Letter to the editor: As creative expression goes away, so does humanity

Creativity is one of the most “latent” human qualities that Homo Sapiens are blessed with. Oh, monkeys can use sticks to eat ants with or learn to use sign language, but I am referring to a much higher level here.

Almost all young children up to and into grade school love to draw and color. They are, or can be, very creative. Somewhere, as time goes by, the child grows and gets involved in other areas of interest. These areas may not be necessarily creative, but they can be. Those creative juices are within almost all of us in some form or another. Consciously or unconsciously, it is there, one of the highest traits of being human.

Those involved in the humanities (the arts) have pushed the human condition to a higher level. Music, writing or the visual arts, to name a few, all originate from within. From an idea to reality, creativity comes from the heart and soul. It can be one of the highest forms of expression.

Most things that we cherish and use have been imagined and created or put into reality by someone. The arts are one of the first things we might think of when the word “creativity” is spoken. It produces something from nothing. It can blossom into almost unlimited areas of thought and endeavor.

Yet, the arts are deemed as one of the less important or less pursued areas in our educational system. I have noticed this especially in our colleges and universities in the last several years. This is especially true in many of our community colleges where the creative arts have been downgraded to a token offering.

Through the 1950s and into the 1970s, Bob Bauer brought the arts at Centralia College from nowhere to a small but complete offering in the arts. Creativity was alive and flourished. Actual buildings house the arts, and a formal department was formed. All of this, 20 years in the making, was destroyed with no intention of replacement. The creative arts are now, and have been, over 50 years behind what it used to be.

At a recent Centralia College meeting on May 27, examples were shown on future layouts and offerings. Guess what? The future of the creative arts was left out again. No growth in this area was planned, present or future. So much more could be offered to students and the community if a structured art department was formed. More could be offered than even the four-year universities do. With the right programs and facilities, it is not hard to imagine a four-year degree in the creative arts being available at Centralia College.

But, sadly, there is no interest in enhancing this area now or any time in the future. One must remember: as creative expression goes away, so does humanity.

James Stafford

Adna