CCI is a fast growing minor on Chapman’s campus and is engaging students from all different disciplines. Multiple classes are offered every semester and new ones are being added all the time, but some students have discovered their passion for CCI and want to take it beyond the classroom.
Daniel Godes is a junior Business Administration major and CCI minor. He took CCI 100 when it was first offered his sophomore year and knew the program was for him. Godes described himself as entrepreneurially-minded, but especially interested in fashion, which is part of the reason the CCI intrigued him. In his opinion, CCI encompasses his interest in fashion, but also pairs it with information about the inner workings of the industry and even how to pair it with other mediums such as fine arts and theater.
After taking a few classes in CCI, Godes was approached by Dr. Jamie Larkin, one of the program’s professors, to be a part of a team to create buzz about the creative and cultural industries and our program at Chapman. Dr. Larkin asked them to brainstorm ideas on topics like merchandise and campus engagement, but Godes came up with the idea for a CCI club and decided to run with it.
The club was officially created at the end of the Fall 2019 semester and currently has six members, but Godes has high hopes for its future.
“I want to create a creative lab where kids can go and develop ideas into fruition, a place where they can have resources available to them such as a screen printing press or sewing machine so they can get in there and do some hands on work,” Godes said. “Those creative skills, not just the creative mindset, but the skills are being sought out in the workplace.”
Ultimately, Godes hopes to have a permanent space for the club, where members can always come and work on their own creative endeavors.
A workshop space would be ideal because “people could bounce ideas off of each other for their own projects, or if it’s collaborative go at it together,” Godes said.
A possible creative lab model that CCI students could look at is the Annenberg Innovation Lab at USC. According to their website, as part of the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism they “practice innovation as a collaborative exploration involving artists, scientists, humanists and industry professionals working together on problems and opportunities at the dynamic intersections of media, technology, culture and society.”
Besides creating a space for artists to work, Godes hopes to grow the community of artists as well. He plans to go into CCI classes to speak about the club and its goals to give the minors the first opportunity to participate in the club and help spread the word, but wants to build the club past the minor and open it up to anyone on Chapman’s campus who has a creative idea and wants to pursue it.
The club would also include excursions to galleries, museums, and any other thought provoking institutions in the area that could benefit the creative mindset.
Godes’ goal for this semester is to establish a strong executive board and continue the club’s partnership with the CCI faculty so that it has a solid foundation and direction to go in for future semesters. Though his goal has been slightly altered due to the current conditions created by COVID-19 and the campus closure, Godes still plans to hold virtual club meetings and celebrate all of the creative work being made during this time. During this time it’s even more important to stay involved, in touch, and especially to stay creative so if you’re interested in joining the club please reach out to Godes at godes@chapman.edu for more information on how to get involved.
And if you’d like to learn more about developing and fostering creative spaces like Godes is with the CCI lab, check out the NEA’s “A Talk with Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa Nicodemus” on defining creative placemaking, or the website for the National Consortium for Creative Placemaking, which is a non-profit that believes “creative placemaking can make sustainable, prosperous, equitable, inclusive, and resilient places.”