Entire industries have sprung up around the idea of unlocking creativity, including the creation of multiple strategies, techniques and exercises. Last fall, a small group of creative students joined forces with HackCville and other UVA organizations to flip that idea on its head with a  “Creative Lock-In,” a 12-hour session from 7pm until 7am where student artists and novices alike join forces to exchange ideas, foster creativity and create art. Held in late November, the Lock-In was the third of its kind at UVA, drawing dozens of students from across Grounds to participate in the process. 

“Lock-In” was, of course, a figurative term: all participants are free to come and go as they please throughout the twelve-hour session. The term is descriptive of the mindset the immersive experience creates. “We find that this environment encourages participants to be completely locked in, or focused, on the work they are doing, which then contributes to the quality and the integrity of the art that gets created,” said Tamar Ziff, a fourth year in the College and one of the head organizers. The first five hours are dedicated to connecting the students to art through workshops and performances spanning the fields of poetry, visual arts and music, including shows by various arts-related student groups on Grounds, and visits from artists working in the community-at-large.  

At the stroke of midnight, the creating begins with groups of like-minded artists breaking off to collaborate and use the skills and inspiration they have found to create their own works. “The idea here is to create a specific space and time, separate from the frenzy of our routine academic and social lives, for both established and novice artists to come together and express themselves. The events have been incredibly successful and productive, and we look forward to providing this kind of opportunity for even more students.”