Our Favorite Createscape Memories from Last Year
In our newsletters, as far back as opening day in July 2014, we’re always talking about ways that Createscape has grown and evolved. We love to use this space to promote our various events and share great deals that we broker with neighbors and members, such as the community discount with Squatch Frontier Fitness across the parking lot, our onsite discount CPR classes, and more.
So we thought we would ask each staff member what they recall fondly about Createscape from the past 12 to 16 months. Here’s the deal: originally, this was supposed to be a 2021 retrospective for the January newsletter. But it got bumped for other features and announcements. Now that it’s March (or, if you’re reading the blog, April), we sort of missed the "retrospective" train. But if you’re wondering what the the staff enjoy so much about coming to the office and planning upcoming events, then here you go:
Vana
Vana showing her wares at the first annual Createscape Market in our parking lot
My favorite event over the past year was the first annual Createscape Market! Not only did I love planning it and participating in it with my handmade jewelry and tchotchkes, but watching the community come together felt really good after a year of remote working, social distancing and being cooped up in our houses and apartments.
The Createscape Market was held on a gorgeous Spring day with only fluffy white cumulus clouds in the sky. Everyone turned out to socialize with members of the community and support local artisans. The entire day was fantastic. I can’t wait for this year's 2nd Annual Createscape Market!
Briana
It was a hectic holiday season this year! Not only did I celebrate the holidays with friends and family, but I also saw a job opening here at Creaetscape and got an interview with Keller. Spoiler alert: I got the job!
I love being a community manager job here. This position couldn’t be a better fit for my personality. I’m an extrovert and have a knack for meeting and chatting-up new and long-time members.
I also enjoy working with Vana and Carly running all of our fun community events. When you finally get to happy hour or cookie decorating, then you're only seeing half of our work!
But, I have to say, I might look forward to happy hour events the most because I get to have a drink at work, It gives me an opportunity to talk one-on-one with members who pass through reception every day.
And I rarely get a chance to chat with part-time and community members who come to the office less often. So if that's you and you show up to our events, be sure to grab a staff member and we'll give you a proper introduction to full-time members.
It's really fulfilling when I get to put a face to members' I typically just see in our Airtable spreadseet. And, getting this job was a great early birthday present to myself.
Keller
My favorite Createscape memory of 2021 was the outdoor film screening of the 1982 mega-award winning, Steven Spielberg-directed hit film, ET. The event was held last Spring as part of our “walk-in” (a play on drive-in) outdoor movie series. A ton of members and guests came out from the community (this photo doesn't show the whole crowd, but the sky looks great, right?). We ate Reese's Pieces (no spoilers!) and drank local beers and cider.
Watching ET, the Extra Terrestrial, on the side lawn at Createscape
It was so much fun talking to all the attendees who were seeing the movie for the first time (or for the first time in more than a decade). Most of the group stuck around after the movie ended and we chatted about how the film impacted us and what we remember about seeing it for the first time back in the 80s (or, mostly, later since a lot of members were 80s babies).
It was such a diverse crowd. For some of us, the tear-jerking flick was one of the first movies we ever saw in a movie theater. (Fun fact:There was no Netflix the year Thriller was released. One of the founders of the first mail-order-movie-DVDs to home-streaming app was only 20 when ET hit theaters.) Others recalled seeing it with their high school friends and on dates. And one guy said that at 4 years old, he was just as freaked out as Gertie (Drew Barrymore) the first he laid eyes on the miniature alien.
It was a really amazing and warm experience. And it was clear that people appreciated the chance to socialize after months of working from home and they desperately missed seeing friends — and even coworkers — in person.
Riki
Hello, my name is Riki and I'm an adult coloring-book-aholic. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit those are my favorite events at Createscape. And in our circles, because we’re grownups, some of us call it drawing, not coloring. I even signed up for a painting class at Dougherty Arts Center so I can start calling myself a drawing and painting hobbiest and mean it!)
I recall at our pre-pandemic kitchen coloring events. I even brought my own book and markers. But here at Createscape, we do have a good variety of books and art supplies at the office for members who are new to the hobby.
It was pretty cool to engage in an activity—which I typically do at night while listening to podcasts—with friends and coworkers — even though I do consider Terry Gross and Ira Glass a very close personal friend at this point [wink emoji]. Drawing in coloring books (see what I did there??) won’t make you a better artist. But I find that it’s a great way to unwind and think about something other than deadlines and work assignments. It’s also a great way to lower your blood pressure if you tend to pay attention to too much news.
Carly
My favorite Createscape memories from the past year were all of the craft events we hosted. I had such a great time painting ceramic succulent pots. Now I just need to figure out how to keep a succulent alive! In my professional life, I'm such a left-brain thinker that getting the chance to let my creativity out of the box actually helped me think more creatively in my working with financial clients.
I also learned how to make tie-dyed t-shirts and decorate cookies. Whenever we host a crafting event, it almost — almost — feels like I’m a kid at camp. For those few hours, I can forget about the stresses of my job as a money coach, personal finance instructor and running the desk at Createscape and can just focus on learning a new crafty skill and letting my creativity take over. And I get to chat with members, too.