Attendees made sustainable Valentine’s Day gifts at the Brookland Arts Walk event

Valentine’s Day, often associated with love, has also become synonymous with consumerism. But with the increased popularity of eco-friendly products, people are finding more sustainable ways to celebrate the holiday, especially in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, the Brookland Arts Walk in D.C. hosted the “Create Night: Valentine's Day Edition” event in its artist lounge. The Brookland Arts Walk is an art center with art studios and spaces for community events. The event was a collaboration between Climate Classes DC, Goodwill of Greater Washington and local upcycle artist Tim Kime.

Rather than purchasing expensive gifts, participants were invited to craft collages and cards using donated items from Goodwill, newspapers and other reusable materials. The two-hour event commenced at 6 p.m., with attendees congregating around the large table in the artist lounge to socialize and create heartfelt Valentine’s Day gifts.

Climate Classes DC is an organization that works to fight climate change through helping people make sustainable lifestyle changes. Climate Classes has been partnering with Goodwill for the past two years and connected with Tim Kime through them. Kime is the Chief Creative Force of Transformation Junkies, a business which turns regular items into art and colorful furniture. Kime is also a blogger for Goodwill.

Carolyn Becker, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement at Goodwill of Greater Washington, conceived the idea of incorporating upcycling into the Valentine's Day-themed event. Goodwill of Greater Washington’s specialties include sustainable thrifting, fashion and home decor. Katherine Christopher, chairperson for Climate Classes DC, was eager to help attendees upcycle materials during the event.

“Instead of purchasing a card you can make something with almost everything here. For example, the construction paper was construction paper I had lying around my house. I did not go out and buy it,” Christopher said. “There were some magazines because I have a few magazine subscriptions and so people are cutting those up. I also for some reason had some old stickers lying around.”

During the event, Goodwill’s blue tables offered a selection of affordable items like mugs, jars, and bowls for attendees to purchase and decorate. The lounge was equipped with brushes, construction paper and markers for whatever attendees wanted to create. Christopher viewed the event as a more cost-effective and heartfelt approach to Valentine’s Day.

“The idea is definitely so people aren't feeling like they need to go to insert your store buying, XYZ for XYZ amount of money,” Christopher said. “It's taking us back to those days when we were making art projects for the people that we love.”

Becker said that she wanted to build upon previous DIY workshops and activities organized by Goodwill, Climate Classes DC and Tim Kime. The decision to focus on Valentine’s Day stemmed from their shared commitment to themed events and fostering inclusivity.

“Valentine's Day is often thought of as a holiday where it's like couples, people and their partners doing things together and not about self-love or the love of your friend or of a family member,” Becker said. “So, how can we create an opportunity where anybody can come and celebrate and honor Valentine's Day, the holiday of love, no matter what your situation is.”

In addition to promoting environmental sustainability, Goodwill aims to create connections among D.C. residents. Becker is proud of the way that people have connected at events like “Create Night.”

“It's so gratifying to create these communities and opportunities where people can just sit down, work on something creative, get the brain working and flowing,” Becker said. “And arenas where people can just talk to each other without fear of awkward pause or anything like that. Just being together.”

One attendee who appreciated “Create Night's” welcoming atmosphere was Emily Jacobson, a political researcher in D.C. “Create Night" was her first time attending an event at the Brookland Arts Walk. Jacobson enjoyed making art and meeting people at the event.

“I like being in this space with other people where we're all just being creative. People made some fun stuff like gluing sparkles on an elephant, or someone made a little art project devoted to beer,” Jacobson said. “I like looking at what other people are doing and meeting other people. I feel like this is an easy way to meet people I've never met before but it's not super intimidating because we're all busy on our activities as well.”

“Create Night” exemplifies the many ways in which people can celebrate holidays and forge connections through sustainable activities.  

Article by: Phillip Kulubya, American University