HISTORY OF THE CANDYFLOSS CREATIVE INITIATIVE

Written by Founder Aiden Vanasco

THE IDEA

The idea of a Creative Initiative first occurred to me on the day I moved to Orlando. I was driving up I-4, absolutely terrified of what the future had in store for me. How would I make rent? What would college be like? Am I ready for this? The idea came to me because I recognized one major fear I had: finding a community of like-minded people.

I sat in thought about it, envisioning a large collective of creative individuals of all mediums coming together to collaborate on projects, and sharing them with each other. We could throw film festivals, concerts, galleries, do a magazine; all things I’ve always wanted to be a part of. From some of my deep dives into the Orlando indie music scene, successful movies from Orlando creators like The Blair Witch Project, and the careers launched out of Full Sail, Rollins, and UCF, I knew I was driving into raw, often unchecked creative talent.

As I drove through Kissimmee, the song Candyfloss by Wilco came on, and I fell in love with the name. The idea of two things – candy and floss – that accomplish completely different things, coming together to make something we all love (candyfloss is a somewhat decommissioned term for cotton candy). I learned later that the song is about heroin addiction, but lyrics are open to interpretation, right?

Creators of different backgrounds, passions, and ideas coming together to make incredible art sparked me into a deep excitement and eagerness for the future. One idea turned fear and anxiety into pure energy.

I moved in, and tried getting used to living in a new city. I was living with two long-time best friends, and was finally surrounded by people who had the same outlook and passion in their creative talents that I did. (This is no shade to my hometown friends – ya’ll are doctors and lawyers, which is awesome, but not where I’m called.) I kept the idea in the back of my head, and one morning shared it with my roommate and life-long best friend Speyer Heerdt. Needless to say, we both sparked on the idea, and he contributed so much passion and input, that Candyfloss for the first time felt like something tangible. We erased a whiteboard full of crude drawings and wrote, for the first time, The Candyfloss Creative Initiative. We wrote down goals, target members, and valuable connections we had. I immediately started writing down an action plan, but Speyer reminded me of a valuable skill he had that I often lack: patience. Speyer’s major creative passion is a cartoon entitled Elroy’s Journey. He has a whole Tolkien-level world in his head, but has let it grow and marinate for years into something much greater than an early idea.

I decided to be patient, and let Candyfloss happen naturally. We began meeting some people around school, and sharing the idea. Everyone thought it was awesome, and we got a core group of early members. Eventually, it started growing. We put on our first event in the form of a screenplay workshop, and it was finally tangible.

THE FUTURE

We have no way of knowing what Candyfloss will evolve into. We hope to revolutionize the creative process, making it easy for creators of all mediums to collaborate and network, forming life-long bonds that will aid them in their careers. We hope to turn creativity back into passion, not money. We are here to start a movement.

There are some things we know, however. We know Candyfloss will always be free. There is no reason to turn this into a business. Joining Candyfloss will always be free. Entry into events will always be free for Candyfloss members. Submission and participation in those events will always be free for Candyfloss members. I, myself know that I will always do my best to even play a fraction of a part in the success of our members. To our members: I am here for you. To anyone who hasn’t joined: just join Candyfloss. I will make good on my promise to ensure you have a platform and a network. All of you are extremely talented in your own respects. I’m not here to profit on that talent, I am here to make sure the full extent of it sees the light of day. I want to grow with you. I want Candyfloss to grow as massive as it can to ensure each individual member has the right resources for success.

There is no hierarchy to Candyfloss, and there never will be. Yes, I founded Candyfloss, and I want my career to benefit off it, but whether you’ve just joined today, or have been here from the start, we are all on the same level. We are all ambitious creators just hoping we can do what we love. We are all looking for people to share our ideas with. We are all looking for ways to show our creations off. We are all striving for greatness. In my opinion, the answer to all of this is a creative initiative.

To anyone reading this who is a member of our community, thank you for joining! Use Candyfloss to become something even greater. Share your ideas, take pride in what you love, and never forget that anyone can be successful. Know yourself. Know your worth. Believe in yourself even at your lowest. Call me if you need to hear that. Use your experiences to create something new.

BE PART OF A MOVEMENT. MAKE THINGS. CREATE ART. CONNECT. FIND COMMUNITY.