Unglued: Creativity Lives On

Creativity Lives On

By Alexandra Martin Photos by M. Schleif Photography

Thanks to the vibrant, brilliant minds of the team at Unglued, crafts and DIY are thriving, despite the ripples of the pandemic.

As soon as summer hits the upper midwest, hoards of crafty, fun-loving adults rejoice at the anticipation of attending Unglued's Summer Camp. On the wooded shores of YMCA Camp Cormorant in Lake Park, Minn., Ashley Morken and the team at Unglued host an unforgettable weekend of crafts, artisanal beverages, camp-style meals and new friendships. Created in 2014, the camp came about with intentions of bringing likeminded adults together for some old-fashioned summer camp fun...just like in the good ol' days.

But this year such an extravaganza wasn't the right call. Health concerns and extra precautions meant a summer sleepaway camp with dozens of adults stacked up in bunk beds wouldn't work. However, just because the grounds of Camp Cormorant aren't filled with creative folks doesn't mean the creativity has stopped!

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a creative outlet is needed now more than ever. With extra time on a lot of our hands, many people have been drawn to trying out some new practices and diving into more activities.

"Creativity" doesn't have to be painting or pottery or knitting. Creativity can sometimes come in the form of problem-solving. And lucky for us, Ashley Morken and the crew at Unglued are creative in all senses of the word. Unglued has been able to keep Fargo-Moorhead (and beyond!) creating and inspired amidst the COVID-climate, thanks to such creative problem-solving. Camp or not, the spirit of craftiness lives on!

Virtual Workshops

The first out-of-the-box challenge for Unglued came with introducing virtual workshops. When the pandemic first began to hit our area, Unglued knew they needed to close their retail location, for the safety of their staff and community. But at the time, they already had a couple of workshops on their schedule that they were planning on hosting. "We started thinking if those could end up being virtual," said Morken. "We had never done that before, we had no idea what platform we would use! But we talked with the instructors and asked if they would be willing to do these virtually." Just a week after they closed their brick-and-mortar, they started hosting classes over Zoom. Supplies for the classes were mailed to participants and, "magically" everything ended up being amazing, according to Morken.

"We saw the response on social media and how [the classes] gave people hope. They were thinking, 'we are going to be stuck at home – and no one knows for how long – but maybe we can still do stuff that feels sort of normal,'" she said. Workshop attendance has varied everywhere from intimate classes of four people all the way to almost 50 coming together for Viking Yoga. When they started hosting the virtual events, Unglued wasn't sure if the idea would stick or not. But now that they've seen the desire for them, they plan on hosting more, especially as the winter and holiday gift-giving seasons come around.

Morken was pleasantly surprised by the amount of interest in these virtual workshops, both from familiar faces and individuals all the way from Hawaii to Massachusetts. To have materials sent to your doorstep and a class that is live and interactive, not just pre-recorded, is something that makes Unglued's classes stand out nationwide.

"We love when we start off a call or workshop asking where everyone is from and how they got connected to the class. So many of them have not been in Fargo or they make a comment that they never make it to in-person workshops even if they do live in town. So it's been crazy how many people it has been able to expand craft and DIY to that would have never had otherwise" said Morken.

Crafts used to be a luxury. Reserved for those who have the extra hours to dedicate to creating something with their hands or for those naturally right-brained. But now, people are craving a break from reality and need the reprieve that comes with holding something they made. "I feel that people have been finding ways to stay creative and try new things. And here we have stuff that keeps them busy or just is really fun," said Morken.

With a lower amount of in-person events happening, these virtual workshops are a great way for local makers to share their craft and market their work. "We found too, that the makers who've been [teaching virtual workshops], they didn't have their normal income coming in from markets or in-person events. So it was a way for some of them to maintain a little bit of income that they wouldn't have had otherwise," There's also something to say about knowing a maker personally and feeling more connected to their work. By taking a class directly from them, community members can get more excited about supporting them and uplifting their businesses.

The Getaway Series

In the spirit of sticking with their mission and finding unique ways to keep serving the people they serve, Unglued brainstormed with great care a way to preserve the comradery and scenery that came with Unglued's much anticipated annual summer camp.

The result? Coming in September, Unglued will be hosting two one-day socially-distanced retreats at Crooked Lane Farms in Colfax. These retreats are being branded as "Unglued: The Getaway Series" and will comprise of workshops with local makers, lots of fresh air and open spaces, festive cocktails and sack lunch-style meals.

Having a one-day fall retreat out in Colfax isn't new to Unglued, as they put on a similar event last year. However, this year brought a new set of problems to solve and concerns to address. "We are keeping it super flexible and we will be highly aware and watching what's going on with COVID in our area, We will keep a full-refund policy at any point, even the day of," said Morken. The crew at Unglued want attendees to be hyper-aware of safety and they want them to be wondering what COVID precautions will be taken. "We want people to be aware that we are not just flippantly like, 'We're going to do a craft retreat!' This has been painstakingly thought out, surveyed and researched. And still up for the flexibility of it not happening is something were to come up where we felt it was totally inappropriate to continue," said Morken. It'll be weird and different, but that's no reason to not give it a go. If it can be done safely, this is just what we need at a time like this.

Every attendee of the retreat will get their own COVID safety kit: a camptastic fanny pack equipped with hand sanitizer and a cute cloth mask. Temperatures will be taken before entry, social distancing will be in place and mask-wearing will be required for the entirety of the event, save for eating and drinking and in designated "fresh air" stations. Since the farm is so large, there will be a few fresh air stations far from the main event, in which you can take a breather and enjoy the crisp fall air – but with precautions in place.

The retreat will have all things one comes to expect out of an Unglued event. There will be workshops teaching everything from blacksmithing to sourdough bread making to woodburning. Each event will have its guidelines shared beforehand, ensuring attendees feel comfortable with all details of the specific workshops. Craft cocktails and artisanal brews are staples of Unglued events, so they will still be served, but will be monitored with a set amount of drink tickets per person. By limiting the amount of alcohol consumed, the Unglued team can better keep social distancing enforced.

In the spirit of flexibility, there will also be a half-day option for those not wanting to embark on a full day. The name of the Unglued Getaway Series game is fluidity and whatever makes local creatives the most comfortable, Unglued wants to encourage.

"We want to inspire hope and creativity, but only in a safe way," said Morken. "We are trying to make it really clear that, yes, you

are 100 percent safer not doing any events at all. But we don't want to just give up the ship because it is complicated. If there is a way we can make something happen that feels magical and keeps people creative and connected, we will figure out a way it can be done safely."

Even with all the different rules in place, the heart and soul of the event will remain the same: make friends, make crafts, make memories.

To view virtual workshop offerings, visit unglued.myshopify.com To learn more about the Getaway Series, stay tuned to their social media channels for announcements, facebook.com/ ungluedmarket