“It’s not every day that I’m in a room full of creative minds outside of my own family,” gushed Tapo Tsikirai, who was attending Creators Lab for the first time this year. “What stood out to me was not just the value of being in a room of creatives, but with the added goal of showing people how much they’re loved. I didn’t realize how many people there were out there who had similar interests to mine. There was so much intentionality! It reminded me that even in religious settings we should be more intentional about what we do. Creators Lab challenged me to grow and to surround myself with people who want to be better creators, too. I learned so much from hearing other people’s experiences!”
Tapo was one of many people experiencing “firsts” at Creators Lab this year – both as an attendee and as a lab presenter. Taji Saleem, communication director for the Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, was also there for the first time.
“What I found most valuable at Creators Lab was the connections made with other creatives from all over,” Taji shared. “Being able to hear their stories and their passion for creating was a reminder of my purpose and calling to create. It was a friendly environment, and it was refreshing to be able to network and partner with other Adventists who speak a similar language of creativity that often gets overlooked or misunderstood. I could tell a tight-knit community existed there and that new groups were being formed. It’s not often that there are avenues for professionals with years of experience who get to rub shoulders with college creatives who are looking to expand their network and share their skills, as well as learning from other colleagues in different areas. It’s definitely a worthwhile experience.”
Eunice Reyes, host of the YouTube food experience channel Rated V for Vegan, and Everett Patterson, art director for BibleProject, were also publicly presenting for the first time as part of this year’s Creators Lab speaking lineup.
The event began Friday night, May 1st, with a welcome vespers, chai from local pastor and content creator Kevin Wilson, and a chance to connect with others over supper. Sabbath began with intentional time for community building over breakfast, bonding over questions like “Why did you come this year?” and “What’s one project you dream of creating someday?” Throughout the day attendees got the opportunity to learn and connect with others. Theologian and Abuelita Faith author, Kat Armas, challenged attendees to reflect on their individual impact in their communities. BibleProject’s Everett Patterson shared how a small team came together with the goal of exploring the Bible with new eyes and grew into a nonprofit with a team of over 100, sharing the Bible all over the world in new and creative ways. Content creator Eunice Reyes shared how starting a YouTube channel about vegan food and sharing her values through it shaped how she shares her faith with others today. And Benjamin Lundquist and Kaleb Eisele rounded out the afternoon sessions, sharing their experiences in podcasting and challenging those attending to take the ideas they’ve carried and to make them a reality.
After supper and community time Saturday evening, many returned on Sunday morning for a few hours of hands-on learning labs on topics such as creative data management (Jeremy Barber), content creation (Eunice Reyes), filming on a budget (Tapo Tsikirai), and entrepreneurship (Kaleb Eisele), before this year’s Creators Lab came to a close.
Creators Lab is becoming a hub for digital creators of faith to find in-person community, grow their skills, and to rediscover a compassionate creator God. Plans are already underway for next year’s event, which will be held April 30-May 2, 2027 in Gladstone at the Holden Convention Center! Watch for more details coming first quarter next year!
