Creating community

Do you know what’s a great way to feel creative? Go hang out with other creative people. It can be intimidating, particularly if you don’t think of yourself as a creative person. Honestly, I don’t think that’s actually a thing, but I’ve heard loads of people say it about themselves. Everyone is creative in some way. You might have just had it trained out of you, or maybe you really weren’t that great, so you stopped having fun with it. A shame, I recommend you let that all go—it’ll be good for your brain and heart. 

Creating in a collaborative setting has loads of psychological and physical benefits—you can look them up. You’ll experience them even if you don’t think what you made is good, and you don’t need to turn it into a side hustle either. Create for the joy, community, and fun of it! Do it at the next Art Hive Pop Up hosted biweekly by Creative PEI. I took one of my daughters to do just that, doodling shovels and a teapot, while she did some abstract painting.

Art Hives can take various forms, but they share central themes and goals. They’re inviting spaces where people can make art, talk, and build community—all for free! Becca Griffin and Molly Lecco, Creative PEI members, started this “off-the-side-of-their-desk” community engagement initiative for all those reasons. Their program is also for all ages, so you can take the whole family. You can bring along your own project or use the lovely donated supplies they have available for public use. 

The space was full the evening we dropped in—they even had to break out some more chairs and tables. Chill instrumental music played in the background while people created and chatted. There were folks of all ages and skill levels, from well-known local artists to kids having a family date night. A wide variety of projects were happening, including collage-making, sewing, felting, origami, and of course, painting and drawing. It’s two hours of relaxed, joyful creating and community-building. 

The daughter with me is at that age where she’s becoming self-conscious and starting to think she’s “not a good artist.” She was hesitantly applying little brushstrokes to the canvas when some other kids said they liked the colours she made. Almost immediately, she let go. She stopped trying to make her picture into something specific, started having fun with it, and even collaborated with the other kids. It was right sweet. I stopped caring that my shovels were all wonky and my teapot lid wasn’t centered too—which is kind of a feat when you’re sitting next to an artist whose work hangs in your bathroom at home. 

Creative PEI has also started Art Night at The Guild, collaborating with various art collectives and organizations to offer free programming for artists and the wider community. You can check out their websites for all the details.