While expressing creativity takes a lot of courage, everyone has the ability to share their talents and discover new ones. That’s the message Olaoluwa Olatunbosun, a 20-year-old student at Sault College, hopes to share with his new creatively-led program for local youth. Originally from Nigeria, Olatunbosun moved from his homeland when he was 13 years old with his mom 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 college’s graphic design program. After settling into small town life, he felt that something was missing here. “When it comes to creativity, I noticed that there weren’t many outlets for young people to be a creative genius,” he says. That’s when he came up with the idea to form Creo, a program aimed at providing education and spaces to young people who want to express their creative abilities. Creo comes from Latin, meaning “to create.” During his time in southern Ontario, Olatunbosun majored in computer science and landed a summer job as a web designer for his church in Toronto. While the program didn’t work out, he discovered his passion for graphic design and ultimately his calling for art. Since arriving in the Sault in September, Olatunbosun has found the United Baptist Church and has been given approval to operate his workshops out of the building. United Baptist even provided Olatunbosun with $1000 in funding to help launch his venture. “A church is always a very good place to feel safe,” she says. “It’s a very safe space.” Olatunbosun plans to organize classes and workshops for people aged 15 to 30, while providing a place for young people to hang out and express their creativity through activities such as painting, drawing and water painting. The graphic design student says that while the freedom of expression aspect was a huge motivation for founding Creo, the program’s original intentions run much deeper. “This was created to combat drug use in Sault Ste. Maria,” he says. “There is so much that these drug-affected kids deserve, and they didn’t get it. And because they didn’t understand that, they indulge in things that tarnish their future. I want to be able to create a space in the Sault where people can find a way to put those things aside and focus on something else.” Olatunbosun’s transition to Canadian life was challenging, particularly because he had never experienced a cold winter before. “I love this place, but the only thing I fear is the cold,” she says. Olatunbosun admits he felt very isolated during the colder months and wished there was a program like Creo to 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 lot of sadness – and it hit me too. I feel like if I had a community of creatives, it would have made a huge difference.” Olatunbosum plans to start his first Creo class at United Baptist in the coming weeks with a water painting workshop. During his time in Toronto, Olatunbosum attended an Innovation Center at a nearby library where they had high-powered computers that allowed kids to explore the ins and outs of graphic design. He spent countless hours learning how to use Adobe Illustrator and began publishing his work online. “I got millions of views,” he says. “I just kept getting better and better and I knew this was something I wanted to do.” In addition to providing space for hands-on workshops such as painting and sketching, Olatunbosum has bigger ambitions to bring computers into a space where children can use them 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 training,” he says. Olatunbosum recognizes that there is a lot of potential here for young people to express their artistic abilities and says a place like Creo could have a positive impact on the community. “Before you know it, creatives could be popping up all over town and this place could become 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 their creativity freely. Where people can sit and enjoy a workshop, learn and create.” Olatunbosum shares his work on his Instagram and TikTok pages under @olastrator.
