An Interview with Candido Crespo of CreativiDAD
Today we have a very cool interview for you! We’re talking with Candido Crespo who is the founder of the amazing creativiDAD project based up in New York. (Isn’t creativiDAD the coolest name ever?)
Candido’s inspiration and his motivation to share creativity with his son is awesome to witness - and his thoughts about fatherhood and childhood have always made me feel like we’re kindred spirits in our ventures! It’s an honor to help spread the story of the creativiDAD project, and I hope you enjoy learning about it.
Maybe you’re in his area and can take part in some of his parent/child workshops - or maybe find a virtual one. And perhaps some of you might even be inspired to do something similar in your neck of the woods!
The essence of creativiDAD is spending quality time with your kids while being creative - but Candido can explain it WAY better than I can! Let’s let him do it!
Hey Candido! Thanks for agreeing to do an interview with us! First of all, tell us about the creativiDAD project.
Candido: The creativiDAD project aims to encourage parents, specifically fathers and male guardians, to add creativity to their parenting toolbelts. This initiative was developed as a result of becoming a father and attempting to seek time to remain creative yet ensuring I was spending quality time with my child. Since staying up late every night is not sustainable, I experimented with combining both in order to find balance. The result was incredible and has led to a very strong bond between my son and I rooted in shared experiences and a variety of methods of communication. I was enthusiastic about sharing this knowledge with other fathers, so in partnership with the Huntington Arts Council and multiple public libraries, creativiDAD project became a community initiative.
The concept took shape in the form of 1 hour long free visual art workshops, in which families are asked to use their imagination and critical thinking skills to not only create a work of art, but also a memory. To date, I have hosted 7 of these workshops virtually and at local libraries. My 4 year old son has also assisted in hosting, creating and sharing examples, and engaging with families, really making the project come full circle. The experience is truly communal as families interact with their art as well as the other families.
That really sounds like an amazing thing that you're building, and it sounds like it's growing from very beautiful intentions. Could you talk more about your personal history with art and being creative, and why it was actually important for you to find time to keep that a part of your life after becoming a dad - and to share it with your son?
Candido: My story isn’t one of “I’ve been an artist since I was 5,” but I did become interested in art through comic books. In addition to reading them, I used to collect them so I could try to draw the super heroes from observation. My favorite was Spawn by Todd McFarlane (I was fortunate to meet him at New York Comic Con a few years back).
I truly enjoyed drawing and being creative in general. I took as many art classes as I could in grade school and joined art clubs and mural committees. However, I didn’t want to be an artist. I really wanted to be a teacher. So I merged the 2, and started teaching Art in 2007.
Creativity, outside of being a favorite past time, has always been a superpower. It’s allowed me to feel empowered and given me the strength to feel like I belonged in spaces I’d otherwise be excluded. So it was a nonnegotiable when I became a father.
I wanted to make sure I remained creative as much as possible. However staying up late every night isn’t sustainable so I decided to try to include my son. The result was incredible! I got to continue do what I love while my son and I shared quality time. He learned a new tool for communication, and now it’s one of our favorite things to do. I’ve also witnessed how he challenges himself to try harder subjects or media. Oh, and it really helps to extend the discussions and learning from children’s books we read!
We’ll definitely have to talk about those books later! I remember McFarlane had a big influence on my brother as well - and my family had to track him down at a comic con as well! I particularly like the part of your origin story where you decide to include your son in your creative journey, and the way you describe his confidence and communication skills growing as well. Do your workshops feature activities you and your son have enjoyed together? Could you describe some examples of what a creativiDAD workshop might include?
Candido: Prior to launching the initiative, my son and I tried a bunch of different projects and materials. When I decide on the project we'll share, we work on 2 examples. I create one alone and then we collaborate on another. This allows the participating families to get an idea of what different versions of the same project could look like. We have shared our Earth Day project that combines found materials with family portraits and a painting of the Earth. We've also shared our clay insect sculpture project with a paper sculpture environment. The families seemed to really enjoy both. Occasionally the collaborating library may request a seasonal project which is always fun as well.
You mention doing workshops virtually as well as in person. Were the virtual workshops a pandemic solution - or is that a permanent part of your offerings to reach a larger audience? And do you have a home base for creativiDAD project workshops, or do you travel around?
Candido: I mainly travel. I have my bins of supplies and a handcart always ready. The virtual workshops were definitely a result of the pandemic. Our first was in person in 2021, and then one of the many strands forced us to stay home again. During that time, I asked the library to register families and have them pick-up the needed supplies that I packaged from the library and it went very well. The difficulty with the virtual workshops is ensuring that the families have the needed materials. Otherwise it's just as successful in ultimately meeting the goal- getting fathers/male guardians to create with their children. I guess it could work if I made a group where participants can get informed about the next project, maybe shop for the supplies in advance, and then meet me at a scheduled time online for a livestream - I'm using our interview to come up with new ideas!
I heard recently that the CreativiDAD Project was awarded a grant for your work. Congratulations for that! Is there a specific opportunity that those funds supported or will make possible? And do you have any other specific wishes for the future?
Candido: And thank you! The newest round funding will increase our hope for accessibility tremendously. I attended a workshop at the Adding Voices Conference in Philadelphia in October 2022. During the workshop, William Estrada introduced us to his Mobile Street Art Cart. The cart is designed like the Tamale Lady's food cart. He parks the cart in public places and invites people to create free art. I was blown away by this idea, so I applied for funding to create my own cart and do something very similar. I'm hoping to get that in the streets this Summer.
My wife always asks, "what's the end goal?" And I think I don't have an answer because I keep thinking about new possibilities. Recently, because of this work, I have been invited to present to mental health providers on how art can be healing and help with re-connecting or strengthening families. That's been special because I never saw that opportunity coming. So ultimately, I hope that the initiative continues to grow and the vision continues to spread.
(Update: We checked in with Candido months later to see how the growth plans are shaping up!) Following up now that we’re heading into the end of 2024. Has the creativiDAD cart been born? What new possibilities for the creativiDAD project have you and your son come up with?
Candido: As much as I would have loved to create the cart, and still plan to in the future, having the art cart would've directed me away from working specifically with fathers and male guardians. I would have been offering my services to a broader community. However, fathers are my intended target audience and I want to stay on task.
As my son grows older and more confident with his artistic and public speaking skills he will be joining and leading additional workshops with me. We want to continue working with public libraries. Those facilities have been so good to and for us. Additionally, we are looking to partner with other local organizations striving to make change within their community. Lastly, I would love to lead workshops in which I could share my experiences with other fathers looking to lead similar initiatives in their communities.
Allow me to dream big here for a moment because I would really like to start a podcast and maybe even a television mini-series exploring the topic of parenting and creativity. I'll be sure to have you as a guest!
That sounds great - and I’d be honored! You mentioned earlier learning from the children’s books you read together. Can you let us know a few of your favorites? Do you and your son have different favorites?
Candido: Yes! We love to use books as inspirational material. After reading we create a craft that not only allows us to be creative, but helps to solidify learning and review the theme or moral of the story.
A few Crespo favorites to use include Skater Cielo by Rachel Katstaller, Samurai Scarecrow by Rubin Pingk, and of course the Creepy books Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown. Oh, we created a LEGO stop motion video based on Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's The Three Billy Goat Gruff.
Regarding personal favorites, I'm a Where The Wild Things Are kind of guy. Initially he didn't like that one because the monsters were scary, but now we have similar interests so we like a lot of the same books. Exploring new books together is part of the journey so thanks for all of your suggestions!
Whoa I need to see that Billy Goats Gruff movie! For everyone out there interested in following your journey with the creativiDAD project (including purchasing one of those awesome t-shirts I saw you share), where are the best places to keep up with what you are doing?
Candido: We love the simplicity and efficiency of Instagram. Everyone can connect with us @creatividadproject.
Thanks a ton for taking the time to talk with us about your amazing passion project. Kudos to you for being such a great dad and helping other families out there explore creativity together and spend quality time together.
Candido: Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed that interview as much as I did. What a cool project! I love to see the passion, and I wish them all the luck in the world for continued success and fun together. Any dads out there feeling inspired?
