The Pursuit of Creativity
How six roommates and friends coexist in the Nook Collective
Story and photograph by LAUREN DRAKE
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjOaOLcOeEA[/embed]
Nestled among the quiet parks of the Lettered Streets neighborhood in Bellingham, Washington, is a creative hub bursting with energy. Filled with tropical plants, repurposed whiskey bottles, plastic dinosaur figures and outdoor gear — this is home to the Nook Collective.
In late January of 2016, filmmakers Julien Sherliss and Brian Atkinson embarked on a 100-day photography project entitled “Nook Portraits.” Although their day jobs at local production company Hand Crank Films kept them busy, the two yearned for another outlet for their creativity. Nook Portraits became a space to break free of their routine.
“I think anybody can be creative. There’s this stigma around creativity that there’s just creative people and that you’re born a creative person. To me, creativity really is this ability to jump into the unknown and not be too afraid to do that — and I think that anybody can do that,” Julien says. “The danger of working in a creative industry is slowly becoming more and more afraid to do that, to start playing it more and more safe. That’s how you lose your creativity and just start grinding.”
Each evening, over the span of three months, Julien and Brian worked to capture the essence of personalities of Bellingham’s community on camera. With a little help from their friends and elaborate sets built out in a small corner of their house affectionately named ‘The Nook,’ they did just that.
Simultaneously, Dylan Fischer and Noah Lanphear, members of Western’s industrial design program, were starting a woodworking business out of their garage. Introduced to the pair of filmmakers by a mutual friend who had been helping with the portrait project, Will Barrett, they decided to relocate their new business to the nook house. Sharing their skills and pooling resources, the individual projects of each group began to succeed.
Midway through Nook Portraits, those friends began talks of forming their own creative collective.
As the idea began to stick, Benza Maman came into the picture. Julien’s friend and former classmate rounded out the group with his musical abilities. He and Will would later form the local electronic band Noisywaters. With the addition of Benza, the Collective found its footing.
The group of roommates, friends and co-workers banded together to form the Nook Collective. Their vision: an agency-style organization, allowing for creative freedom across a variety of disciplines and not sacrificing the quality of their work along the way.
“Millennials are figuring out ways to forge their own path without having to work for a company and grow in that company,” collective member Dylan says. “We’re trying to be entrepreneurial and I think that’s becoming more important in our culture.”
Together, they continue to support one another’s pursuits. Although each member specializes in a specific creative field, many are well-versed across disciplines and will jump into projects involving many skills.
Dylan says the multi-faceted nature of the Collective allows them to utilize one another’s expertise across projects.
“For us to have some filmmakers and photographers who can really create good content, for our website and for our marketing, it’s huge,” Dylan says. “I mean, it takes you from like kind of just a DIY shop to a more professional looking, better regarded group.”
By developing a style and reputation for themselves, Nook believes people will place trust in their work. An ideal client for the Collective would be someone wanting them to take a project from start to finish, projecting their own vision onto the work being produced.
Noah has noticed this type of business model providing the ability to build deeper relationships between creators and consumers. He thinks it gives them the the ability to customize pieces for folks in ways they wouldn’t experience when shopping at a larger volume outlet.
The Nook Collective members think there’s a shift occurring in our culture, with people turning away from the traditional method of finding a professional to carry out their vision. Instead, they’re moving towards seeking out the work of an artist whose style resonates with them, providing specifications for projects while still allowing artists to do their work.
They could be onto something, nearly 37 percent of millennials say they don’t trust big businesses, according to a recent study by SBR Consulting cited in Forbes Magazine. Additionally, online shopping markets like Etsy, that allow creatives to sell handmade work online, continue to grow. In a report by the company, active sellers increased by 15.5 percent to 1.6 million and buyers rose 21.4 percent to 24 million at the end of 2016.
“When we talk about full creative freedom, it’s not that we’re not taking into account what other people want and are interested in. We do want to be empathetic and we do think that it’s important to hear the voices that are behind a certain project. But I think what we want is to be able to try things,” Noah says.
The collective’s first project together involved tailoring the five-bedroom house they share to a spectrum of creative needs. This process, deemed as “phase one” of the collective, included additions of a bouldering wall which can be converted to stage space, a concrete bar, a portrait studio and a woodworking shop — all within the garage. Other home improvements included a full editing bay in their detached studio and a practice space for Noisywaters in the living room.
The Nook members feel the time spent curating a creative space was worth it, despite renting the property. To them, these work areas allow for an idea to be turned into a tangible concept the very moment they feel inspired.
“There’s going to be a point when we leave this house, probably in the next two years. But the process, just going through it, is the most incredible feeling. It’s gritty and it sucks sometimes when you’re in it. Then you get to the end and you reflect on it like, man, that was hard but it felt good and it was fun and I’ll do it again” Dylan says.
Phase one of renovation was documented through a series of video blog posts known as vlogs. Over the course of eight episodes, the Nook Collective found vlogging wasn’t for them. Will emphasized this point, stating all that stuff takes a “disgusting” amount of work, especially to produce at the level of quality they wanted.
The collective then began trying to get their name out in different ways, particularly through work within the community. In an effort to harness the creative power of Bellingham, Nook began working with multiple local business in creative planning. Ultimately, these ventures fell through, bringing phase one to a close.
Reality began to dawn on the Nook Collective. For members Dylan and Noah, school picked up full-force. For Julien and Brian, they were in the swing of production season at Hand Crank. During this time, Will and Benza began to delve into Noisywaters.
Will says it was an opportunity for a different kind of contribution to the group through development of their individual skills. In September 2017, the Nook Collective began to revitalize, looking to move forward their original vision of collaborating with one another.
“There was a period where we sort of separated and had been working on our individual crafts without creating synergy through them. But now, I think we’re starting to kind of change the system in which we’re doing stuff and figuring out how to combine all of these things into projects, which is sort of the agency format,” Julien says.
Their first project? Noisywaters. The band that grew within the collective has gained traction nationally and continues to expand their reach.
Treating the band as if they were a client of the Nook Collective, they will design a whole campaign around their music. This includes the live performance experience: stage and light design, visuals and any other props necessary. It also includes the creation of marketing materials, such as photos and videos, to promote Noisywaters. Moving forward, the Nook creatives want to find more multi-faceted projects they can all get behind.
Another part of phase two has been the creation of a Nook Etsy shop for Brian, Noah and Dylan to sell woodworking projects. This is both a way to supplement income for collective members and to further their learning and craftsmanship along the way, Brian says.
As for creativity, the Nook Collective still sees value in shifting the paradigm of how others understand and value creative work.
“We perceive creative people as very expressive and idealistic. There’s not always the monetary reward that I feel is necessary. I think a lot of times creative people are what make this world exciting and make it interesting. The value actually put on it is, at times, good but it’s not always given the value that is deserved,” Noah says.
This mindset of creativity and innovation as core competencies for the 21st century is supported by a recent study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED). As identified by 17 participating countries, in order for the next generation to thrive, major restructuring of national educational programs is necessary to integrate these skills.
Each day, the Nook Collective members push forward with grit to fulfill their individual and collective dreams. When it comes down to it, they’re happy pursuing what they love.
“If I could live my life just working with all these guys, that would be — that’s like the dream. Way more the dream than me making it alone, not able to share it with anyone. I was on that trajectory before this, and I would choose this over that every time,” says Benza.
The group acts like brothers together, spending endless amounts of time sharing ideas and cracking jokes. Despite their busy schedules, meals are always a time to gather at the handmade wood and metal table at the center of the Nook house. As collective members sit on mismatched chairs and stools, they take a moment out of their busy days to appreciate one another’s company.
The Nook Collective brings life to their neighborhood, community and one another. Although the nature of their work may shift, that’s one thing that won’t change anytime soon.
MEET THE NOOK
Julien Scherliss
Julien Scherliss, a filmmaker in the collective, moved to Bellingham from living in Los Angeles where he’d planned to make a break as the next Kubrick. Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, Julien wanted to be a chef. With the help of his cousin, they filmed a cooking show in his parents’ kitchen on borrowed equipment — this was when Julien discovered film was much more fun.
Brian Atkinson
Brian Atkinson grew up in Boulder, Colorado, dreaming of becoming a ninja. Although that dream hasn’t changed for Brian, he won’t be leaving his role as a filmmaker and designer in the collective anytime soon. Brian fled life in L.A. three years ago in search of a less cut-throat environment. Originally coming to Bellingham as a layover on his way to Portland, Brian has been here ever since.
Noah Lanphear
Noah Lanphear came to Bellingham, like many others, to attend Western. Growing up in Snohomish and Seattle, Noah knew from the very beginning he wanted to pursue creative work. Turned off by the job prospects for traditional artists, he discovered a passion for Industrial Design. Noah is now a designer and resident voluminous hair expert in the collective.
Dylan Fischer
Dylan Fischer, a designer in the collective, comes from a creative family. Having always loved Legos as a child (and still to this day), Dylan jumped at the opportunity to pursue his dream education in Bellingham after learning of Western’s industrial design program. Hailing from Billings, Montana and later Bainbridge Island, Dylan was instilled with a love for the outdoors that sticks with him.
Will Barrett
Will Barrett, a musician and designer in the collective, came to Bellingham to attend Western hoping it would be a better fit than his previous three colleges. Growing up, Will traveled the world with his architect parents from their homebase in Boulder, Colorado — instilling in him a permanent sense of wanderlust. Trained in classical harp, Will rediscovered his love for the instrument (with a twist) in co-founding the band Noisywaters.
Benza Maman
Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, Benza Maman’s world was full of fantasy and no one’s quite sure if that’s ever changed. Benza, a musician in the collective, seems to have been born with musical ability — no doubt instilled by his father, a world-renowned sound healer. Having moved to Los Angeles in search of a record deal following high school graduation, Benza later fled the industry that nearly engrossed him. He now makes up the second half of Noisywaters.