In a world where it may feel difficult to find a safe space, some students at Durham College (DC) are building their own.
Fine Arts students have been working on creating “safe spaces” in their 3D Art and Design class run by professor Kamar Thomas.
The goal of this project was to use materials to create what they consider a safe space: emotionally, physically or spiritually.
Thomas hopes students can connect what they’re making with their hands to meaning in their heart, but it can be difficult sometimes, although “that is what it is to be an artist.”
“There is no becoming one’s full potential if you’re spending the energy scanning your environment for a threat,” says Thomas.
Prominent themes in the students’ “safe spaces” were nature and solitude, which attest to the positive effects of the outdoors on mental health.
According to the Canadian Psychological Association, exposure to nature enhances mental health. Even a few minutes can boost attention, reduce stress and improve mood.
Ciara Marhong created an outdoor bookshelf laying atop a rock on a stream of water. Two willow trees shielded the secluded library from the outside world and enclosed it in an embrace of safety.
John Badmus created a comfortable sitting area between two bamboo trees to read his Bible outdoors. He says he associates bamboo trees and the Bible with peace and calm.
“I really like my time I spend with God and it just makes me feel like that’s my quiet place. That’s my special place that I can just be myself in,” he says.
Rhys McNeil created a “futuristic city,” something atypical and just for him, while Ethan Ott built a train platform because he finds comfort in his commute to school by train rather than a city bus.
While reading a book called “The Science of Motivating Young People: Aged 10 to 25,” Thomas says he learned the safer the environment, the greater the individuality in children.
“Safety is the bedrock of creativity,” he says, so the safer students feel, the more creative and expressive they will be. “Safety is something you have to bring with you.”