GENUINE COLLABORATION: Connecting, Collaboration, and Creativity

By Maddie Pivonka 

When I think of collaboration, I think about the dreaded high school group projects where one person ends up doing all the work while the others slack off. Now I know what you’re thinking…that’s an awful view of collaboration.  Trust me, though, I have plenty of positive experiences that resonate much more deeply. 

Collaboration is defined on the web as, “the action of working with someone to produce or create something,” which - if you think about it - is something we do on a daily basis without even trying. Almost every aspect of our life involves some sort of collaboration, whether that be the job you have, the people you surround yourself with, or the hobbies you pour yourself into. If I were to break down my day-to-day routine, I could find collaboration in the classes I attend when teachers and students work together to solve problems, at Creative Generation when we meet to discuss what communications will look like for the week, and in my arts endeavors such as choreographing a dance with a peer. All of these things require collaboration because without it they would be incomplete. 

Collaboration Cultivates Creativity

Working with others provides us with a point of view we may not have been able to adapt on our own. This removes ignorance and makes a space for relationships to form. Collaboration also makes work more efficient by allowing each person to offer their specialized abilities. Instead of doing everything by yourself, you can self-select certain tasks for each individual’s contribution. This cuts down each person’s workload and makes each person feel appreciated and seen. 

Lastly, collaboration is crucial because we do not live on this Earth alone. Although I’m sure there are introverts out there who wouldn’t mind being the last person alive, a majority of people benefit socially and mentally from working with others. Especially in an arts-based environment where creativity can flow from one person to another. 

To put it simply Collaboration Cultivates Creativity.
*Alliteration not intended but it works quite well here* 

A Practical Example: We Are Queens

As a current college student at an arts-based University, I wanted to take this one step further and put collaboration at college campuses under a microscope. In order to show the relationship between genuine collaboration and arts-based opportunities on college campuses, I have asked two of my colleagues Tal Kamin and Allison Winsby to give me their perspective on collaboration within their current jobs and projects. To give you a background of each: 

Tal Kamin (she/her) is the founder of We Are Queens, a Gen-Z led 501(c)3 nonprofit women’s empowerment organization, which has over 50 College chapters including Oklahoma City University where I am the President of our chapter. Tal works closely with her Executive team as well as the Presidents of each college chapter to put on monthly roundtables featuring professional guest speakers, find internship and job opportunities with relevant companies, mentorship pairings with performers such as Radio City Rockettes, and even a 4-day long retreat to New York City in the summer. She truly is the queen of making things happen, but I know she couldn’t do it without her many teammates. 

Tal had the following to say about collaboration within We Are Queens: 

“Collaboration plays a huge role in the way that we not only continue to grow as an organization, but ensure that we’re really enjoying every step of the process” 

Within multiple layers of the organization, collaboration is a key part in communication and interaction. It is super important to Tal that everybody feels as though they are being heard and their ideas are being implemented. Every person’s opinion matters and contributes to the future of We Are Queens. She aims to create a “liberating, safe, positive community where everyone feels comfortable to express themselves.” This is crafted to give people the opportunity to speak up through anonymous forms, popcorning, and constant one on one check ins. Effective communication takes place when people are confident and comfortable in the conversation. Everyone within that conversation is made feel like they belong no matter what is going on in their life. In each meeting there is a specific amount of time set aside for a life check in, which gives everyone the opportunity to “dial in and feel like they can share their full selves with the group.” Breakout rooms and reactions are also a great way to interact in a virtual format. 

Tal has seen a lot of positives come from the collaboration in We Are Queens specifically “outputs that are way stronger than they would have been from one person’s idea” as well as people stepping into their own as leaders. Our individual thought patterns can become limiting, but working with others can be “illuminating” as we see other backgrounds and walks of life. 

In terms of challenges, Tal is a self-sufficient person who has realized that ”the sum of the parts are always greater than the whole” and the process is more productive, meaningful, and fun. She sees the benefit of including others even when a task can be done on her own. Tal makes a good point that the arts are very process-driven and we understand the importance of listening to others and creating welcoming platforms. There is constant interaction between each player in a performance such as the performers, stage crew, audience. Community is extremely important in these scenarios and there is a high-level respect gained when collaborating with each player. 

A Personal Example

Allison Winsby (she/her) is a sophomore Design and Production Major with an emphasis in Costume Design and Technology who has designed the costumes for multiple operas and plays put on by OCU. She has played a major role in most of these performances and worked closely with not only the faculty but also her peers to make sure the costumes are in tip top shape for each performance. She collaborates on a daily basis and has learned many important skills from these opportunities. 

Allison had the following to say about collaboration in the arts realm: 

She first notes that “theater is a collaborative art form” and it takes an army to produce a show. As a costume designer Allison works with everyone from the production and performance side. She begins her process by looking over the script and the music, which is her way of acknowledging the wishes of the playwrights. She then works with the director and other designers to “bring the director’s vision to life in a cohesive way” which is easier said than done. Once they have agreed upon the show’s look, Allison becomes a liaison between the designers and director and the costume shop. She leads them as they begin creating each of the costumes, making sure to give them clear instructions so the process is as efficient as possible. From there, there will naturally be many mistakes, corrections, and lessons learned throughout the process. Without collaboration, there would be no costumes to design and no progress made. 

In Allison’s opinion, communication is key to creating effective collaboration. Without clear communication the vision could be lost and time could be wasted. This is one of the struggles she has faced along with differences in opinions. Art is subjective and everyone wants to give their opinion, but it is not always possible to take all of those into consideration. What Allison recommends is acknowledging each person’s perspective and deciding as a group what will be best for the show as well as asking questions. Questions will lead to more clear communication and allow everyone to feel like they are contributing. 


Some positives Allison has noticed from collaborating with her peers are the new perspectives she has gained as an artist and person. Every person she works with will interpret the story of the show a different way and by working with them, she can see it through their eyes. Another positive is the improvement in her communication skills. She has found her voice as a leader, and feels like she can more clearly communicate her ideas to the other designers and creators. She notes that “each area has its purpose and it is important that we work together…in order to create a good show” which is true for all types of art forms. 

I then asked Allison her thoughts on the relationship between the arts in general and collaboration. She agrees that one can not exist without the other and that “any art piece you see, whether a painting, a play, a song…took a village to create no matter how many names you see on it” which was an interesting and important point to make. Collaboration can not exist without credit which should always be given to those involved in order for proper appreciation to be shown. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Allison’s perspective especially as someone who has a love for fashion but has never worked in costume design. 

Conclusion

Overall, I think it is clear that the arts can not exist without collaboration, especially in arts organizations such as We Are Queens and the production of performances. 

Collaboration allows artists and creatives to speak their mind while appreciating the perspectives of other brilliant minds. Without collaboration, we would lack creativity and connection which are crucial in the arts realm and especially on college campuses where people from all different backgrounds come together. 

Whether you are a part of an arts organization and need to make important decisions on a daily basis or designing a show from top to bottom, collaboration will be a vital and beautiful part of the process.