One year of Akin: To our community…

From Jane:

It's been a year since we started The Creative Directory, rebranded to Akin, and what a ride it's been. Connie and I started this because we believe making beautiful things is fundamentally human.

Building something new was terrifying—every decision felt massive, and I spent countless nights wondering if I was out of my depth.

But here's what I learned: blank pages are only intimidating until you make the first mark. The best parts weren't the big milestones but the quiet wins—someone booking classes through our site, a person creating again after years of thinking they weren't "creative enough."

This year taught me that connecting people to their creativity is really about permission. People were waiting for someone to tell them it's okay to be beginners, to make imperfect things, to prioritize their creativity—and Akin has helped them realize they can give themselves that permission. What makes me proudest isn't what we built, but watching people find their way back to themselves. A year in, I'm clearer than ever: this work matters because you matter. Thanks for being part of this journey. Here's to finding our way back to ourselves, one creative act at a time.

From Connie:

I can't believe it's been a full year since we launched Akin on Instagram. Jane and I had been talking about this idea for years before we finally sat down early 2024 and decided to stop overthinking it. I still remember how terrifying it was to hit "post" on that first post—we were convinced we had no idea what we were doing and probably still don't half the time. The impostor syndrome has been real, and there were moments where we questioned if anyone actually cared about what we were building.

But it's been pretty cool to see how many people are just as into community and creativity as we are. We've met people starting their own creative projects, hosting workshops, organizing events, and genuinely trying to connect instead of just networking. It's wild how many people were craving this kind of space but didn't know where to find it. We're still figuring it out as we go, still dealing with that "are we qualified?" feeling, but a year later we're somehow still here and people seem to care. Thanks to everyone who's been part of this—keep sharing, keep showing up, keep telling your friends about that workshop you want to try. Let’s work together to make our communities a little more connected every day.

Thank you all for the amazing support this year! We’re so encouraged to keep going, stay tuned as we continue to build up Akin to support the creative community!

Love,

Connie & Jane

Co-founders of Akin