Finding Your People: Why Independents Need Community
Sometimes when you set out to solve a problem you end up scratching your own itch and, in the case of Creative Community, I'm definitely scratching one of mine.
Like many of us, I've been working from home since 2019. I was locked down in mid-March in Toronto with my 1-year-old and 5-year-old and stayed that way for 3 months, taking client calls while bouncing my son to sleep in a baby carrier and my daughter singing Frozen 2 songs in the background. Eventually I bought a monitor and an ergonomic chair, and settled into working from home. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Working from home lets me drop the kids at school and get back to my desk for a 9:15 meeting. I can have a healthy lunch and be home when my kids are inevitably sick with whatever virus they've picked up at school. Not only is it more flexible but I'm more productive than ever before. Without office socializing, I give into my hyperfocus and lose myself in work for hours, forgetting to take breaks and turning out high-quality work in shorter timeframes than I could when working from an office surrounded by colleagues and commotion.
Despite these pros, I've noticed a growing con. I miss the colleagues and commotion, the coffee runs and cooler chat. Sure, I could work from a coffee shop, but that's not the same as connecting with a community of people who I’ve gotten to know over time and who know me and get what I do. My at-home monitor doesn't giggle with me about the latest meme or Gen Alpha phrase (6 7 anyone?!) and I don't trust AI to give me solid feedback when I bounce ideas off of it or need someone to collaborate with.
That's what Creative Community is all about.
We're creating a space for independent creatives, remote workers, and work-from-home professionals to connect, collaborate and play. Whether you're freelance, a consultant, artist, content creator or accountant—we are all creative and we all need to embrace that part of ourselves, and learn and connect with others, to do our best work and live our best lives.
Starting in 2026 we'll be hosting regular meetups—dare I say, laptop free?—focused on filling the social and creative cups of work-from-home folks who are looking for a break from their home office and some of that long-lost professional social energy and inspiration. Think creative exercises, collaborative problem-solving, coffee and play, and yes—actual conversation with actual humans.
More details coming soon. Want to be the first to know? Sign up for updates at thecreativitycampus.com
