McKenna Dutton
Hello fellow readers! My name is McKenna Dutton and I am the creator of the Future Creatives group. I’m a junior at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. I’m a Marketing Major with a Creative Writing Minor and I’m passionate about providing space and time for creative students.
When I first arrived at Eau Claire I was unsure of what I wanted to do.
I was snooping around campus one day during my freshman year and I found myself stumbling on the fourth floor of Centennial. I didn't know why I was drawn there. Call it fate or random dumb luck, but I saw that giant glass building and I just thought “I wonder what’s at the top.”
I found the first elevator I could. I wandered down the maze-like hallways of the fourth floor of Centennial and I found that I was in the English Department. I couldn’t help but feel a strange fuzzy feeling of being at home. I walked down the hallways, and I eventually found the Kate Gill Library. There was a little sign that said “Open to any English Majors or Minors.” Being a fellow business major I worried about possibly being kicked out, but then I thought, “Who’s really going to manage a small library in a random building all that closely.” So I decided to venture in.
There was another student sitting in the Kate Gill Library and I couldn’t help but talk to this fellow compatriot. They said their name was Kat and I asked them about their experience with UWEC. Eventually, I told them that I would love to do something in creative writing, but I didn’t know if I could fully jump in with a major or minor.
All Kat said was “Why not?”
Why not? is exactly my question to you today.
Why not take the time to be creative? Why not make the time to finally work on the book or story of your dreams? Why not create that comic? Why not?
When I became a Creative Writing Minor, I realized there were opportunities on campus to write. I thought “Why not?” and I applied for these opportunities. I joined the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and now I’m at the Center of Writing Excellence, but there still wasn’t a place for me to write the way I wanted to. To work on my writing projects. A place to keep me accountable. A place where other creative students like me could get together and collaborate on our creative projects.
“So that’s why I created Future Creatives. A group that can encourage creative students to come together and collaborate.”
So that’s why I created Future Creatives. A group that can encourage creative students to come together and collaborate. While the group is starting out, I wanted to focus on working with student writers, and then once the group gets bigger, I would love to invite other student creatives. Like graphic designers, painters, fellow crafters, podcasters, origami swan makers, crocheters, and anyone who cares about creativity.
I’m not saying this is a place to teach creatives more about their craft. Future Creatives is about bringing creatives together to give themselves the space to perfect their craft and hopefully to learn from other creatives as well. A place to ask the question, “Why not?” and go for it anyway.
So come one, come all creatives big and small! Join Future Creatives! Our first meeting is on February 9th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Center of Writing Excellence space on the second floor of the McIntyre Library. From there, we’ll continue to meet on Fridays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the McIntyre Library on the UW-EC campus.