When COVID-19 emerged in 2020, some friends and I moved our regular in-person coffeeshop writing sessions or one-on-one virtual meet-ups to an occasional group Zoom get-together. I created a Facebook group page for writers, artists, dancers and others among my friends who shared a need to connect lest we isolate and get lost down the pandemic rabbit hole.

We wanted to distract ourselves and find peace in creative expression, rather than our collective concerns for our health, our communities, the world at large and politics here in the U.S. Art steadied us.

I offered these sessions as virtual writing or art-making accountability sessions. We’d say hi, then “sprint” with our cameras and mics turned off, then regroup and do it again. Some of us wrote poems, reflected in journal entries, painted, drew, doodled/used a coloring book, read something inspiring, or even baked or cleaned the home office/studio. Whatever we needed to get grounded. We helped each other set and achieve creative goals and use our extra spare time with some productive momentum. Finally, they asked me to make this weekly. So I did.

Here we are, years later, and we have a steady group of about 12 who meet one evening a week to check in, talk about the challenges of creative expression conflicting with work, others’ demands, health challenges, and. oh yes, the weight of democracy’s demise. You know, the usual.

I offer poetic prompts and we often share (optionally) what we create during that precious time in its raw, unfiltered state.

Creative Cafe has become a safe space, a grounding way each week. And no matter what, we create something. A starting place. A reminder that we have things to say and someone who wants to hear them. For now, we’re locked down to keep the group intimate. But please reach out if you’d like to start something similar and want to chat.