College, hopes to share with her new program created for local youth.
Originally from Nigeria, Olatunbosun moved from his home country when he was 13 with his mother and two brothers. He lived in big cities like Las Vegas, Montreal and Toronto before making the decision to come to the Sault last September for the university’s graphic design program.
After settling into the life of the small town, he felt that something was missing.
“In terms of creativity, I realized there weren’t many outlets for young people that would enable them to be a creative genius,” he says.
It was then that the idea of forming Creo arose, a program designed to offer training and spaces to young people who want to express their creative abilities.
Creo derives from Latin, meaning ‘creation’.
During his time in southern Ontario, Olatunbosun was doing computer science and got a summer job as a web designer for his church in Toronto. Although the program didn’t work out, he discovered his passion for graphic design and eventually his call to art.
Since arriving in Sault in September, Olatunbosun has found the United Baptist Church and was given approval to operate its workshops outside the building. United Baptist even provided Olatunbosun with $ 1,000 in funding to help start his business.
“A church is always a really good place to feel safe,” he says. “It’s a very safe space.”
Olatunbosun aims to organize classes and workshops for people aged 15 to 30, while offering a place for young people to hang out and express their creativity through activities such as painting, drawing and watercolor. .
The graphic design student says that while the aspect of free speech was a big motivator in Creo’s founding, the program’s original intentions are much deeper.
“This was created with the intention of combating drug use in Sault Ste. Marie,” he says. “There’s so much that these kids affected by drugs deserve, and they didn’t get it. And because they didn’t understand it, they’re indulging in things that are tarnishing their future. I want to be able to create a space in Sault where people you can find a way to put these things aside and focus on something else. “
Olatunbosun’s transition to Canadian life was difficult, especially since he had never experienced a cold winter before.
“I love this place, but the only thing that scares me is the cold,” he says.
Olatunbosun admits that he felt very isolated during the colder months and wished there was a program like Creo that would help distract him from that difficult time of year.
“It’s a devastating time for a lot of people,” he says. “There’s not a lot of sunlight, and with that comes a little bit of sadness, and it also impacted me. I think if I had a community of creatives, it would have made a big difference.”
Olatunbosum plans to launch its first Creo class at United Baptist over the next few weeks with a water coloring workshop.
During his stay in Toronto, Olatunbosum attended an innovation center at a nearby library where they had high-powered computers that allowed children to explore the details of graphic design.
He spent countless hours learning how to use Adobe Illustrator and began publishing his work online.
“I was getting millions of views,” he says. “I kept getting better and I knew that was something I wanted to get into.”
In addition to providing a space for hands-on workshops such as painting and drawing, Olatunbosum has more ambitions to get computers in a space for children to use to develop their graphic design skills.
“The only reason I’m as good as I am now is because I had this space in Toronto to keep practicing,” he says.
Olatunbosum acknowledges that there is a lot of potential here for young people to express their artistic skills, and says a place like Creo could have a positive impact on the community.
“Before you know it, there could be creatives popping up all over the city, and this place is becoming a creative hub,” he says. “That’s where I want to see the city go. I want it to be a place where people can express creativity freely. Where people can sit and enjoy a workshop, learn and create. “
Olatunbosum shares her work on her Instagram and TikTok pages under @olastrator.