CREATIVITY & COMMUNITY
Supporting Creativity and Community Building
To support the LET’s well-being, The Collective encourages team members to pursue their creative projects and connect with their communities. We believe that both of these endeavours are integral to their well-being and healing process. To foster these community and creative connections, we launched the Mini-Grants program in 2024.
The mini-grants are $500 grants that are offered to LET members. The application process opened in January, and the projects were completed by June. The proposals were to include the project descriptions, materials budget and timeline.
The Collective distributed grants to each of the LET members in this round. The culmination of the program was a shareback from each member who received a grant. They were asked to talk about what they did, how it went and what they learned along the way. It was also an opportunity for them to show their work to one another. This was a celebration of their accomplishments and learning.
DJ Mixer/Controller
One of our team members got a mixer to support their music creation practice. They have brought it to some of our team events and played music in the breaks as well as playing an all request session at our Team Retreat. They have also been using it to connect with other music artists for collaborations and have plans to advance their side gig as a DJ.
Poetry Book
One of our team members has written a book of poetry and had it printed. They have learned a lot about printing a book. They illustrated and designed the cover, got an ISBN number, communicated with the print shop and are ready to sell copies.
Gardening Project
One of the LET members put in a garden at their new home. With garden boxes and pots they filled and planted. They have tomatoes, beans and herbs thriving. They learned about seed, soil, germination and transplanting. This project is also about food security learning, generally and specifically growing food for the team members and their family.
Epoxy Resin Frames
One of our team members has been working with epoxy resin to create decorative frames for Pokemon Cards. They are different colors, shapes and full of glitter. They are beautiful and playful. They have been learning to perfect the epoxy mixing process and are excited to create more things with this material.
3D Printing
One of our team members got a 3D printer with filament for their project. They have been making chess pieces, soda can holders, fidget toys and more. They have been learning the process and refining their skills all the way, as well as giving some printed items to other LET members.
Photography and Organizational Equipment
One of our team members got photo equipment to support their photography practice and allowed them to grow their capacity in photo shooting and editing.
Care Baskets
One of our team members put together care baskets for single mothers in the community. They were full of bath and body items to support relaxation and comfort. They were beautifully put together and received with much appreciation.
Online Chat Support
One of our team members got an upgraded gaming setup including a desk, chair, mic and LEDs set up for their project. They have been supporting friends in their online gaming community and these upgrades helped them to do that better.