When the COVID-19 pandemic 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 might also feel like we had a bit too much time, suddenly, to go inward and not spiral down the rabbit hole.

I found my creative friends saying the same things, that they wouldn’t mind connecting virtually during this “unprecedented” time to talk about anything other than our collective concerns for our health, our communities, the world at large and, then, the political climate here in the U.S. We needed something to steady us.

I started to offer virtual writing (or art-making) accountability gatherings, more to share connection at a time that was lonely for many. We’d say hi, then “sprint” with our cameras and mics turned off. 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. Then we’d check back, chat, and do it again. We helped each other set and achieve creative goals and use our extra spare time with some productive momentum. Finally, someone said, please make this weekly. So I did.

Here we are, years later, and we have a steady group of about 12 who meet on Mondays 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. We work from poetic prompts, often sharing what we create during that precious time in its raw, unfiltered state. Creative Cafe has become a safe space, a grounding way to start 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 again, but please reach out if you’d like to start something similar and want to chat.

Please meet some of our Cafe friends.