Experience your life, don't just live it

Welcome to The Creativity Digest, a monthly newsletter series from Akin! We’re bringing you some of the most interesting creative classes, workshops, events, and pop-ups around New York City every month so that you can find your own creative community.

Monthly Musings

Last month, I had the opportunity to go to a networking event with other entrepreneurs who are building community-driven businesses. As a natural introvert, it’s sometimes hard to put myself out there, especially in spaces where I don’t know anyone. But boy, am I glad I went!

While they were all very different, almost every person in that room started their entrepreneurial journey by tapping into their innate creativity and building a deeper connection with themselves. The major defining trait that they all had was a curiosity about the world. Don’t get me wrong, they all had moments of doubt in their journey. But they chose to be courageous; they got curious about their fears, embraced the messiness, and followed one creative spark after another.

In a society driven by consumerism and greed, it sometimes feels like slowing down and investing in your creativity is a distraction. It means being curious, which requires time, experimentation, and doesn't drive immediate monetary gain. I won’t sit here and lie to you and say that “money doesn’t matter”, because it does. We need to make enough to survive. But that’s not all life is! Making money allows us to live our lives, but being creative is what allows us to experience life. And to experience is to be willing to try new things, question the status quo, and make a mess. It’s not a distraction to make time to create, it’s a necessity for our growth!

The entrepreneurs I met at the event were proof of what happens when you experience life, not just live it. When you invest in your creativity, you discover wonderful things about yourself, uncover new life paths, and meet like-minded people who motivate you to keep going! So take some time out of your week to follow your curiosity and do something creative for yourself. In a year, you’ll look back and realize how much you’ve grown.

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Creative Happenings

Spark your creativity with a workshop:

August 27th: Bring your best friends or meet new friends while making cute friendship bracelets in this workshop. ($15) Thx It’s Thrifted Studio x Gen Z Girl Gang in Chinatown

August 28th: Arrange your own open terrarium in this class that lets you build a living fairy world filled with succulents and rocks in an enclosed glass. ($95) Luludi Living Art in Astoria

August 28th: Learn how to use Watercolor in this friendly and casual workshop at Brooklyn Renaissance! ($69) Brooklyn Renaissance in Downtown Brooklyn

August 31st: Pour candles and soap to make fresh and natural skincare products in a step-by-step process led by an instructor in these classes. ($98) Back Porch Soap Company in Upper West Side

Sept 5th: Love having your friends over for wine and cheese nights? Design your own stoneware cheeseboard at this fun workshop! ($85) The WonderMart in Greenpoint

Sept 9th: Make a charm bracelet and meet new friends in this fun class. ($49) Crafty City Girls at the Arlo NoMad

Sept 18th: Try your hand at modern Kintsugi class by bringing in a broken piece of pottery to mend it into something entirely new. ($85) Gather in Soho

September 24th: Join this Figure Drawing workshop for a relaxing evening of sketching live models, practicing your artistic skills, and experimenting with lines and shading. ($20) Studio 45 in Bushwick

September 28th: Immerse yourself in the world of watercolor painting by joining this virtual workshop where you’ll explore techniques for creating unique and whimsical watercolor patterns! ($40) Case for Making Friends Virtual Class

All September: Check out various glass-making workshops where you can try your hand at making stained glass, suncatchers, coasters, cups, and so much more! (~$500-$1200) UrbanGlass in Downtown Brooklyn

Up-level your creativity with a class series:

Sept 4th-Oct 16th: Does the pottery wheel sound a bit intimidating? Start with this 6 week hand-building course to get familiar with clay! ($460) Bushwick Ceramics in Bushwick

Sept 9th-Oct 28th: Take this Beginner Storyboarding: Graphic Novel + Illustration class series to learn the art of visual storytelling ($595) Creatively Wild Art Studio in DUMBO

Sept-Nov: Have you wanted to be an actor but didn’t know where to start? Try these classes to learn from award-winning actors and teachers! ($545 for 10 classes) The Barrow Group Acting School in Midtown

Oct-Nov: Join the Fall 2024 cohort to go “Back to School” in this series where you can pick any 6 classes from various skill-building workshops to try different things and build a community of new friends! Workshops range from watercolor, clay, printmaking, writing, and more! ($580 for 6 classes) NYC Drawing Room in Midtown

Attend a fun creative event:

Every Other Wednesday Morning: Start your mornings with reflection in this virtual journaling session that encourages connection and conversation. (FREE) Journaling Classes Virtual Event

August 25th: Meet some new friends, grab some food at Smorgasborg, and watch the sunset at this Sunset Sunday event in Prospect Park! (FREE) Soma Sunset in Prospect Park

August 27th: Collage A5 journals with new friends in this workshop and enjoy a gallery walk to show off your creation after the session! ($35) RecCreate in Clinton Hill

August 31st: Live music, vendors, and food at the Fourplay All Day event. Come ready to dance! (FREE) Commune in Bed-Stuy

Sept 12: Attend Nonfiction for No Reason, a literary event where you’ll get to listen to current and upcoming writers! ($25) Book Club Bar in East Village

Sept 13th: Attend a creative coaching talk by Liz Tran, author of Reset and The Karma of Success, where she discusses listening to your inner voice and crafting a personally defined career (FREE) L’Alliance in Upper West Side

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Support Us!

Do you know of a community-driven creative studio, art cafe, third place, or maker space that isn’t on our directory? Are you a business owner of a community-driven space?

Fill out our form to get the business added to Akin!

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Happy creating and thank you for joining us on this creative journey!

Visit Akin to access the directory and learn more about us.

Until next time,

Your Creativity Guides 👨‍🎨