Creative Energy
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
ART GROVE circa 4pm—Still pleasantly damp from a plunge in Lake Veronica, I stroll into the Art Grove, Camp’s hub for crafting and visual arts. The space is defined by a tarp floor, a large event shade, and an assortment of handmade furniture layered with decades of paint splotches and decoupaged magazine clippings. A portable speaker sits atop one such cabinet, contributing indie folk tunes into the studio atmosphere. Some distant forest fires have cast a haze on Camp today, slightly raising the temperature and lowering the energy. It’s a perfect opportunity to indulge in some nonstrenuous busywork such as the Art Grove has to offer.
“We’re making spell pouches,” declares Art Instructor Max Papes, gesturing at a tableful of curated supplies. “First, you pick the color of your fabric. This is important as each color is associated with a different energetic intention.”
“Ooh, I want to make one!” says Mina, 11, Maroon Tipi.
“Here’s the descriptions of the fabric colors,” says Max, sliding a document over to Mina. “Once you pick your fabric, then you get to fill it with different plants. We have bay leaves—those are good for manifesting—lichen, St. John’s-wort, pine, sparrow, wild mint, an a bunch of other choices.”
Mina opts for purple, calling in wisdom, influence, independence, power, and spirit.
“Here, have some black salt for extra protection,” advises Max.
“I was just chilling here and figured, ‘Why not?’,” says Mina, fiddling with a string that will be eventually used to close the pouch. “I’ll probably use it as a keychain. I don’t have any keys, but I like to put keychains on my backpack.”
At a nearby table, a group of crafters are fiddling with a different type of string altogether.
“We’re making friendship bracelets,” says Quinn, 13, Orange Tipi. “Basically you take these different color strings and braid it into pretty patterns. They’re called ‘friendship bracelets’ because you can give them to your friends and they last forever.”
As we chat, a new camper rushes into the Art Grove, making a beeline for the watercolors and a blank postcard.
“I was practicing at the Tightrope Site when I remembered I hadn’t finished my postcard,” says Paloma, 8, Maroon Tipi. “I’m gonna send it to my mom today. I’m gonna tell her I’m having a lot of fun—way more fun than last year.”
She dips an impractically large foam brush into the red section of the tray and begins working it on to the postcard with horizontal strokes. The postcard arches as it absorbs the watery paint.
“I’m painting a rainbow because this is a colorful place,” continues Paloma. “I like to use my hands to make things, and I like how the colors blend together.”
“The vibe of the Art Grove is vibey,” asserts Art Instructor Rose Moylan, tidying supplies as she moves about the space. “There’s lots of creative energy and no drama. Everybody has been making things up on their own. The morning class periods can be pretty serious, but in the afternoon my job is basically just to hand out scissors. So far today I’ve handed out four pairs. I’ve also noticed a lot of tape has gone missing.”
“Music is a key part of the Art Grove process,” adds Rose. “All the art teachers make up their own playlists to play during class. I made this playlist from all the clean songs on my Spotify. It’s nine hours long. The philosophy of the Art Grove is to wear shoes, stay out of the ‘ART TEACHERS ONLY’ cabinet, clean up after yourself, and to find inner peace.”
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor
